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I • 2005 AHR McClave & Munger Canyon Mines Page 6 <br />Probable Hydrologic Consequences <br />The mines will have negligible effect upon the hydrologic regime of East Salt Creek. <br />The area disturbed is small, sedimentation and surface water systems have functioned <br />well for over ten years. The inherent poor quality of surface water in the area is the <br />result of site specific environmental factors not from any impact caused by the mines. <br />Most storm events that have exceeded the design criteria required by the Division of <br />Minerals & Geology have not been a problem for the system to handle. The effect that <br />the mine has on the groundwater hydrology of East Salt Creek has not been detected. <br />_ _ The mines will not have a detrimental impact upon the groundwater of the East Salt <br />Creek Valley. This is based partially on the relative sizes of the`operation and~the size <br />of the aquifer. It is also based on the fact that the groundwater contained in the alluvium <br />is substandard. East Salt Creek is an accurate name. The water contained in the <br />alluvium is virtually unusable. Field water sampling has shown that the conductivity of <br />'the groundwater is extremely high (3,000 to 100,000). <br />Data gathered for SW-1 and GW-3 are presented in the Tables N-1 through N-7 in <br />Appendix N. The Division's 1987 Material Damage guidelines require any measured <br />salinity values over 1000 umho/cm be reported as 'suspect' values. Since baseline <br />values for SW-1 and GW-3 far exceed the Division's 'suspect' levels, the Operator <br />compiled data in order to demonstrate mine discharge does not add salinity to the <br />already high values, rather, lowers the salinity in SW-1 and GW-3 during the irrigation <br />season. By improving the salinity of the waters in East Salt Creek and the East Salt <br />Creek alluvium, downstream farmers will not suffer loss of production due to the <br />addition of mine discharge. <br />Amended 6/1!06 <br /> <br />