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PRO,.~ECT PP,OPOSAL CO-85- ~~ <br />COLORADO DISTRICT - WATER RESOURCES DIVISION <br />TITLE: <br />Hydrologic characterization of the Hart Syncline area, Northwest <br />Colorado. <br />LOCATION: <br />The study area is located southeast of Craig, Colorado, (Fig. 1). <br />Formations of interest include the water-yielding units of the <br />Mesaverde Group and the unconsolidated alluvial deposits along <br />the stream channels. <br />PROBLEM: <br />The shallow depth to low-sulfur sub-bituminous to bituminous coal <br />makes surface mining of coal in northwestern Colorado an <br />economically feasible process. Existing coal-fired power plants <br />in the area provide a potential ~`arket for the region's coal. <br />The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has the responsibility of <br />determining suitability of potential coal-Tease tracts for mining. <br />The BLM must consider both abiotic and biotic factors when <br />assessing the potential environmental impact of additional mineral <br />development activities. Impacts that may occur immediately can <br />create long-term problems involving control or clean up. To <br />facilitate the decision-making processes which include leasing <br />constraints, type of mining to permit, and amount of control <br />necessary in handling waste discharge and overburden material, it <br />is necessary to understand and describe the existing ground- and <br />surface-water systems in terms of water avai]ability, <br />flow-characteristics, and quality. <br />Existing mines and proposed new mines in the area will pump water <br />from the "lesaverde Group to prevent mine flooding. This pumpage <br />coupled with leaching of soluble minerals from mine tailings into the <br />bedrock or alluvia] aquifers can adversely affect the ground-water <br />resources in the area. Assessment of probable mining impacts on <br />the water resources are required as part of the mine permitting <br />procedures followed by the Office of Mined Land Reclamation. <br />