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meter is utilized to determine the total amount of water pumped <br />from this well. The operator has well permit number 42266-F for <br />this well. The well permit provides for a pumping rate of 100 <br />gallons per minute and an average annual consumption of 40 acre <br />feet. No record is kept of the water which is pumped from the <br />North Fork of the Gunnison River to the onsite well. <br />The onsite well is used to 1) supply water to the underground <br />mine; 2) supply shower water to the office bathhouse; 3) supply <br />water to the maintenance shop for washdown water and water for the <br />water truck for surface road dust suppression. The flow meter only <br />measures total consumptive use. The operator estimates the volume <br />of water used for each of the categories listed above based on <br />historic use values. <br />Beginning in June of 1995, the Bear #3 Mine began to notice a <br />measurable amount of water building behind seals in the 3rd West <br />Section. The source of this water is unknown since during <br />development of 3rd West no measurable water was encountered. <br />However, the operator suspects that the source of this water <br />originates in an abandoned area in the adjacent West Elk Mine. <br />This mine inflow is averaging approximately 18 gpm and is currently <br />being consumed during the normal mining process. However, in the <br />event that mine inflow becomes unmanageable, the operator has <br />applied and since received a Discharge Permit from the State of <br />Colorado. See Appendix E for mine water quality. <br />A map depicting the area of the inflow is enclosed with this <br />submittal in Appendix C. <br />The operator was able to consumptively use the water which <br />flowed into the mine during the year. The consumptive use figures <br />presented above show the amount of water pumped from the onsite <br />well was dramatically lower during the second half of the year <br />which reflects the use of mine inflow water. No water was <br />discharged from the mine during the year. <br />8 <br />