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MEETING WITH WATER USERS -TERROR CREEK AND COAL GULCH DRAINAGE October 11, 1984 • Page two In the studies of water occurrences, two types of water have been identified: surface and near-surface water from precipitation and run- off, and bedrock water which is the water encountered in the mine. The bedrock water is higher in salinity than the surface water and it is felt that the two systems are separate. There are 18,614 acres in the Terror Creek drainage basin; of that amount 742 acres are in the lease area and 96 acres in the Pittsburgh and Midway parcel. There are 2, 142 acres in the Coal Gulch drainage. One hundred nine acres are in the long-term lease and 400 are in the Pittsburgh and Midway tract. In anticipation of obtaining the lease, CWI had a consulting firm in Denver prepare a subsidence study. Geo-Hydro Consulting did an objective, third-party study and identified two areas along Steven's Gulch and East Roatcap as having less than 600 feet of overburden. USGS Water Resources also completed a hydrologic and subsidence report and stated that the 600 feet of overburden would be a safe limit. CWI chose to add 200 feet to the 600 feet in creating buffer zones. Several times during the year, areas previously undermined by CWI are physically measured to determine if any subsidence is occurring. • Mr. Estin said that Jim, when showing the hydrologic balance, showed 2l3 run-off and 1 /3 transpired from vegetation, what about consumptive use? Mr. Estin then said the implication was that the saline water is not very useful; doesn't it serve the purpose of forming hydro-static pressure that keeps the rest of the water from coming down? Jim said no one used the bedrock water. It is located in the Rollins above Garvin Mesa. Ron Stucki said CWI had drilled nearly 5,000 feet in 1976 and had a dry well. Mr. Hughes asked what CWI does with the saline water. Jim said there was very little water in the mine although some seeped through from the Farmer's Mine. Matt Sakurada then talked about the water protection plans and the lease stipulations which have been attached by BLM. The lease boundary lines were drawn so that CWI would not mine under Terror Creek. Un the west the boundaries were set up so that CWI would never mine under the Stucker Mesa Pipeline Springs or under the West Roatcap channel or stream- bed. If subsidence did occur and water flowed into the mine, the first response would he to repair the problem area. The protection plan includes: 1) determining the location of the lease lines; • 2) provision of a buffer zone where the overburden is less than 600 feet so that cracks will not develop. Only limited mining would