Laserfiche WebLink
POWDERHORN COAL COMPANY <br />2001 ANNUAL HYDROLOGIC REPORT <br />OCTOBER 1, 2000 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2001 <br />Introduction <br />During the 2001 Water Year, the Year, the mines were idle. Mining ceased at the Roadside <br />Portals on December 2, 1999. The North Mine was sealed on February 10, 2000. The <br />Roadside South Mine was sealed on April 12, 2000. The South Fan was sealed May 22, <br />2000. The 2 West Portals were sealed on April 24, 2000. Production at the Roadside <br />North utilized room and pillar mining with a continuous miner and shuttle cars. The general <br />format of this report is the same as in previous years. <br />Surface Water <br />Water flow and quality on the Colorado River is monitored by the U.S. Geologic Survey <br />(USGS) at various locations. The closest location is Station No. 09095500 which is located <br />upstream approximately 7 miles north east of the mine site. Water quality and flow from <br />• this site are used as a general representation of the Colorado River up gradient of the <br />mining operation. There is a diversion to the Government Highline Canal, the addition of <br />Plateau Creek and the addition of other minor drainages between the monitoring site and <br />the mine site. Data Pages SQ-26 and 27 include information supplied by USGS on this <br />site in 2001. The total flow at this site for the Year was 1,939,000 acre-feet which is 67% <br />of the normal average flow for the period 1934 -2001 (2,882,200). The estimated TDS <br />load for the Year was 1.2 million tons. This estimate is made using the values for dissolved <br />solids reported on page SQ-27 times the monthly flow in acre feet. The low flow for the <br />Year was recorded as 1,340 CFS on February 2, 2001 and again on March 17,2001. The <br />river was carrying approximately 1.0 tons of TDS per acre-foot on March 17~". This flow <br />and TDS load equates to approximately 2,658 tons of Total Dissolved Solids, TDS, being <br />carried by the river past the mine that day. Worst case mine discharges occurring on <br />March 14, 2001 (the closest monthly analysis), were: 001 - 85 GPM @ 790 mg/I TDS; 002 <br />-110 GPM @ 100 mg/I TDS; resulting in approximately 1.39 tons of TDS being discharged. <br />Comparing the calculated TDS load in the River at low flow and the mine discharge near <br />the same date, the maximum increase in the River's TDS as a result of mine discharge <br />would have been 0.05%. <br />• This Year's mean daily flow values for the Cottonwood and Rapid Creek flumes are <br />included on data pages SG-31, SH-25, and SI-25. Flow at SWGS-001 is presented <br />