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primarily on exploration drilling, records of ground water use, information on regional groundwater characteristics, monitoring information, inflow into underground workings at the Southfield Mine and historic information on abandoned workings. There are three categories of potential groundwater aquifers that occur in the permitted area. These are 1) the Trinidad Sandstone, 2) coals of the Vermejo/Raton Formations and 3) localized river alluvium. For a detailed analysis of each of these aquifers please refer to the Probable Hydrologic Consequences of Section B. All ground water flow into these three aquifers is the direct result of recharge collected from the Wet Mountains to the west. The water flow is structurally controlled by the Chandler Syncline and runs along the axis north to the Arkansas River where it discharges. Surface Water Surface water in the area flows from the Wet Mountains on the west to the plains on the east then bends northward toward the Arkansas River valley. Most of the streams in the area are ephemeral, flowing in response to snowmelt and intense rainfall events. Much of the precipitation received is surficially absorbed into the colluvial material or is lost to evaporation and transpiration. Local towns divert most of the remaining surface waters from the mountain drainages for municipal use. The towns of Coal Creek, Rockvale and Florence all have extensive water lines that utilize most of the water from Oak, Magpie and Newlin Creeks. Water quality information taken from these districts show elevated levels of calcium- bicarbonate, magnesium and barium. Metals such as cadmium, lead and zinc are slightly elevated due to inactive and abandoned metal mines in the area. Severe channel erosion by the downcutting action of the stream's headwaters into the pre-Cambrian metamorphic rocks of the Wet Mountains, lend to increased levels of TSS in the streams. As these high-energy streams proceed eastward, they encounter the softer more erodible rocks of the basin, which continue to add to the TSS levels. Additional information on the surface water for the permitted area can be found in Section 2.04.7 of the permit application and in Section B, "Probable Hydrologic Consequences" section of this findings document. Climatology The climate is directly influenced by the topography, with heavier rainfall and cooler temperatures in the mountains and less rainfall and~warmer temperatures in the basin. Annual precipitation in the area is approximately 12.9 inches, with most of the precipitation occurring during the spring and summer months. Average annual temperature for the area is 54 degrees with extremes of -20 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Prevailing wind direction is from the west except during summer months when the wind originates from the southeast. Refer to Section 2.04.8 of the permit for further information. Veoetation and Soils Information on vegetation is found in Section 2.04.10 of the permit application. Maps 14, 15 and 16 show the vegetative and soil communities present in the mine permitted area. In brief, the vegetative community consists of three types: riparian woodland, grassland and