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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 <br />FAX: (303) 832-8106 <br />REC~f x= ~~,~..Y <br />COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF <br />MIN SRALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />REC LAMATION•MINING <br />SArETY•SCIENCE <br />DATE: February 17, 2006 <br />TO: Sandy Brown /~ <br />FROM: Dan Mathews 1t /s,L,`_/T` <br />` I ~~ <br />I)IVISiOP Ot flAiaerals AGL" :i,as:: `; <br />RE: Roadside Mine Preliminary Review of 2005 AHR <br />Permit No. C-1981-041 <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br />Russell George <br />Executive Director <br />Ronald W. Cottony <br />Division Director <br />Natural Resource Trustee <br />I have completed a preliminary review of the 2005 Annual Hydrologic Report, submitted by <br />Snowcap Coal Company under cover letter dated February 15, 2006. The report covers the <br />water year October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005. I am requesting a hydrologist review <br />for PHC compliance evaluation. Kent Gorham did this review last year. <br />The format and content of the report is consistent with previous reports. Monitoring has been <br />conducted at the locations and in accordance with the schedule in the approved permit. Data <br />trends over time, as well as data from the 2004 sampling appear to me to be consistent with PHC <br />projections. I noticed only a couple apparent data discrepancies, and one apparent typographical <br />error. On page 2 of the report narrative, reference is made to Data Page SO-41, for the USGS <br />river gaging station TDS data; I believe the reference should be to Data Page SO-46. On Data <br />Page GD-13, the August 2004 values for dissolved chloride for UTL wells 02 and 04 appear <br />suspect, compared to this year's values and the reported TDS values. The August 2005 annual <br />sample of Mine Discharge 016, on Data Page SU-3, shows an atypically high TSS level (30 mg/I). <br />This discharge has always been quite clear, and the CDPS reporting summarized on Data Page <br />SV-4 shows that, for the 10 samples taken during the year, values were between 0.5 and 4.0 <br />mg/I. More recent DMR's show TSS values of 1.5 mg/I for September 2005 and 10.0 mg/1 for <br />December 2005. <br />Please forward my request for PHC compliance review to Kent (or other hydrologist of your <br />choosing). You should already have received a copy of the AHR submittal in the Denver office, I <br />do have one specific issue to be evaluated as a part of the PHC review. Operator has requested <br />that we advise them as to whether suspension of monitoring of the four seeps (S95-1, 2, 3, and 4) <br />would be approvable. I would like the reviewing hydrologist to comment on this. I would like to <br />get an answer to Tonya on this prior to April 1, so they can submit the necessary TR and <br />get it approved before the April/May sample timeframe passes. I think their main concern is <br />with the three located in Jerry Creek Canyon (#2, #3, and #4), which are within the wilderness <br />studylwild horse management area. BLM is apparently making an effort to shut down all <br />motorized access up Jerry Creek (which would have the side benefit of maintaining high chukar <br />numbers if they actually enforce it). Anyway, I guess BLM would prefer that Tonya not drive up <br />there once a year on the ATV, which would require a 2 mile round trip hike to make it up to the <br />furthest location (#3). These are just saline seeps that in good years produce a trickle during the <br />spring. <br />Thanks. <br />Office of Office of Colorado <br />Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey <br />