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The North Fork of the Gunnison River drains an area of approximately 526 square miles. The <br />average annual yield of the North Fork of the Gunnison River from October 1993 to September <br />1994 was approximately 330,500 acre-feet. The quantity and quality of this river is influenced <br />significantly by agricultural and municipal uses. Near Somerset, Colorado, the water in the North <br />Fork of the Gunnison River is acalcium-bicarbonate type, and total dissolved solids <br />concentrations range from approximately 100 milligrams per liter (mg/1) to approximately 400 <br />mg/l. <br />Tenor Creek is a perennial stream which drains approximately 29 squaze miles, and Hubbard <br />Creek is a perennial stream which drains approximately 35 squaze miles. Freeman Gulch is a <br />significant drainage which is tributary to Hubbazd Creek. Freeman Gulch exhibited flow during <br />the snowmelt period of Spring 1995, and may be considered an intermittent stream. Stephans <br />Draw is also an intermittent stream, and Stockpond P-1 is located along Stephans Draw. <br />The drainages of A-Gulch, B-Gulch, C-Gulch, D-Gulch, Sheep Corral Gulch and a portion of <br />Dove Gulch probably exhibit ephemeral flow regimes. A portion of Dove Gulch can be <br />considered perennial. <br />There aze twelve (12) stock ponds located in the permit and adjacent azeas. These include Pond <br />P-1, mentioned above, and all of the ponds aze manmade. The ponds collect spring season <br />runoff, and any available seep water. <br />Groundwater in the area is located within the alluvial deposits along the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison River and Hubbazd and Terror Creeks, within the steep sloped colluvial deposits found <br />within some of the drainages, in perched water zones located within the lenticulaz sandstones of <br />the Mesa Verde formation and in the Rollins Sandstone. The Rollins Sandstone is a recognized <br />aquifer in the azea. <br />The groundwater associated with the alluvial deposits of the North Fork of the Gurmison River <br />has been developed for domestic and agricultural uses. The localized groundwater resources <br />associated with the alluvial deposits of Hubbazd and Tenor Creeks aze not significantly <br />developed. The groundwater associated with local colluvial deposits is rechazged by snowmelt, <br />and the water dischazges through local intermittent springs and seeps. Most of this colluvial <br />water is lost due to evaporation. <br />Bedrock groundwater is not abundant in the permit azea. The groundwaters of the locally <br />perched bedrock water zones and of the Rollins Sandstone are not significantly developed in the <br />permit and surrounding area, due to relatively poor water quality and low potential quantity <br />yields. The general bedrock groundwater flow direction in the sandstone strata of the Mesaverde <br />formation is from the rechazge azea near the outcrop of these strata, north towazd the lower parts <br />of the basin. <br />Climatological Information - <br />Detailed climate information is presented in Section 2.04.8 of the Bowie No. 2 Mine permit <br />application document, and the information is summarized below. The neazest weather station to <br />14 <br />