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experience in the Foidel Creek mine shows little to no inflow along the fault zones at the level of the Wedge coal seam. The Twentymile sandstone is separated from the Wadge coal-overburden aquifer by up to 700 feet of impermeable shale within the permit and adjacent areas. The underlying 700-foot shale and the overlying shales and siltetonee of the upper Williams Fork Formation and the Lewis Shale Formations produce the confined artesian conditions within the Twentymile sandstone aquifer. To the northeast, the Twentymile eandetone recharges the alluvial aquifer and provides base flow to the tributaries of Trout Creek down gradient of the mine. Salts in the Twentymile eandetone waters are predominantly sodium bicarbonate and result in TDS levels of 150 mg/1. This aquifer ie occasionally used for domestic needs. The alluvia of Trout Creek and its tributaries are important sources of ground water. The alluvial bodies are used ae water supplies, provide eubirrigation to vegetation, and supply base flow to the streams. The alluvial bodies are recharged by both the streams and the bedrock aquifers. The mine ie located in the upper reaches of the Yampa River Basin. The proposed permit area and adjacent areas are drained by Foidel Creek, an intermittent stream, and Fieh Creek, a perennial stream. Fish Creek drains east into Trout Creek whereas Foidel Creek rune northeast to Middle Creek before joining Trout Creek. The Fish Creek and Foidel Creek drainages have been affected previously by surface mining upstream and downstream of the underground mine's existing surface facilities. Alluvial valley floors have been identified within and downstream of the proposed permit area on Fieh Creek, downstream from the proposed permit area on Foidel Creek, at the confluence of Foidel and Middle Creek, and on Trout Creek from its confluence with Middle Creek downstream to the Yampa River. Technical revision 14 (TR-14) approved the undermining and subsequent subsidence of a small portion of Fieh Creek between the Fieh Creek borehole facility and county road X27. The operator successfully demonstrated no adverse impacts to the alluvial valley floor would be realized. Rigorous monitoring is in place to verify this demonstration. Details can be found in the appropriate sections of this document as well as the permit itself. The climate within the area ie semi-arid with an annual precipitation of 14.6 inches. Approximately 45 percent of this precipitation occurs during the growing season of April though September. Temperatures generally range from 85°F in July to 3.6°F in January. Two broadly classified soil complexes exist within the permit area. These are Typic Paleoborolle - Borollic Camborthide and Argic Cryoborolls - Cryic Paleoborolle. All soils except for approximately three acres have already been disturbed by surface mining. However, prior to mining the Typic Paleoborolle - Borollic Camborthida soils covered the disturbed area. They occur primarily on uplands and are formed in materials weathered in place from soft shale. These clayey soils are moderately deep to deep, well drained and usually contain less than 35 percent rock fragments. Permeability ie slow, shrink-swell potential is high and potential frost action is moderate to high. These soils are used for rangeland, non-irrigated cropland, and irrigated hay and pastureland. Vegetation in the vicinity of the mine ie characterized by four major communities: grassland, mountain shrub, big sagebrush, and cropland; and by two sub-types: aspen and mountain shrub-rock outcrop. Within the Foidel Creek Mine disturbed area the prominent vegetation types prior to disturbance were big sagebrush and cropland (dryland small grains). Numerous wildlife species inhabit the general area. The moat predominant are elk, mule deer and grouse. Other wildlife species include: black bear, cougar, rabbit, coyote, bobcat, red fox, rodents, bate, skunks, waterfowl,