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A4ovnrain Coal Company 1997 Annual Hydrology Report iVesr Elk Mine • Adequacy of Monitoring Program In WY97, MCC's hydrologic monitoring program consisted of eighteen surface water stations, thirty-seven seeps and springs, and thirty-two monitoring wells. The monitoring stations are well distributed throughout the current and future mining azeas. Many of the facilities have been monitored since the early 1980's; consequently, there aze extensive baseline data. MCC has also repeatedly demonstrated its capability to gather data when unforeseen conditions arise, such as the fault inflows. MCC gathered an enormous amount of water resources data in this regazd in WY97. Surface Water To facilitate and expedite the retrieval of data from the flumes with continuous recorders, MCC has installed electronic data loggers. The strip charts will remain in place and serve as a backup system. The automated retrieval of this data should eliminate potential errors in processing the chart data. In addition, control sections with electronic continuous recorders were installed at the Upper and Lower Deep Creek stations. A pressure transducer with a recorder was also installed at the Middle Dry Fork station at the ditch company flume. With these additions, the surface water monitoring program is adequate to measure potential impacts to the surface water resources in the vicinity of the West Elk Mine. • Seeps and Springs The spring monitoring program is comprehensive, relative to both quantity and quality. Continued data collection will enable the determination of whether certain springs have been impacted by mining. Groundwater Of the thirty-two wells monitored in WY97, twenty-three provided valid water level data. Nine of the twenty-three wells had insufficient water for water quality sampling. Of the remaining nine wells, two were destroyed. These two wells, GB-1 and GP-1, were replaced in October 1997 and will be monitored again starting in WY98. MCC plans to submit a technical revision in June 1998 to modify the groundwater monitoring program. This revision will remove wells that aze not collecting information relative to assessing mining impacts and suggest replacement wells for damaged wells that aze deemed valuable. Water Quality Although MCC has improved communications with the laboratory, some pazameters were still missed or the incorrect form of the parameter (i.e., total or dissolved) was analyzed. MCC has attempted to further remedy the problem, which should be reflected in the 1998 AHR, by • including a list of pazameters to be analyzed with each chain-of-custody form. In addition, the contractor who collects the monitoring data will provide MCC with a monthly report, which will 1-031.45 age rig t ester ngineers