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Drafr West Elk Mine 2005 Annual Hydrology Report 28 • 4.1 North Fork Water Rights MCC diverts water for in-mine processes and potable uses from the North Fork via the Mt. Gunnison Pipeline water right. Approximately ac-fl of water was diverted using this water right during WY 2005 (MCC, 2006a). Because the Mt. Gunnison Pipeline is a relatively junior water right, it may be called out of priority during the late summer and early fall. In WY 2005, one call was placed on the Mt. Gunnison Pipeline water right from August 12, 2005 to September 24, 2005. The Fire Mountain Canal, Paonia Ditch, Short Ditch, North Fork Farmer Ditch and other minor senior water rights holders implemented the call which was for 103.96 acre-feet (Colorado State Engineer, 2006). Out-of- priority diversions are augmented using releases from West Elk Mine water releases to Sylvester Gulch or releases from the East Beckwith Reservoir (a.k.a. Lost Lake Slough). 4.2 Sanitary Wastewater MCC maintains an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to handle sanitary • wastewater generated by the West Elk Mine. The WWTP has been in continuous operation since 1982 and was enlarged in WY 1997 to handle up to 20,000 gallons per day. Discharges are made in accordance with Colorado Discharge Permit System (CDPS) Permit No. CO-0038776. As shown on Figure 8, the WWTP discharges into pond MB-2R (004A) where the effluent mixes with storm water runoff and the mine surface operations water stored in the pond, prior to discharge to the North Fork. Both discharges from the WWTP and pond MB-2R aze monitored by MCC, as required by the CDPS permit. The seven regulated parameters and stipulations that apply to the WWTP aze summarized in Table 8. The maximum effluent concentrations for WWTP (007A) during WY 2005 (Table 9) for all regulated pazameters were less than the corresponding CDPS limitations (Table 8). There were no numeric effluent exceedances in WY 2005. • September 2006 HydroGeo, Inc.