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• Introduction <br />Mine water inflow results were consistent with the predictions presented in the mining permit <br />application. <br />Discharged Water <br />The D-Seam mine began discharging inflow water at a rate of approximately 5 g.p.m. from <br />the underground workings during the fourth quarter of 2002. This water is directed from the <br />portal areas to Sedimentation Pond C. The estimate of mine water inflow during the first two <br />months of 2004 is about 25 g.p.m. When D9 panel was complete early in March 2004, <br />dewatering of the D-Seam ceased, Mining in the B-Seam began in January, 2004. Water <br />was encountered as the tunnels were excavated to provide access to the B-Seam in late <br />2003 and water continues to be encountered. During 2004 it is estimated the B-Seam <br />produced about 15 g.p.m. <br />There are no specific point sources in the D-Seam or B-Seam. Water inflow into the mine is <br />associated with sandstone channels or fractures in the roof or flow from fractures in the floor. <br />The pattern of water inflow is one of steadily decreasing flow as the face mines through an <br />area and advances away from it. <br />Most areas dry up completely within several weeks of being mined. Where areas don't dry <br />up completely, water inflow subsides to less than 1 gpm per 30 ft of entry to a few areas with <br />1-3 gpm per 30 ft of entry. These represent "damp" to "light drippers" as defined by NIOSH <br />in their Coal Mine Roof Rating System. A very few areas are classified as "heavy drippers" <br />with a flow of 3-12 gpm per 30 ft of entry. All the "dripper" areas are associated with roof <br />• sandstone channels and channel margins. <br />Consumptive Use <br />The Bowie No. 2 Mine extracts dust suppression and sanitary water from the Deer Trail <br />Ditch via a pump station located on the Deer Trail ditch as shown on Map15-1 of the permit <br />application. <br />The pump station is metered. This meter records the consumptive use of water from the <br />Deer Trail Ditch. During the 2004 calendar year, the Bowie No. 2 Mine consumed 208.9 AC- <br />FT of water in order to produce 4,683,000 tons of coal. Pond evaporation is estimated at 3.8 <br />AC-FT per year. The addition of the estimated pond evaporation to the mine consumption <br />produces a consumptive use of 212.7 AC-FT of water for the 2004 year and is less than the <br />estimated 326.7 AC-FT indicated in the permit application. This usage indicates that water <br />for dust suppression and fire prevention and coal preparation at the Bowie No. 2 Mine is <br />currently averaging approximately 45.4 AC-FT per million tons of coal. <br />Conclusions <br />Based on mine discharge during 2004, Mine Water Inflow was less than 20 gallons per <br />minute. Approximately 130 gallons of water per minute are introduced from the Deer Trail <br />Ditch. Any sudden increase in mine inflow values could be reasonably incorporated into the <br />dust suppression process. <br />