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Draft West Elk Mine 2005 Annual Hydrology Report 9 <br />3.1.1 Upper North Fork Drainage Basin Surface Water Monitoring Stations <br />• 3.1.1.1 Deep Creek <br />Deep Creek is a perennial stream that drains the Box Canyon panel area. The Upper Deep Creek <br />monitoring station is located up-gradient of the Box Canyon mine panel area and the West Flatiron <br />LBA. The Lower Deep Creek monitoring station is down-gradient of the SE mine panel area and <br />is directly east of mine Panel 14 (Map 2). <br />3.1.1.2 Raven Gulch <br />Raven Gulch is a perennial stream that drains the Box Canyon panel area. The Upper Raven Gulch <br />monitoring station is located directly east of the Box Canyon mine panel 17. The Lower Raven <br />Gulch monitoring station is down-gradient and directly north of the NE mine panel area (Map 2). <br />3.1.1.3 Box Can, on <br />Box Canyon is an ephemeral stream drainage. The upper reach of the drainage is typically dry and <br />the lower reach of the drainage only flows during storm events and during the spring months in <br />above average precipitation years. The Box Canyon monitoring station is located at the mouth of <br />• the drainage and was established to monitor the area down-gradient of the Box Canyon panel area <br />(Map 2). <br />3.1.1.4 North Fork Upper <br />The North Fork of the Gunnison River is a major perennial stream that drains the northern mine <br />area. The North Fork Upper monitoring station is located up-gradient of the mine facilities area <br />and up-gradient of the mine discharge points. The underground mine water discharge flows into <br />Sylvester Gulch then into the North Fork. The mine surface water runoff is treated and routed to <br />holding ponds and is then discharged to the North Fork, if necessary. All of the mine water <br />discharge occurs between the North Fork Upper and North Fork Lower monitoring stations. <br />3.1.1.5 Sylvester Gulch <br />Sylvester Gulch is an intermittent stream that drains the north central mine area. All the active <br />surface facilities of the mine are located within the Sylvester Gulch drainage basin area including: <br />the main road to the mine facilities from Highway 133, mine waste dump, mine shop and offices, <br />mine portal, mine ventilation shafts, and the mine water discharge facility. The three monitoring <br />sites in Sylvester Gulch: Upper, Middle and Lower Sylvester Gulch, monitor areas up-gradient of <br />• the mine surface facilities area, areas down-gradient of the mine water discharge point and mine <br />facilities, and areas down-gradient of the mine spoils dump, respectively. <br />September 2006 HydroGeo, Inc. <br />