GENERAL48106

• Permit No: C1981038
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 7/30/1993
• Doc Name: PROPOSED DECISION & FINDINGS OF COMPLIANCE FOR PR3
• Permit Index Doc Type: FINDINGS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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