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• Amore plausible explanation is that because these two wells are located in two different drainages and both are dry suggests that the water level, thus inflow, in the abandoned Somerset Mine has decreased for some unknown reason. Curiously, this decrease is coincident with the time of the mine fire event and pumping from the North Fork into the Sanborn Creek Mine. Flows also ceased just a few months earlier from Spring 8 (believed to have been from the old Oliver Mine D-seam workings). However, unlike the Oliver Mine, there is no portion of the abandoned B- and C-seam workings of the Somerset Mine that overlies the Sanborn Creek Mine. Rather, there is more than 200 horizontal feet of unmined B-seam coal separating and isolating the Somerset Mine workings from the Sanborn Creek mine workings. OMLLC believes that should wells H-10 and B-6 continue to remain dry, the data supports the conclusion that the Somerset mine will continue to have a negligible affect on the hydrologic balance of the region. BC-1 Well -Lower Bear Creek Canyon - Alluviurn/Colluvium The BC-1 Well is located in the shallow alluvium/colluvium near the entrance to Bear Creek canyon in the vicinity of the railroad tressel. The purpose of the well is to monitor possible groundwater changes down gradient from the Elk Creek mine D seam mining activities in the Bear creek drainage azea. In addition, the BC-1 well is also down-gradient from the old Somerset Mine workings as well. • Groundwater in this ephemeral drainage appears closely linked to the variable surface water flow found nearby in Beaz Creek. Soon after the Bear Creek goes dry, so does the BC-1 well. During 2002, insufficient water was available so no sample could be obtained. EC-7, EC-14, EC-15 Wells -Elk Creek - Alluvium/Colluvium The EC-7 well is located down gradient of the EC-14 well and up gradient of the EC-15 well. Both the EC- 7 and EC-14 wells are upgradient from the Elk Creek mine surface facility but down- gradient from the eventual D seam mining area located in the upper reaches of Elk Creek. Changes in the hydrologic condition of shallow Elk Creek alluvial groundwaters due to mining activities could potentially be monitored from these three wells. During 2002, due to drought conditions, water levels in these wells are very variable and inconsistent. EC-7 and 14 dried up and EC-15 had barely enough water to indicate a water level and sample. The 2002 EC-15 sample was uite turbid when obtained. SC-1 Well -Rollins Sandstone Monitor well SC-1 is located just east of the Sanborn Creek mine portal area. Well SC-1 was completed in the Rollins Sandstone, which is located 40 to 50 feet below the B- Seam. Monitoring data were collected from well SC-1 prior to any substantial mining in the B- • Seam of the Sanborn Creek Mine. The SC-1 well is up-gradient relative to the Rollins Sandstone unit located under the footprint of the mining activities. 10