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Refer to Table 1- OMLLC -Elk Creek Lease - 2003 -Hydrologic Assessment for additional <br />information regarding these sites. <br />USFS WATER RIGHTS FILINGS <br />One additional goal of the hydrologic re-assessment was to resolve of the issue of USFS water rights <br />filings on stock ponds located on USFS lands. The re-assessment would also determine if there were <br />major springs associated with these filings and whether any of these filings would be affected by <br />planned mining activities. <br />ECP-25 maybe associated with the filing #868P55 called the "Snakeoi] Pond." ECP-26 maybe <br />associated with the USFS mapped feature called "Elk Creek Camp" and the filing on the pond may <br />possibly be identified as filing #868P60 called the "Dishpan Pond". It appears that ECSP-35 maybe the <br />USFS range improvement/filing # 868P60 - "Dutch Oven Pond." <br />No other USFS range improvement/filings features appeared to correlate with the Elk Creek lease <br />features. There appears to be no identified USFS range improvement features, stockpond filings or <br />major springs or seeps located above planned coal mining activities. <br />SEASONAL STREAM DISCHARGE MEASUREMENTS <br />Table 1- OMLLC -Elk Creek Lease - 2003 -Hydrologic Assessment describes 4 photo points located <br />along ephemeral Bear creek. Point #1 is located near the southern boundary of the Elk Creek lease and <br />Point #4 is located near the northern boundary of the Elk creek lease. Paints #1 and #4 in effect bracket <br />the coal lease and the areas planned for coal mining activities. Flow measurements were obtained twice <br />~ from points #1 and #4 on June 10 and June 16, 2003. By July t, 2003, the last date the tease area was <br />J assessed, Bear creek was dry. <br />It is interesting to note how quickly the Beaz creek flow diminished during the 6 days between the two <br />June sample periods. The upper site flow was reduced by approximately 58% and the lower site was <br />reduced by approximately 61 % during this 6 day period. Once snow melt is completed, and tributary <br />flows no longer enter Bear creek, main stem stream flows drop very rapidly. This suggests little <br />inherent water holding capacity and transmissivity in the Bear creek main stem alluvial/colluvial <br />materials. <br />OMLLC will continue the current monitoring program for Bear creek as outlined and agreed upon in <br />Permit C-1981-022 with the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG) (see Appendix 4 of <br />the Water Replacement Plan). This includes the monitoring of the alluvial well and stream site located <br />near the mouth of Bear creek canyon in the vicinity of the Fire Mountain canal. <br />OMLLC proposes to conduct additional stream flow monitoring of Bear creek at photo points #1 and #4 <br />at least twice annually after tributary flow from the side channels between the two points has ceased. <br />Depending on annual snow cover and the speed at which spring snow melt occurs, it is likely the <br />measurements will be made in mid-June. <br />The data will be included in the Annual Hydrology Report prepared every year as required by the <br />CDMG permit. The USFS and BLM will receive copies of the Annual Hydrology Reports <br />• PHOTO POINTS -BEAR CREEK <br />Because of limited seasonal flows in ephemeral Bear creek, four photo points were investigated for their <br />potential to serve as visual reference points for determining mining related "injury" to riparian <br />