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The proposed activities will not materially damage the quantity or quality of water in <br /> the surface or ground water system described above, because the lands are of such <br /> small acreage as to be of negligible impact on the farm's agricultural production. <br /> (4.24.3(3) and 2.06.8(5)(a)(ii)). <br /> The proposed activities will comply with the requirement of the Act and the regulations <br /> with respect to alluvial valley floors (2.06.8(5)(a)(iii)). <br /> Surface coal mining and reclamation operations will be conducted to preserve the <br /> essential hydrologic functions of alluvial floors outside the permit area. (4.24.2) <br /> An environmental monitoring system will be installed,maintained, and operated by the <br /> permittee on all alluvial valley floors during surface coal mining and reclamation <br /> operations and continued until all bonds are released in accordance with Rule 3. <br /> Sage Creek "Flood Irrigated Alfalfa Fields" <br /> The Yoast application indicates the presence of approximately 86 acres of flood <br /> irrigated alfalfa hay along Sage Creek in Section 30. Five to ten acres of alfalfa was <br /> flood irrigated in this field from 1988-1992. The field was irrigated by means of pipes <br /> spreading water from a small reservoir near Sage Creek. The reservoir does not <br /> currently impound water because the dam is breached. <br /> The field was converted to dryland wheat for a number of reasons. Water availability <br /> for irrigation was marginal, however, future restoration of the dam and flood irrigation <br /> of the field is a remote possibility. The creek typically dries up in July or August. <br /> In PR-1, SCC addressed the potential for flood irrigation in the Section 30 field. It is <br /> unlikely a reservoir in Sage Creek will be rebuilt. Two previous dams have failed and <br /> the increased engineering specifications and costs involved in rebuilding the dam <br /> would be significant. Without the dam, water availability is insufficient for flood <br /> irrigation. The Division agrees with the SCC's assessment of water availability in <br /> Sage Creek and finds that the area has no potential for successful irrigation. <br /> Based on information presented for Yoast PR-1, the Seneca II-West permit application <br /> package and the Division's Findings for the Seneca II-West permit that identify this area <br /> as an AVF, the Division finds the field in Section 30 meets the regulatory definition of <br /> an alluvial valley floor because it may be subirrigated. However, only a minor portion <br /> of the alluvial valley floor is subirrigated, according to Exhibit 16-3. Furthermore, the <br /> field is seven miles downstream from the nearest discharge point for potential spoil <br /> springs. Therefore, the potential for material damage to the quality of water supplying <br /> ground water to the alluvial valley floor is insignificant. <br /> The Division finds that activities proposed by SCC will not interrupt, discontinue or <br /> preclude farming on the alluvial valley floor in Section 30 that may be naturally <br /> Your Mine 38 October 19, 1999 <br />