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Mountain Coal Company 1998 Annual Hydrology Report West Elk Mine <br />percent of average at Overland Reservoir. Figures 1 through 3 show the monthly distribution of <br />• the precipitation measured at each of these three stations. <br />Hydrological Data <br />In addition to the climatological data, a water yeaz can be characterized by streamflow. The <br />major drainage basins in the vicinity of the West Elk Mine aze the North Fork of the Gunnison <br />River (North Fork) and Minnesota Creek. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has gaging <br />stations on both of these streams. Both of these watersheds are large and the annual flow is <br />dominated by snowmelt from the higher elevations. The North Fork flow regime is also affected <br />by Paonia Reservoir. <br />To facilitate compazison of the WY98 streamflow data to the period of record, Figures 4 and 5 <br />were prepared. These graphs indicate that the North Fork drainage experienced higher than <br />average runoff, while Minnesota Creek was about average, primarily due to low June flows. <br />Annual runoff in the North Fork drainage was 123 percent of the long-term average, and in the <br />Minnesota Creek drainage, runoff was 98 percent of the long-term annual average. An <br />instantaneous peak discharge of 3,380 cubic feet per second (cfs) was recorded on the North <br />Fork on May 21 for WY98, and an instantaneous peak discharge of 133 cfs was recorded on <br />Minnesota Creek on July 9 for WY98. <br />i • <br />• <br />1-0 1.5 0 Page rig r aver ngineers <br />