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. 2.04.7 -HYDROLOGY DESCRIPTION <br />It is anticipated that the King II Mine will have little impact on <br />groundwater systems locally or regionally and its impact on surface <br />hydrology will be low. Operations within the Menefee coal seam are not <br />expected to disrupt aquifers, streams, water systems, or the watershed <br />(up-slope areas of the mine site). Hydrologic data obtained from the <br />existing King Coal Mine workings, core drill holes in the existing and <br />proposed project area, and other research studies predict that the mining <br />operation will have a negligible impact on groundwater of the permit and <br />adjacent area and minor impact to surface water of the area (Appendix <br />4). <br />GROUNDWATER INFORMATION <br />Exploration drilling and reconnaissance of the proposed permit area have <br />not revealed a significant local or regional groundwater aquifer above or <br />below the coal seam to be mined. The deeply dissected nature of the <br />topography of the proposed permit area and relatively flat and limited <br />extent of the surfaces of the drainage basin upper surfaces limit the <br />aerial extent of any aquifer and the potential for recharge to any aquifer <br />• in the area. <br />AQUIFERS <br />Neither the King Coal Mine nor the proposed King II Mine is in a major <br />groundwater recharge area. Research shows this portion of the San <br />Juan Basin has had very limited ground water development. Most of the <br />wells in the general area have been completed in the unconsolidated <br />alluvial gravels and terrace deposits of the La Plata River and its <br />tributaries (including Hay Gulch), or in consolidated aquifers further <br />south (down-dip) in the basin. Two formations, the Cliff House <br />Sandstone and the Menefee Formation are important and relative to the <br />proposed mining operations. These are further discussed below. The <br />underlying Point Lookout Sandstone will not be affected by the mining <br />operations. <br />Cliff House Sandstone <br />This unit comprises the cap rock to the dip slopes of the area. Based on <br />information provided by the Menefee Land Company exploration drilling <br />program for a proposed coal mine bordering the King Coal Mine, the <br />sandstone is not saturated and is above the potentiometric surface in the <br />immediate project vicinity. No water was encountered in any drill hole <br />during this program at a level above or in the Menefee seams. All wells <br />/F/!l/N% /O/RVphWi[lill/tl/®/eY/O/Y/2L//O/R'/6///u/ i 6/N/Ll/Y/P/p/O/G~/d/v/vipiAivn iii'si0/!J/!J/!.i®/m/B/LJ/tl/!1/.'//d/tl/O/O/P/N <br />O/N/q/O/9 /Y <br />National King Coal, LLC King II Mine <br />Section 2.04.7 <br />Page 1 October, 2005 <br />