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On November 17, 1997, Bear Coal Company personnel noted water flowing from an area located immediately west of the sealed Edwards Mine Portal. This spring is continuing to flow at approximately 37 gpm. Prior to this time, [he abandoned Edwards Mine has not discharged mine water since its opening in 1934. It has not been determined if this recent discharge is in anyway associated with the mine inflows reported at the Bear No. 3 Mine. The effect that this discharge may have on groundwater resources cannot be determined until the source of the water has been identified. Bear Coal Company is not expected to disturb the aquifers that supply springs adjacent to the permit area. The springs adjacent to the permit area are primarily associated with sandstones in the Barren Member of the Mesaverde Formation. These sandstones will not be affected by subsidence fractures. Rubbliza[ion above the Bear No. 3 Mine workings is expected to extend several hundred feet above the extracted B- and C-Seams. No fractures are expected to extend above the sandstone at the top of the lower Coal Bearing Member. The limited vertical extent of the subsidence-induced fracture system will ensure that springs in the Barren Member are undisturbed. No disturbance of adjacent springs fed by alluvial sources is expected because the mining will not be conducted under any alluvial valley deposits. The limited amounts of groundwater present in the B-Seam that will be disturbed by mining at the Bear Mine will not result in any impact on any springs associated with the B-Seam. Vertical subsidence-induced fractures will not extend into aquifers that supply water to springs associated with the Barren Member; therefore, no impact on these springs is anticipated. No significant depletion of groundwater in the B-Seam is expected to result from mining activities at Bear No. 3. Small amounts of water enter the mine from walls, roof and floor in recently mined areas. These inflows reportedly cease one to two weeks after the area is mined. The small inflows directly related to mining and the lack of any recorded mine discharges indicate that there is a low potential for significant impact to groundwater resources due to Bear Coal Company's mining activities in the B-Seam. However, due to the increase in B-Seam mining area that resulted from approval of Permit Revision No. 2, it is likely that infiltration into the subsided B-Seam may occur in volumes significant enough to cause discharge into the North Fork of the Gurmison River via the B-Seam contact. If this occurs, the water is likely to be of degraded quality, especially with respect to dissolved solids. It is not believed that this will have a significant overall impact on water quality in the North Fork of the Gunnison River. Precipitation and snowmelt on the Bear No. 3 facilities area will infiltrate the underlying alluvial material. The North Fork of the Gunnison River is 21