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1 <br />feet above the top of the Trinidad Sandstone. The Vermejo consists of a <br />aeries of coal seams and sandstones, interbedded with numerous mudetonee <br />and eiltetones. The interbedded mudetonee and eiltstones act as <br />aquicludee and greatly restrict vertical ground water movement. According <br />to records at the State Engineer's Office, existing wells in the Vermejo <br />generally have low yields and are reported to range from one gallon per <br />minute to ten gallons per minute. Variations in yields probably are due <br />to differing degrees of fracturing of the water-bearing strata. <br />Dorchester Coal Company maintained a system of ground water monitoring <br />wells on the mine lease property since August. 1979. Energy Fuels Coal, <br />Inc. has continued the monitoring program. Some wells have been added to <br />the program and others have been taken out of service. Five wells are <br />currently being monitored. Hydrographs of the monitor well water levels <br />are included in Appendix A and illustrate the historic water level data. <br />Table 2 lists the monitor wells and the well locations are show on <br />Figure 5. <br />The direction of ground water movement can be predicted by contouring <br />water level elevations in observation wells and drawing ground water flow <br />lines at right angles to the contour lines. Water levels in the five <br />currently operational monitor wells penetrating the coals have <br />consistently and continuously show ground water movement to the <br />northeast. somewhat parallel to Newlin Creek and Magpie Creek drainages. <br />Figure 5 shows the estimated ground water level contours on May 20, 1986. <br />typical of the period of record. The monitoring wells reveal water levels <br />in the Pine Gulch. Jack (Jack O'Lantern) and Red Arrow coals. all within <br />the Vermejo Formation. The direction of ground water movement within <br />these coals can be considered to be representative of the direction of <br />ground water movement in the Vermejo ae a whole. Thus, water in the <br />Vermejo Formation at the mine property can be considered tributary to <br />Newlin Creek. <br />- 10 - <br />