REP09616

• Permit No: C1981012
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 4/22/2002
• Doc Name: 2001 AHR
• From: Greystone
• To: DMG
• Annual Report Year: 2001
• Permit Index Doc Type: Hydrology Report
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

_ 1.0 INTRODUCTION
Picketwire Processing, LLC (Picketwire) owns and operates the New Elk underground coal mine
and prepazation plant in southern Colorado. This report presents the hydrologic monitoring activities
conducted at the mine during 2001 and analysis of trends over aeighteen-year monitoring period.
The remainder of this section describes the mine site area and the current hydrologic monitoring
program. Section 2.0 describes the monitoring methods used for the program while Section 3.0
provides the monitoring results and hydrologic consequences. Also included in this report is a
discussion of mitigative measures taken to minimize disturbance to area hydrologic functions
(Section 4.0) and plans for future hydrology monitoring activities (Section 5.0). Data and
information related to this assessment are presented in the Appendices of this report.
1.1 SITE DESCRIPTION
The New Elk east portal area is located three miles east of Stonewall and seven miles west of
Weston in T33S, R68W in Las Animas County, Colorado. The mine is situated in mountainous
terrain with numerous canyons contributing runoff to the drainages of ephemeral, intermittent, and
perennial streams of the area (see Map 8, Regional Hydrology in the Permit Document). The New
Elk Mine is located on the Middle Fork of the Purgatoire River, about 1.5 miles upstream of the
confluence of the North Fork. Most surface facilities of the mine are adjacent to, and underground
mining occurred under and to the north and south of, the Purgatoire River in an azea known as the
Picketwire Valley. Underground activities at the New Elk Mine have ceased, and the mine has been
sealed. Surface facilities and coal processing activities are the most visual indicators of a coal mining
activity in the area.
The Purgatoire River is the primary stream drainage in the area of the mine. The headwaters of the
Purgatoire are located on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range west ofthe mine
area. The general direction of stream flow is easterly to the confluence with the Arkansas River, also
in Las Animas County. The principal tributary of the Purgatoire River which drains in the vicinity of
the permit area is Apache Canyon. Apache Canyon drains a watershed of approximately 7,264 acres.
Cover in the canyon is primarily woodland with a herbaceous valley bottom. Primary land use is
grazing and wildlife habitat. Surface mine features within the Apache Canyon watershed (on the Left
Fork) include two ventilation shafts for the now inactive New Elk Mine. Portions of Apache Canyon
have been (room and pillar) undermined. Apache Canyon discharges into the Purgatoire River above
the Golden Eagle Mine reclaimed area. Apache Canyon was determined not to meet alluvial valley
floor criteria.
The geologic setting is an important factor when analyzing hydrology of an area. Stratigraphy in the
region of the mine ranges in age from Pre-Cambrian to Quaternary. However, only portions of the
Raton Formation (see Figure 1.1-1) and recent alluvial deposits are exposed in the area of the mine.
Most of the formation consists of very fine to medium grained sandstone interbedded with siltstone
and shale. Coal that was mined at New Elk is located near the middle of the Raton Formation. The
outcrop of the formation in the area may be characterized as stream deposits including channel-point
baz fades, floodplain deposits and swamp deposits.
626-Annual Hydrolic Monitoring (Apr.9.02).doc
April l7, 2002