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West Elk Mine 2002 Annual Hydrology Report <br />• 4.1 North Fork Water Rights <br />MCC diverts water for in-mine processes and potable uses from the North Fork of the Gunnison <br />River (North Fork) via the Mt. Gunnison Pipeline water right. Approximately 436.08 ac-ft of <br />water were diverted using this water right during WY2002 (MCC, 2003). <br />Because the Mt. Gunnison Pipeline is a relatively junior water right, it is often called out of priority <br />during the late summer and early fall. In WY2002, a call was placed on the North Fork from June <br />14, 2002 until November 1, 2002, the end of the irrigation season (Colorado State Engineer, 2003). <br />Out-of-priority diversions were augmented using releases from East Beckwith Reservoir (a.k.a. <br />Lost Lake Slough). <br />4.2 Sanitary Wastewater <br />MCC maintains an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to handle sanitary <br />wastewater generated by the West Elk Mine. The WWTP has been in operation since 1982 and <br />was enlarged in WY1997 to handle up to 20,000 gallons per day. Discharges are made in <br />accordance with CDPS Permit No. CO-0038776. <br />• As shown on Figure 3, the WWTP discharges into pond MB-2R (004A), where the effluent mixes <br />with stormwater runoff and surface operations mine water stored in the pond, prior to discharge to <br />the North Fork. Both discharges from the WWTP and pond MB-2R are monitored by MCC as <br />required by the CDPS permit. The regulated parameters that apply to the WWTP are shown in <br />Table 8. <br />As shown for the WWTP (007A) on Table 9, the maximum concentrations during WY2002 for all <br />regulated parameters were less than the corresponding CDPS limitations (Table 8). There were no <br />numeric effluent exceedances in WY2002. <br /> <br />17 <br />Projec[ # 00301 HydroGeo, Inc. <br />