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• <br /> <br />Directly Affected Water Systems <br />• <br />EXHIBIT G - Water Inforn~ation <br />The only tributary water course located on the affected land is <br />u <br />\' <br />Ralston Creek (see map, Exhibit C). <br />The only known aquifers on or near the affected land are the <br />Quaternary valley floor alluvium and the Illinois water course. The <br />Illinois water course bears the characteristics of a fractur=d bedrock <br />aquifer, except that in this particular circumstance the Illinois water <br />course is formed by a continuous dipping fracture filled by unconsolidated <br />breccia. The Illinois water course intersects the Quaternar;~ valley floor <br />alluvium. The valley floor alluvial aquifer is generally composed of <br />sand, gravel and boulders that are found in discontinuous de~~osits in <br />valleys along stream beds such as Ralston Creek. Additionally, an <br />alluvium aquifer usually has a higher storage capacity and more stable <br />water levels than a fractured bedrock aquifer. This is due ro the fact <br />that an alluvial aquifer contains more void space and is supE>orted by <br />both surface runoff and ground water discharge from the water bearing <br />void space. The proximity of the Illinois water course to tt~e mining <br />operation causes the mine to receive aquifer drainage in a volume that <br />requires continuous dewatering operations at a rate of appro>:imately <br />700,000 gallons per day. A thorough description of the dewatering <br />operation and water treatment plant presently used to insure that water <br />discharged into Ralston Creek does not exceed the National Pollutant <br />Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit standards is fourd in Exhibit <br />D. Additionally, a discussion of uncontaminated water runoff diversion, <br />and the ore sorter plant spill prevention and containment plan was presented <br />in Exhibit D. <br />G-1 <br />