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-20- The major water rights owned by the applicant are from the Vulcan Ditch, which originates in Canyon Creek, a tributary to the Colorado River on the north side of the River. The water from this ditch is siphoned underneath the Colorado River and has been historically used to flood irrigate the alluvial valley floor north and east of the surface facilities. During low-flow periods, the applicant has committed to giving priority to irrigation of the historic alluvial valley floor. There does exist the possibility that use of valid water rights by the applicant will detrimentally impact the quantity of water available to the Colorado River. The use of 600 acre-feet annually equals an average flow of 0.83 cfs. This reduction of the average 1983 flow of 4,969 cfs in the Colorado River is an insignificant impact. In conclusion, no significant impacts to the hydrologic balance are projected for the life-of-mine operation at the Coal Ridge No. 1 facilities. The foregoing discussion has detailed the impacts due to life-of-mine operations at Coal Ridge #1 Mine. As previously stated, this three year permit term will entail much less disturbance than the life-of-mine plan. This permit term calls for construction of the surface facilities and initial development in the coal seam. Total production anticipated during this permit term will be a maximum of 600,000 tons of clean coal, with a proposed maximum production of 15,000 tons of coal processing waste. The permanent refuse embankment is not permitted in this term. Therefore, a temporary storage at the surface facility will be required for the coal processing waste. This temporary waste pile will be located in the center of the surface facilities area near the area designated for raw coal storage and handling in the life-of-mine plan. This area will be a specially prepared work/storage pad which will drain into a diversion channel, and ultimately into a settlement pond. As this temporary refuse pile will be located on unconsolidated colluvial material, there is the potential for leaching through this waste pile into the colluvial material and ultimately into the alluvial ground water along the Colorado River. Due to the short storage time projected and the small size of the temporary refuse pile, it is not expected that any degradation of water quality within the alluvium will occur. Also, the monitoring plan as stipulated previously in this document will detect any changes if they occur within the water quality of the colluvial and alluvial material. An analysis of Probable Hydrologic Consequences of the Coal Ridge No. 1 Mine has been performed by the applicant, as required under Rule 2.05.6(3). Several effects from the proposed operations have been identified and were discussed above. These effects are not anticipated to adversely impact the overall hydrologic balance and the operations proposed within the permit application have been designed to prevent material damage to the hydrologic balance outside the proposed permit area. Appropriate measures have been outlined within the application to ensure the protection of the quality and quantity of surface and ground waters within both the proposed permit and adjacent areas, from the adverse effects of the proposed mining activities.