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11 _ <br />Alluvial Vallev Floor Findings <br />Prior to approval for a permit to conduct operations at the Fish Creek Tipple, <br />the Division is required to make specific written findings on the effects of <br />these operations on all alluvial valley floors within the proposed permit and <br />adjacent areas. The required findings are presented below: <br />1. Pursuant to Rule 2.06.8(5)(a)(i)(8) the Division finds the Fish Creek <br />Tipple was in operation in its present location in the year preceding August <br />13, 1977 and is exempt from the requirements of Rule 2.06.8(5)(a)(i)(A). <br />2. Pursuant to Rule 2.06.8(5)(a)(i)(B)(II), the geographic extent of lands <br />eligible for such an exemption includes all disturbed lands associated with <br />the present tipple operations. These lands were identified in Permit No. <br />76-16. <br />3. Pursuant to Rule 4.24, the Division must make a finding that the proposed <br />operation would reestablish or preserve, throughout the mining operation, the <br />essential hydrologic functions of the alluvial valley floors within the <br />affected area. The essential hydrologic functions are identified as the <br />capacity to support both flood irrigated and subirrigated agrigultural <br />activities. <br />During operations there is a potential for water quality degradation of <br />alluvial and surface waters draining the area due to discharge from the <br />sediment pond. The projected change in water quality due to this discharge is <br />not expected to prevent the use of the water for irrigation. In addition <br />there is a slight potential for water quality degradation to occur in the <br />alluvial aquifer immediately down gradient of the tipple as a result of <br />percolation of degraded water through the tipple fill. <br />This potential is considered insignificant for the following reasons. First, <br />the small amount of degraded percolation water that would infiltrate would be <br />rapidly diluted by existing water in the system. The amount of percolation <br />water would be minimized by the small size of the contributing drainage area <br />(less than 17 acres) and the fact that the compacted surface of the pad will <br />favor runoff over infiltration. Second, the potential impact will be <br />relatively short term in duration. Once operations are completed, the site <br />and sediment pond will be reclaimed and the potential for water quality <br />degradation will cease to exist. <br />In summary, the essential hydrologic functions of the Fish Creek and Trout <br />Creek alluvial valley floors within the affected area will be preserved <br />throughout the operation. No facilities have been or will be constructed on <br />either of the AVF's. The operation is in compliance with the requirements of k <br />this section. r ~ <br />