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-47- <br />The Terror Creek Coal Yard withdraws water from two sources. Water for <br />dust suppression is supplied by senior water rights from the Deertrail <br />Ditch. The ditch withdraws water from Hubbard Creek. Use averages <br />5,000 gallons per day. Previously, this water was used to irrigate <br />orchards where the loadout is now situated. A domestic well which <br />supplies about 450 gallons per day is used for domestic use at the <br />loadout office. Since the company has just changed water use from <br />agriculture to domestic, there is little net depletion to the North <br />fork River system. <br />Bear Coal Company will"utilize 1.15 acre-feet per year of domestic <br />water fromdthe Somerset Domestic Waterworks as drinking water. Water <br />used for dust suppression on roads and for wash down of the mine shop <br />and equipment is pumped from a shallow well located.in the alluvium <br />next to the North Fork at the rate of 5.3 ac. ft. per year. Within the <br />mine, the water will be used to cool equipment and for dust <br />suppression. The total estimated consumption of water which is <br />tributary to the North Fork of the Gunnison River will be 5.5 acre-feet <br />per year. This consumption represents 0.001% of the mean annual yield <br />in the North Fork. Additional minor amounts of water will be consumed <br />through evaporation from .the sediment ponds at the mines. <br />The Slue Ribbon Mine consumes about 16,010 gallons of water per day <br />(11.12 gpm). This water is pumped from a well completed in the <br />alluvium of Hubbard Creek. This alluvial water is tributary to the <br />flow of water in Hubbard Creek. The water consumption consists of <br />1,050 gpd for sanitary and domestic use, 9,600 gpd for water absorbed <br />on the coal from the mine, and 5,360 gpd for dust control and equipment <br />wash down. The total depletion of water tributary to the North Fork of <br />the Gunnison for a 250-day work year will be 12.28 acre-feet per year. <br />This is 0.003% of the mean annual yield in the North Fork. <br />The Orchard Valley Mine pumps approximately 30,000 gpd (23.02 acre-feet <br />per year) from Stevens Gulch for coal spraying, dust control, fire <br />control, and potable water supplies. This depletion has been augmented <br />by an approved augmentation plan through Division 4 Water Court (see <br />Augmentation Appendix in Volume 2, the Orchard Valley permit <br />application), which utilizes releases from East Beckwith No. 1 <br />Reservoir,-located in the Anthracite drainage, to replace water removed <br />from Stevens Gulch. Most of the potable water supply used for <br />showering, etc. is treated at the site and released to the sediment <br />ponds. The loss due to evaporation of the water in the ponds is <br />expected to have a minimal impact on water yields of the North Fork of <br />the Gunnison River. Another consumptive use of water by the Orchard <br />Valley Mine will be water absorbed on coal which is transported out of <br />the basin. No data has been provided by Colorado Westmoreland Inc. on <br />this consumptive use at the mine. Colorado Westmoreland Inc. is <br />supplying water consumption information annually to the Division as a <br />committed <br /> <br />