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Richard D. Lamm Governor DATE: DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES David N. Getches. Esecutrve Director MINED LAND RECLAMATION DI\ DAVID C. SHELTO N, Director February 25, 1986 T0: Tom Gillis FROM: Steve Renner RE: GRAND MESA COAL ANNUAL HYDP,OLOGIC REPORT (AHR) - 1985 WATER YEAR I have, as per your request, reviewed the Grand Mesa Coal Company 1985 water year AHR. This report presents the data collected durinG the water year, as well as a brief interpretation of this data. During the review of the 1984 water year AHR, the Division recommended that five changes to future report formats be made. the company has adequately addressed these changes. By incorporating the recommended tables and figures, an interpretation of the ground and surface water systems and their interactions is more easily deduced. A comparison of the 1985 data with that collected in 1984 indicates that there has been little change to the system. This is to be expected, as virtually no disturbance had occurred at the mine during that time. Future monitoring concerns should focus on the development of the refuse pile aquifer, mine inflows, coal seam dewatering, and Sp-D surface flows (quantity and quality). Future Recommendations The operator has submitted a map which overlies the refuse disposal area topography upon the potentiometric surface in the pile. I believe it would be prudent for the Division to require the operator to walk the pile and map locations of springs and/or seeps issuing from it. This should be done twice a year; once in the late spring (immediately after runoff) and in the early fall (baseflow conditions). These two maps, along with estimates of flow from these seeps and/or springs, should be submitted with future AHR's. To summarize, the report addresses the minimum requirements of the permit; our concerns from the 1984 AHR review have been satisfied; no adverse affects to the surface and/or ground water systems have been detected, and only a minor addition to the program is recommended. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me. /ph 7878E 423 Centennial Building, 1313 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 Tel. (303) 866-3567