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<br />Stream Buffer Zones (4.05.18) <br />No land within 100 feet of a perennial stream may be disturbed unless the <br />Division specifically authorizes surface coal mining activities closer to the <br />stream upon finding that the original stream channel will be restored, that <br />the water will not be adversely affected, and that the reclamation plan will <br />restore the appropriate riparian vegetation. Many areas at the Edna Mine both <br />disturbed and to be disturbed, lie within 100 feet of either Trout Creek or <br />Oak Creek. Areas which have been or are proposed to be disturbed within 100 <br />feet of the creeks are depicted an Exhibit 1.01-1 of the permit application. <br />An exemption from the stream buffer zone requirement was requested for both <br />creeks on page 3.6-5 of the permit application. <br />The Oak Creek stream channel was relocated by the railroad in 1908. The only <br />disturbance to the Oak Creek stream channel by the mining operation was the <br />installation of a culvert. The reestablishment of the drainage in this case <br />was addressed. The applicant is found to be in compliance with 4.05.17(1 )(a ). <br />fie applicant has stated that the riparian habitat which has been disturbed <br />and will be disturbed along the streams will be reestablished. Because the <br />pre-disturbance vegetative community types in the office and tipple area are <br />unknown and since the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad owns the right-of-way <br />between these areas of disturbance and Oak Creek, a specialized reclamation <br />plan for this area has been developed. <br />The effects on water quality have been specifically addressed in the <br />Hydrologic Balance section of this document. <br />The areas along Trout Creek, although located within 100 feet of the stream, <br />are located above steep banks defining the 100 year floodplain. It is <br />estimated that the down dip limit of mining will average 50 ft from the edge <br />of the alluvium. The mining plan shows this coincides with the old cut <br />existing along most of the toe of the slope (page 2-5-93 of the application). <br />As the existing channel and riparian vegetation will not be disturbed as a <br />result of the mine plan, the Division grants an exemption to the requirements <br />of Rule 4.05.18(1) for those areas within the 100 foot buffer zone identified <br />on Exhibit 1.0-1 along Trout Creek. <br />With the continued acceptance of the stipulation above, the operation is in <br />compliance with the requirements of this section. <br />VI. Ground Water Hydrology - Rules 2.04.5, 2.04.7, 2.05.3(4), 2.05.6(3) and <br />~()3. <br />Information pertaining to ground water hydrology may be found in Volumes 3 and <br />4, Section 2.5 of the permit application. <br />Monitoring and on-site investigations have identified four aquifer systems at <br />the Edna Mine. These units are: 1) Trout Creek Sandstone, 2) Wadge Coal and <br />overburden, 3) Quaternary alluvium, and 4) replaced spoils. With the <br />exception of the Quaternary alluvium and replaced spoils, it is thought that <br />each of the identified aquifers are hydrologically discontinuous with each <br />other, due to the relatively impermeable nature of the intervening strata. <br />-16- <br />