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VIII. Alluvial Valley Floorr, (a.OG.R, .J. 1. •1) Supplemented with previous investigations conducted for the Marr Strip mine permit application and the July 21, 19R0 Canadian Strip hfine TEA developed by OSM, sufficient information has been presented in this permit application to make alluvial valley floor determinations for the hfichigan River, the North Fork of Bolton Draw, and the main channel of Bolton Drano. The Canadian River valley was found to be an alluvial valley floor by the Division during the course of review of the Marr Strip/Prep Plant application (see hfarr Strip/ Prep Plant Findings, January 13, 1981). No written findings are presented in this document concerning the probable effects of mining at the Canadian Strip urine on the Canadian River alluvial valley floor. This alluvial valley floor falls outside of the two-mu:le radius study area used by [9yoming Fuel Company for AVF determination, as suggested by the OShf guidelines for definition of "affected area". The AVF infor- mation is located on pa yes 106-116, Volume I of the permit application and in Addendum I. ~BO1ton Draw and its tributary, North Fork, are the only streams that will actually be impacted by mining at the site (see Exhibit 2, Volume I of the permit application). Impacts to the Canadian River Ai'F will he similar to those experienced in Bolton Draw, although to a lesser degree. hfichigan River: The hfichigan River is. determined to be an alluvial valley floor based on the following information supplied by the applicant. 1. Unconsolidated stream laid deposits exist within the river, and 2. Flood irrigation is an existing and historical practice on the alluvial materials associated with the river. The alluvial valley floor of the Michigan River Zies approximately 1-1 /2 miles southwest of the mine site and receives no surface water which leaves the mine area. The Sudduth coal seam, the only water-bearing formation encountered at the mine site, dips steeply and exists at considerable depth beneath the alluvial aquifer of the Michigan River. The confining nature of the coal aguifer overburden and the low transmissivity of the coal aquifer itself make the potential for ground water impacts on the alluvial valley floor of the hfichigan River nunimal if not non-existent. Due to the hydrologic remoteness of the mine to the hfichigan River watershed and the associated alluvial valley floor, the Division makes the following findings as re- quired by Section 206.8 (1 S) of the regulations and 39-33-119(2)(e)(I) of the Act. Findings: 1. The proposed surface coal mining opera b uns would not interrupC, discontinue or preclude farming on the Michigan River alluvial valley Moor (2.06.3(5)(a)(i)). 2. The"proposed surface coal mining operations would not materially damage the quantity or quality of water in surface and underground water systems that supply the alluvial valley floor of the Michigan River (2.06.8(5)(a)(ii)).