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9. Passible Hvdroloaic Impacts of Mine Water Pumoing <br />During the initial permit term, mine water was pumped from <br />Raton Crcek No.l Mine , Raton Crack No.2 Minc and the ofd entries near the shop <br />which have been used for storage. <br />All inflows into the RotonCrrakNo.?MiaeOCCUr near the faces and are <br />pumped to a self contained sump immediately outside the portal <br />area. The water evaporates in the sump and has never flowed to <br />the sediment pond. It is expected that this will continue for <br />the upcoming permit term. The average inflows during the twelve <br />month period'#t~om July 1985 through June 1986 was 6896 gallons <br />per day or 4.79~gallons per minute. Very little seasonal <br />fluctuation evident from the pump discharge data. Quality of <br />the water is typical of surface water flaws in the area. The pH <br />normally fluctuates between.7.6 and 8.2, specific conductance <br />averages 1700 uhmo/cm and iron less than 3 ppm. <br />Raton Crock No.l Mine i of ]ows averaged 6403 gal 1 ons per day for the <br />same twelve month period. The pH ranged between 7.5-8.5, <br />specific conductance was in the range o E30 uhmos/cm and iron <br />less than 3 ppm. This flow averages t 4.44 gallons per minute. <br />During temporary cessation, the pumped w travels in a surface <br />ditch to the sediment pond. During mine operation, a significant <br />percentage of the water is pumped into the holding tank near the <br />portals, where a watering truck uses the water to spray the roads <br />on the property. As with the Raton Creek No.2 Mine f 1 ows, the quality of <br />Raton Crack No.l Minel nfloWS is typical of surface flows in the area. <br />./ <br />The storage mine, as it is called, is located between the <br />preparation plant and the shop building. It is basically a few <br />old entries that are used to store spare parts and elec >.c 1\ <br />equipment. This inflow averages 6786 gallons per day or 4.71 <br />gallons per minute. The quality is similar to that from e~ <br />other two mines with the exception of the iron content. Iron <br />content of the storage mine is slightly higher at 3-5 ppm. <br />It is not expected that mine water pumping will affect the <br />hydrologic balance in the upcoming permit term for the following <br />reasons: <br />(1) The averaows that are pumped to the sediment pond <br />are only 23 gallons per minute. Usually, evaporation <br />from the t and sediment pond reduce this quantity <br />even .further, so that the sediment pond discharges very <br />infrequently, usually in response to precipitation <br />events. <br />(2) Water quality of the mine water is similar to surface <br />flows with the slight exception of soluble iron. <br />Normally, there is good contact between the water and <br />oxygen as the water travels down the collection ditch <br />combined with the detention time in the pond. This <br />~Y contact and detention time is usually sufficient to <br />ggZ Revised 5/93 <br />