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Moun(ain Coal Compmry 1997 Annual Hydrology Report Wes( E!k Mine <br />Of the thirty-two monitored wells, eight were being monitored to establish or re-establish baseline <br />• conditions during WY97. Baseline re-establishment was occumng at wells SOM-45-], SOM-45-2, <br />SOM-C-76 and SOM-23-H-1. Baseline conditions were being established for wells 96-2-2, 96-27- <br />1, RAV-4b, and So.W-1 and So.W-3. <br />Monitoring well SOM-45-1, completed in the Barren Member of the Mesaverde Formation in 1979, <br />was to continue reestablishment of baseline conditions in WY97 (a continuation from WY96) but <br />was sampled under the regulaz monitoring program. This well will be monitored again for baseline <br />conditions in WY98. <br />Monitoring well SOM-45-H-2 was completed into the Barren Member of the Mesaverde Formation <br />in 1979. This well is located in the South of Divide azea and was monitored from 1979 until 1987 <br />when a decision was made to curtail observations until a minimum of one year before mining in the <br />area. Reinstatement of this well occurred in WY96 and continued into WY97 to complete a <br />minimum of one year to reestablish baseline conditions. This well will be incorporated into the <br />regulaz monitoring program in WY98. <br />Similarly, wells SOM-C-76 and SOM-23-H-1 were reinstated into the monitoring program in <br />WY96. Well SOM-C-76 was completed into the F-Seam in 1978 and was monitored until 1987. <br />Well SOM-23-H-1 was also constructed in 1978, but was monitored only during the first yeaz <br />before being dropped from the program. This well was completed in the B-Seam. Both wells were <br />monitored in WY97 to reestablish baseline conditions. Monitoring well SOM-C-76 will be <br />incorporated into the regular monitoring program in WY98. Because of continued observations of <br />• cascading water in well SOM-23-H-1 and known landslide activity at the SOM-23 well cluster, this <br />well will likely be removed from the monitoring program in a future revision application. <br />Monitoring wells 96-2-2 and 96-27-1 were completed above and in the E-Seam, respectively, <br />during the WY96. Baseline data collection began in the fall of 1996 and continued through WY97. <br />Wells 96-2-2 and 96-27-1 will be incorporated into the regulaz monitoring program in WY98. <br />Monitoring wells RAV-4b and So.W-1 were both completed into the B-Seam in 1995. Well RAV- <br />46 is located in the Box Canyon permit revision area, whereas well So.W-1 is located in the Apache <br />Rocks permit revision azea. Baseline data collection began in the spring of 1996 and continued <br />through WY97. Both wells will be incorporated into the regular monitoring program in WY98. <br />Monitoring well So.W-3 is located in the Apache Rocks permit revision azea and was completed in <br />the Rollins Sandstone in 1995. Baseline data collection began in the spring of 1996 and continued <br />through WY97. This well will be incorporated into the regular monitoring program in WY98. <br />Sampling Methods <br />Monitoring measurements included field and laboratory pazameters as identified in Footnpte No. <br />2 of Table 4. Static water levels were measured at each well. The field technician then sampled <br />each well the same way each time the well was visited. In general, the groundwater wells in the <br />vicinity of the West Elk Mine do not exhibit recovery within the time necessary to complete <br />sampling. For this reason, as explained during the 1993 Permit Renewal, three casing volumes <br />• of water aze not removed from the wells. Instead, a PVC thief with a brass foot valve is used to <br />831-032.45 Page I 1 Wrig r a(er Engineers <br />