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Si Cv-sped Cic g~olegy, overburden chemistry, and hydrology were provided <br />thn ntgh the SOAP program and are presented in sr~ctions 2.04.5, 6 and 7 <br />and section 2.05.6(3) of the permit application. r\s discussed on page 332 <br />of the application, overburden material especiall}• in the sandstone unit <br />above the first rider seam contains potential contaminants to the hydrologic <br />system. Toxic heavy metals might be released if low pH water worm to come <br />in contact with specific units in the overburden. The SOAP report <br />notes that the carbonate content of almost all of the strata i.s consistantly <br />higher than the sulfate content. These two chemical const.ituants will tend <br />to cause more neutral pll's if the materials arc allot:~ed to ].each via cmttact <br />with water. Thorough mi:;ing of the overburden, as proposed in section 2.05, <br />will result in a higher pH if e;;posed to water thus immobilizin;; Lhe heave <br />metal ions. Also, the pit is erpected to be dry both during and after <br />mining and therefore, should not pose a direct impact to ground water quality. <br />The Trinidad Sandstone, the only potential confined aquifer in the general <br />area, outcrops within the permit area. The top of this formation outcrops <br />in a discontinuous fashion between [he confluence of Pryor Canyon and the <br />unnamed drainage and Black Hawk Canyon. P,eing at such shallow depth and <br />within 500 feet of the outcrop the likelihood of a saturated aquifer is <br />minimal. SCreamElow generated recharge is the major ~.:a[er source for <br />ground watt-r in the aquifer. The base of the proposed pit is higher in <br />elevation than any of the nearby stcenms. The well drilled fir monitoring <br />purposes for the SOAP contract confirms [he absenc« oC ground water a[ <br />the m:ytected depth oL mining. <br />Part of the SOAP roves t.i ga lion included sampling of water stored in an <br />old mine void in the Vermejo Formation directly Werth of [he permit area. <br />Tlris water sample indicates the long term effects of c::pnsing water [n <br />overburden materials 'in near proximity to Ute Cameron coa]. seam. The <br />concentration of almost all of [he parameters anal/zed are taell below <br />the permissible limits. The only exceptions were iron and manganese <br />which are slightly higher. The total dissolved solids are high and the <br />water is generall}• hard. <br />Surface water information i.s presented in section ?.04.7(2) of [he permit <br />application. The Pryor mine area is drained b_v two tributaries of <br />Santa Clara Creek; Black Hawkfanyon and Pryor Canyon. The general flow <br />direction is east, then northeast into the ArF~.ansns I:iver as is shown on <br />map 3 of this report. IJater flows in the ephemeral drainages only in <br />direct response to precipitation in the immediate w,t[arshed. Precipitation <br />that falls as snout usually melts w.ith~in a week. Ber_a~,ise of [he nature of <br />those rphemera.l. watersheds, no water quality or quantity m~a su remcn is <br />could he made. <br />Cross-soc_tions of Un• channels t~tcrr uti lizod in drirrmi ni n}t Clan: pa Want Crrv. <br />'fire SQ,AP cnntrnc tar utili ~.,•d four mr [bads nC hcrit ol~~;_ic analysis to <br />driraniue runnCf peaks and runoff volumes: a) regression analysis, <br />h) regression d:•vr loped far tha plains in Cn to rodo, c) paramr[ric- <br />regrassion method, and d) regression based ou [b~ channel geometry. <br />(See [ht• Operations section of this docuc~•nt fur a further discussion of <br />:: rd i..,. nt pon;ls and surLacm water. ) <br />