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-13- <br />VIII <br />the area are associated with lenticular sands, local faulting and <br />fracturing, and landslides. Most of the springs in or adjacent to the <br />five year permit area are located along Sylvester Gulch (see Exhibit <br />2.6.2.A). Since part of this watershed would be subject to subsidence, <br />some of these springs could dry.up. However, these springs, which <br />supply less than 50% of the flow in Sylvester Gulch, are currently used <br />as a water source for the Tony Bear Pipeline which is now owned by <br />WECC. Loss of,this water would not significantly decrease the water <br />supply to the alluvial valley floor. <br />No significant degradation in ground water quality is anticipated. <br />Following mining, new springs, fed by water supplied by the <br />accumulation of water in the underground workings, could form. At <br />present it is not possible to predict the water quality of these <br />springs. However, they would be such a minor contribution of the water <br />supplied to the alluvial valley floor, no degradation of water quality <br />in the alluvial valley floor is anticipated. <br />Surface coal mining and reclamation operations are conducted to <br />preserve, throughout the mining and reclamation process, the essential <br />hydrologic functions of alluvial valley floors not within the affected <br />area (Rule 4.24.2). <br />None of the mining activities are located within the alluvial valley <br />floor and the natural geologic and hydrologic characteristics of the <br />valley floor would not be disturbed. In addition, mining operations <br />are not expected to affect the quantity and quality of surface and <br />ground water that supply the alluvial valley floor. <br />Alluvial Valley Floors - Monitoring (Rule 4.24.5) <br />The applicant's normal surface water and ground water monitoring along <br />with the U.S. Geological Survey monitoring at Somerset is sufficient to <br />monitor the affects to the essential hydrologic functions of the <br />alluvial valley floor. However, the following stipulation is required <br />if the USGS station is discontinued: <br />Stipulation No. 2 <br />IN ITS ANNUAL HYDROLOGY ASSESSMENT, THE APPLICANT SHALL CONTINUE TO <br />INCLUDE WATER QUANTITY DATA FROM THE U.S.G.S. SOMERSET MONITORING <br />STATION. SHOULD THE U.S.G.S. DISCONTINUE MONITORING AT THIS LOCATION, <br />THE OPERATOR SHALL SUBMIT ITS OWN QUANTITY MONITORING PROGRAM FOR THE <br />NORTH FORK OF THE GUNNISON. <br />As requested by h1LRD, the State Engineer's Off ice, Division of Water <br />Resources has reviewed the application and identified the following <br />problems with regard to the operations proposed under the five year <br />permit application and to portions of the leased area outside of the <br />t - > <br /> <br />