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The mine play has been designed to totally avoid mining is certain critical <br />areas where water rights exist. For example, the north extreme of East <br />Roatcap Creek will not be undermined to prevent impacts to certain water <br />rights. In areas where the overburden depth is less thaw 800 feet, CWI will <br />conduct limited coal extraction under streams to minimize the potential for <br />any subsidence. CWI has timed the sequence of mining to intentionally mine <br />areas over the next five years that do not contain significant and critical <br />water resources. This practice will allow CWI to mine, while at the same time <br />enable the collection of hydrologic and subsidence monitoring data. Such data <br />can then be used in later permit terms when significant water resources are in <br />question. <br />Should damage to any pipeline, spring, pond, etc. be identified as the result <br />of mining. CWI will attempt to repair the damage in accordance with their <br />"Subsidence Repair Handbook". This handbook, incorporated into Volume 3 of <br />the application, contains detailed procedures that will be implemented to <br />repair water resources and structures should they be impacted. <br />A general water replacement plan has been prepared by CWI to augment water to <br />water users while any mine related damage is being repaired. CWI has <br />demonstrate8 water is available and can be transported to affected water users <br />if damage occurs. Their water rights consist of both springs and ditch water <br />that could supply a variety of users. Obviously CWI could not replace every <br />single source of water in the permit area if all were affected at once. <br />However, any impacts on water users will not be all at once. Rather, impact <br />will progress slowly over areas as coal is mined. The operator will never be <br />allowed to mine at times when insufficient water is available to mitigate <br />• impacts. CWI also proposes to improve leaks and seeps on some ditches and <br />divert one ditch water away from the mine to further protect the rights of <br />present water users. To protect stock and wildlife, CWI has committed to <br />always maintaining a designated number of stockponds on the permit area which <br />will be protected from damage. <br />Although CWI has devised the above plans to protect water resources they are <br />predicting no significant impacts to water users or water resources. However, <br />until data is made available to verify this the Division must assume worst <br />case impacts. Even if subsidence effects were to appear no significant <br />long-term damage to water resources would result. As previously mentioned, <br />CWI will maintain designated ponds for stock and wildlife use. These ponds <br />will always be available to supply water. Runoff from the affected lands in <br />the permit area does not contribute measurably to stream base flow in the <br />summer months. Therefore, any impacts from subsidence cracks or spring <br />depletion would be minimal while the damage was repaired. In the event a <br />water user is impacted, sufficient CWI owned water rights exist to mitigate <br />water users, or the hydrologic balance. Any impacts can be mitigated should <br />they occur. A monitoring program has been designed to monitor surface water, <br />selected water users, ponds, springs, and insignificant colluvial/alluvial <br />areas. <br />• <br />7 <br />