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1.0 INTRODUCTION <br />Basin Resources, Inc. (Basin) owns and operates the Golden Eagle underground coal mine in <br />southern Colorado. Mining ofthe Golden Eagle Mine ceased on December 31, 1995. The Golden <br />Eagle Mine facilities area was reclaimed throughout 1996 and early 1997 with the sediment control <br />system being reclaimed in November 1998. This report presents the hydrologic monitoring activities <br />conducted at the Golden Eagle mine during 2001 and analysis of trends over aeighteen-year <br />monitoring period. The remainder of this section describes the mine site area and the current <br />hydrologic monitoringprogram. Section 2.0 describes the monitoring methods usedfortheprogram <br />while Section 3.0 provides the monitoring results and hydrologic consequences. Also included in <br />this report is a discussion of mitigative measures taken to minimize disturbance to area hydrologic <br />functions (Section 4.0) and plans for future hydrology monitoring activities (Section 5.0). Data and <br />information related to this assessment are presented in the Appendices of this report. <br />1.1 SITE DESCRIPTION <br />The Golden Eagle portal area is located approximately three and one- half miles west of Weston <br />(T335, R67W) in Las Animas County, Colorado. The mine is situated in mountainous terrain with <br />numerous canyons contributing runoff to the drainages of ephemeral, intermittent, and perennial <br />streams ofthe area (Permit Document, Map S, Regional Hydrology). The mine is also located on <br />the Middle Fork of the Purgatoire River, about 3.5 miles downstream of the confluence of the North <br />Fork. The confluence of the South Fork of the Purgatoire River is at Weston, approximately four <br />miles downstream from the mine. Most surface facilities were adjacent to, and underground mining <br />occurred under and to the north and south of, the Purgatoire River in an area known as the Picketwire <br />Valley. These surface facilities were the most visual indicators of a coal mining activity in the area. <br />The Purgatoire River is the primary stream drainage in the area. The headwaters of the Purgatoire <br />are located on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range west of the mine area. The <br />general direction of stream flow is easterly to the confluence with the Arkansas River, also in Las <br />Animas County. Principal tributaries of the Purgatoire River in the immediate vicinity of the mine <br />are Apache Canyon, Ciruela Canyon, and Santistevan Canyon. <br />Apache Canyon drains a watershed of approximately 7,264 acres. Cover in the canyon is primarily <br />woodland with a herbaceous valley bottom. Primary land use is grazing and wildlife habitat. <br />Surface mine features within the Apache Canyon watershed (on the Left Fork) include two <br />ventilation shafts for the now inactive New Elk Mine. Portions of Apache Canyon have been (room <br />and pillar) undermined. Apache Canyon discharges into the Purgatoire River above the Golden <br />Eagle Mine surface facilities. Apache Canyon was determined not to meet alluvial valley floor <br />criteria. <br />Ciruela Canyon has a drainage area of 1745 acres with primary land uses of grazing and wildlife <br />habitat. Cover in the canyon is primarily woodland with a herbaceous valley bottom. There are two <br />on-stream impoundments in the upper headwaters which retain surface flow for livestock watering. <br />Two mine ventilation shafts, a development waste pile, and a mine water discharge treatment pond <br />(Pond 002) for the Golden Eagle Mine were located in Ciruela Canyon. Pond 002 was reclaimed <br />TOOOAHNepor/-RPT(29df/April l9, 1002 <br />