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Doc Date:12/11/2001 <br />Section 816.51(b) Continued. <br />III I IIIIII III <br />As previously described, the process of recharge to the alluvial <br />aquifer at the Tipple Area will not be affected by the Kerr Coal <br />operation or by reclamation. There will be no disturbance to the <br />prevailing hydrologic balance of ground water systems in the tipple <br />area. <br />(c) Provides a rate of recharge that approximates the premining re- <br />charge rate. <br />Based on the analysis described in Section 779.15, premining re- <br />charge capacity of the coal aquifer in the Mine Plan Area is about <br />58.1 ac-ft./yr. Increased permeability of the unconsolidated <br />backfill material and an increase in recharge area will result in a <br />recharge rate of about 99.0 ac-ft./yr. immediately following recla- <br />mation. The increase in recharge rate will ultimately be tempered <br />due to the effects of settling, compaction and swelling of clay <br />material in the backfill. These factors make it difficult to <br />predict the stabilized postmining recharge rate. However, these <br />same factors should reduce the permeability and storage capacity of <br />the backfilled area over time. Actual rate of recharge to the coal <br />aquifer will ultimately be controlled by the lower permeability of <br />the undisturbed portion of the aquifer down-gradient from the Mine <br />Plan Area. <br />As previously discussed, recharge rate of the alluvial aquifer in <br />the Kerr Tipple Area will not be affected by Kerr's operations. <br />~/~ Section 816.52 Hydrologic balance: <br />1 monitoring. <br />Surface and ground water <br />816-74 <br />