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• The level and movement of groundwater at any location is effected by <br />several factors including elevation of the recharge area, gradient of the <br />piezometric surface, and geologic structure. There is no uniform <br />piezometric surface, so flow gradients vary locally with location and <br />characteristics of groundwater occurrence. For this area it appears that <br />geologic structure is the primary governing factor with significant <br />geologic variability contributing to the observed highly dynamic <br />groundwater system. <br />Within the loadout and adjacent areas, groundwater levels have not been <br />documented. However, they are expected to be similarly variable given the <br />geologic variability throughout the basin. Terrace deposits on which the <br />loadout area is located drain to the surface water system and mining <br />related activities will result in only surface disturbance. Therefore, <br />groundwater levels below the datum of the surface drainage system are not <br />relevant to ongoing loadout activities. <br />• Groundwater Recharge. Storage and Discharoe Characteristics. The mine, <br />loadout, and adjacent areas are located in a semi-arid climate with annual <br />precipitation limited to approximately 13 inches. Precipitation occurs <br />primarily in conjunction with winter snowfall and summer thunderstorms, <br />consequently, much of the resulting moisture is lost to runoff, <br />evapotransportation, and sublimation minimizing the amount of water <br />available for groundwater recharge. <br />The granodioritic Wet Mountains to the south and west of the permit area <br />receive more precipitation than most .of the groundwater basin. The <br />high vegetative density on the slopes of the Wet Mountains is offset by <br />steep slopes resulting in increased runoff. This increased runoff results <br />in a number of moderately large streams with perennial or intermittent <br />flows which originate in the Wet Mountains. As these streams flow <br />downgradient to the northeast they cross the Wet Mountain Fault and some <br />of the base flow is lost to colluvial/alluvial deposits north and east of <br />the fault zone as well as to the more permeable weathered sedimentary <br />units which are upturned adjacent to the fault along the steeply dipping <br />western axis of the Chandler syncline. <br />2.04.7-8 <br />