1996-06-25_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1980007

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 6/25/1996
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision & Findings of Compliance for RN3
• Permit Index Doc Type: FINDINGS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

of the coal lease area. Minnesota Creek enters the North Fork of the Gunnison River near
Paonia. The overall drainage exhibits a dendritic drainage pattern with steep channels.
Horse Creek and South Prong of the East Fork of Minnesota Creek are perennial streams,
while Lick Creek, Upper Dry Fork, Sylvester Gulch and Gribble Gulch are ephemeral
streams. Minnesota Reservoir controls much of the flow in the lower Dry Fork of
Minnesota Creek, and Beaver Reservoir controls the flow in the East Fork of Minnesota
Creek. Lone Pine Gulch has no evidence of recent flow; therefore, no gaging station has
been constructed. Even when all of the six gaged watersheds were found to be flowing,
Lone Pine Gulch showcd no flow or evidence of flow.
There are three different types of springs within the permit area including alluvial, colluvial,
and bedrock springs. At least 69 springs have been identified within the permit area.
Available data indicate that approximately 65 percent originate from alluvium and/or
colluvium, and 35 percent have bedrock formation as their source. The flow rates of these
springs are highly seasonal with peak flows occurring during wet weather conditions.
Reservoirs and stock ponds also occur within or near the permit area. Minnesota Reservoir,
on the Dry Fork of Minnesota Creek, is centrally located within the coal lease area. Beaver
Reservoir on the East Fork of Minnesota Creek is located near the southwestern boundary of
the coal lease area.
In addition to the storage reservoirs in the area of the West Elk Mine, a total of 74 stock
water impoundments have been identified in or adjacent to the permit area. Map 37 of the
permit document shows the locations of the known stock water ponds. These ponds
generally do not represent adjudicated water rights or perennial flows. Within the Gunnison
National Forest, the ponds are managed for seasonal use by the U.S. Forest Service.
Wetlands have also been identified within the permit area. Based upon inspection of
conventional and infra-red aerial photographs and reconnaissance-level field investigation,
there are estimated to be 2 to 3 acres of wetlands (as defined by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers) in the Apache Rocks permit revision area. Most of the wetlands are found in
drainage channels, although there are small, isolated wetlands on the hillsides where springs
and seeps occasionally emerge as a result of landslides/sumps.
Climatological Information - Rules 2.4.8
Information regarding climate characteristics can be found in Section 2.04.3 and 2.04.8 of
West Elk's permit application.
The mine site lies within the North Fork valley near Somerset, Colorado. At the mine site
the valley is narrow and steep sided and follows a general east-west orientation.
Considerable topographic variation across the mine site, and west central Colorado in
general, results in marked fluctuation in seasonal and average precipitation and temperature
values for the entire area.
The mountains of the Continental Divide provide an effective barrier to the movement of
moisture-laden air that reaches the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains from the Gulf of
Mexico. Under this influence, two basic types of climate, semi-arid and undifferentiated
highlands, are characteristic of the general area where the mine is situated. Temperatures
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