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and approximately 1 foot for "Block D" dryland pasture. Two lift soil replacements will be used on <br />all replacement areas except "Block D", where single lift replacement will be utilized. <br />In accordance with landowner desires, the reclamation plan will be directed towazd replacement and <br />enhancement of the dominant irrigated hayland and pastureland land uses. Small areas of steeper <br />slopes or property comers difficult to imgate will be planted to dryland pasture, in accordance with <br />landowner requests. Reclamation efforts will not be directed towazd restoring the minor acreage of <br />depleted sagebrush rangeland, or the artificially subirrigated swale areas. It is anticipated that <br />wetland vegetation will establish in low spots and adjacent to impoundments on the reclaimed <br />landscape, due to the presence of water from irrigation runoff. Continued incidental use of the <br />reclaimed landscape by wildlife similaz to that which occurred prior to mining, is expected. <br />Operations on Prime Farmland <br />After an extensive review by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Western Fuels- <br />Colorado, and the Division, a determination was made that the Bazx soil within the permit area <br />vicinity is not prime farmland, and that the original classification of prime farmland was in error. An <br />October 14, 1992 letter from the NRCS District Conservationist (Permit Attachment 2.04.9-6), <br />documents this determination. The area has now been reclassified as irrigated cropland, however, <br />the land itself was reclaimed to prime farmland standards as far as topsoil handling and depths aze <br />concerned <br />Water Rights and Usage <br />The water rights, usage and augmentation plan is presented in Section 2.05.6(3) of the permit <br />application. There are 11 surface water rights that have the potential of being impacted by Western <br />Fuels operations at New Horizon Mine 2. These aze upgradient of Sediment Pond 007 at the site. <br />There aze 29 water wells adjacent to the [nine sites. Of these, just two, W-009 and D-041 on Figure <br />2 of Tab 16, could be impacted by future mining activities at the New Horizon Mine 2 site. These <br />two wells aze 150 feet or less deep and derive their water from neaz surface aquifers. At the end of <br />five yeazs of operation, Western Fuels estimated that drawdown might be one foot within a 0.7 mile <br />radius of the center of the New Horizon Mine 2 pit. Western Fuels proposes, with owner consent, to <br />monitor these wells to detect any changes in their hydrologic conditions. <br />Western Fuels-Colorado will use the following alternative water sources to mitigate any ground or <br />surface water right impacts. Western Fuels has available 114.5 acre-feet of surface water, which is a <br />consumptive use credit associated with Western Fuels' ownership of 27 shares of the Colorado <br />Cooperative Company (CCC). Western Fuels has an absolute 4 acre-foot storage right for the 001 <br />reservoir at the New Horizon Mine 1 area and is projected to have 18 acre-feet of pit pumpage during <br />the non-irrigation season available to them for use. Western Fuels also has a 1.5 acre-foot ground <br />water right associated with the mined-out shop well. <br />It is from these alternative sources of water that the surface water augmentation plan has been <br />developed. No ground water impacts requiring mitigation aze forecast. However, should a ground <br />water supply be diminished to such an extent that it precludes its use, Western Fuels will replace this <br />supply with surface water available to them (only 52.1 of the 114.5 acre-feet of CCC water is <br />required for the surface water augmentation plan) or WFC will re-drill a new well. <br />13 <br />