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Surface Water - <br />Surface water information may be found in Volume I, pages 42 to 47 of Section 2.04, pages 114 to 135 of <br />Section 2.05.6, and in Volume 4. Water rights tabulations and an augmentation plan are found in Volumes <br />5 and SA. Annual hydrologic reports have been prepared since 1982 and exist asstand- alone volumes. <br />For a description of the surface water hydrology of the mine permit azea and a discussion of the impacts of <br />mining on surface water, please refer to the Hydrologic Balance and Probable Hydrologic Consequences <br />portions of Section B of this document. <br />BRL's baseline surface water collection for the permit area consisted of reviewing existing baseline studies <br />on the area, compiling a list of water rights on file with the State Engineer, identifying water resources <br />using aerial photographs, and actual on-the-ground surveys. In the 1988 Findings, only one concern with <br />the baseline study that pertained to a proposed area to be mined outside that five-year permit term was <br />noted. CWI had not obtained right of entry to conduct on-the-ground baseline surveys on two tracts of <br />land totalling 286 acres within the East Roatcap Creek drainage basin. COVCC obtained the required <br />rights of entry during 1992-93 and performed ground reconnaissance for surface water sources on these <br />areas as baseline data for Permit Revision No. 3. <br />The Bowie No. I Mine permit area is drained by East Roatcap Creek, West Roatcap Creek, Main Roatcap <br />Creek, Steven's Gulch, Coal Gulch, and Terror Creek, all of which are tributaries to the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison. <br />Terror Creek is a perennial stream with an aquatic community that includes some trout. The stream has a <br />high gradient channel with riparian vegetation and alluvium confined to narrow bands along the channel. <br />Steven's Gulch, East Roatcap Creek, and Coal Gulch are intermittent to ephemeral drainages that only flow <br />part of the year. Localized deposits of colluvial material reworked by fluvial processes are present within <br />the general area, primarily within the Steven's Gulch, West Fork Terror Creek, and Roatcap Creek <br />drainages. These deposits are generally 20 to 30 acres in size and provide industrial (Steven's Gulch), <br />domestic (Long Draw), and agricultural (Morrell Cow Camp) water sources (page 39, Section 2.04.7 of <br />Volume 1). Several smaller occurrences of saturated alluvial/colluvial deposits are associated with the <br />streams in the permit area; however, none of these is currently supporting agricultural use. <br />The flow of water in Terror Creek and in the North Fork of the Gunnison River is strongly influenced by <br />irrigation structures along these stream courses. The Overland Ditch intercepts and distributes water from <br />the upper reaches of Terror Creek. The flow in the North Fork is controlled by Paonia Reservoir and water <br />withdrawals by several irrigation ditches -the Fire Mountain Canal, Stewart Ditch, Farmers Ditch, and <br />Paonia Ditch. [n addition, there are two pipelines that will withdraw water from the Steven's Gulch Well <br />Field. The first is currently in operation and is operated by the Pitkin Mesa Pipeline Company. The <br />second pipeline carries water from the Steven's Gulch Well Field to the site of the proposed Roatcap Creek <br />portal facility. <br />There are many springs and numerous ponds within the permit and hydrologically adjacent area of the <br />Bowie No. 1 Mine. It appears that most of these springs and ponds aze intermittent and depend upon <br />seasonal precipitation and long-term weather patterns. The source of most of the springs appears to be <br />related to landslide complexes, faults and fractures, areas of colluvium/ alluvium where ground water has <br />accumulated, or the discharge points at the contact of the Rollins sandstone with the lenticular sandstones <br />of the Mesaverde Formation. <br />14 <br />