PERMFILE131097

• Permit No: C1981018A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 10/10/2003
• Section_Exhibit Name: Section II.C Hydrology
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

Siltstone is normally considered a poor conductor of water because of its finegrained nature. Sandstone,
• on the other hand, can make a prolific aquifer if it is clean and rather poorly cemented. However, according
to the above description, sufficient fines and cement are present in the lease area sandstones to clog the
pore spaces, resulting in extremely low transmissivitiesond other yield properties.
A fourth potentially different hydrologic zone in the lease and adjacent areas is the alluvium of the White
River and its tributaries. The White River has a fairly well developed flood plain, showing the distinct
meander patterns of a braided stream. In the vicinity of the lease area, the White River alluvium contains
pea gravel and gravel up to an average of 3/4-inch in diameter. In addition the alluvium contains sand, silt,
and clay-sized material derived from the Mesaverde and other upstream formations. This unconsolidated,
very fine material has caused the alluvium to be much less permeable than would normally be expected
and, when saturated, has been noticed to flow or move (a "quick" condition that makes completing a well
particularly difficult). Drilling in the alluvium of the White River indicated a maximum depth to bedrock of 37
feet, the lower 22 feet of which was a gravel, sand, silt and clay mixture with the rest being all fine silty and
clayey material.
II.C.3.c Field Test Operations Little was known about the subsurface hydrologic system of the lease and
adjacent areas when exploration drilling began in 1978. No reports on the hydrology of the specific area
were available, and only two long-abandoned water wells existed in the area, located in and adjacent to the
alluvium of the White River near the mouth of Scullion Gulch.
• Because of this lack of hydrologic information, athree-phase groundwater program was developed. Phase
1, from the fall of 1978 to July of 1979, consisted of participating in the 1978 exploration drilling program to
glean hydrologic information from the drill and core holes. During this phase of the program, geophysical
and geological logs of the area were studied to determine the existence of hydrologic zones.
Reconnaissance aquifer tests were also completed to determine the feasibility, reliability and necessity of
future testing operations. During July and early August, 1979 all the information obtained to that point was
evaluated, and a two-part program (Phases 2 and 3) of drilling and aquifer testing was designed, approved
by the appropriate authorities and implemented. Phase 2 provided for drilling selected observation and test
wells, water quality sampling and aquifer testing. Phase 3, which was implemented upon the evaluation of
Phase 1 and Phase 2 data, consisted of drilling additional holes at selected locations. In addition, during
the course of Phases 2 and 3, water level measurements were made on all exploration holes that had been
cemented through the coal zone but not yet filled with cuttings and reclaimed. These data were used to
determine the length of time necessary for water levels in the area to stabilize and to construct the
potentiometric surface map for the Upper Sandstone Facies.
Figure II.C-24 gives the location of all holes in the area from which hydrologic data were obtained or
measurements attempted (i.e. dry holes). Location, elevation, and other pertinent information are contained
in Attachments C, D and E for the test and observation wells, the cemented but unfilled exploration holes
and the dry holes in which measurements were attempted, respectively.
• Permit Renewal #3 (Rev. 8/99) II.C-51