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Madge Impoundment. In the past, water was Continuously siphoned from the Madge • <br />Impoundment to the truck cash holding pond. Beginning in the winter of 87/88, the water <br />is now pumped upon demand instead of continuously siphoned. Mater levels at McIL 19-M in <br />general have decreased since 1987, largely due to relatively lower precipitation. Mater <br />levels at Well 41-M have increased the past two years. This is Likely a result of an <br />increase in the recharge capacity of the Madge coal es a result of stripping topsoil <br />upgradient of these wells, along with the coat seam being exposed in the pit upgradient of <br />the cells, which allows water collecting in the lower end of the pit to recharge the coal <br />seam. Mater levels at Mell 42-M have been slowly declining since the summer of 1986 <br />(likely due to deuater ing caused by the adjacent pit), but have slightly increased the <br />past two years, possibly due to backfilling of this pit in the fall of 1989 and subsequent <br />resaturation. <br />Molf Creek Overburden/Hedge Underburden. Wells 2-U, 7-MCO, and 37•MCO, all showed normal <br />seasonal variations end a decline in levels the past four years due to minimal <br />infiltration recharge. Well 6-U has historically shown a general increase in water level <br />until the summer of 1986, likely due to slow recharge from the adjacent Madge Impoundment. <br />Hydraulic connection is further suggested by the seasonal decline in ground water levels <br />as levels in the Madge Impoundment decline from June through February each year. Mater <br />levels at Well 6•U have shown a general decrease since the summer of 1986. Mater levels <br />at uelL 11-u have slowly increased over the years, likely due to slow recharge from the <br />PeaCOCO pond immediately east of the welt. In addition, a leaky coupling was fixed at <br />11-U on 7/31/87, which caused an increase in pressure readings for this flowing well. <br />Metls 8-U and BP1•U have shown gradual declines in water levels for the past several <br />years, possibly due to disturbance of the upgradient recharge area by mining. <br />Molf Creek Coal. Hells 10-MC, 14•MC, 15-MC end 37-MC all showed normal seasonal <br />variations and low water Levels the past four years due to minimal recharge. A gradual <br />decrease in water levels for Well 35-MC since the spring of 1986 is likely due to a slow <br />dewatering of the Wolf Creek coal due to mining. This well is further downgradient and <br />closer to the mining area than the above-mentioned wells, which may explain why this well <br />has shown a greater decline in water level. <br />Spoils. Three wells, 22-5, 23-5, and 24-5 are completed in the upper region of spoils <br />(below the USGS 1980 lysimeter study site) which is generally unsaturated. Hell 23-s • <br />sometimes shows water in late February, March, and April as snow melts quickly off this <br />4 <br />