REP44822 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

1.1 Introduction Oxbow Mining, Inc., operates the Sanbom Creek Mine, and the now abandoned Somerset Mine. The Somerset Mine surface facilities are located immediately north of the Town of Somerset. The Sanbom Creek Mine portals aze located about one mile east of Somerset, Colorado neaz State Highway 133. Coal from the Sanbom Creek Mine is conveyed to the surface facilities where, along with coal from other mines in the azea, is loaded onto rail cars for shipment. The Somerset Mine, Sanbom Creek Mine, and surface facilities aze located within the North Fork of the Gunnison River drainage, which is a tributary to the Colorado River. The North Fork drainage ranges in altitude from 5,550 feet to 12,000 feet and drains 1,253 square miles, producing an average discharge of some 470,000 acre feet of water or an average discharge of about 650 cubic feet per second (Department of Agriculture 1962). The average annual discharge of the North Fork of the Gunnison River at the U.S. Geological Survey gauging station 2.3 miles east of Somerset is 313,300 acre feet of water, or an average discharge of 457 cubic feet per second. Peak flows generally occur in May as a result of snowmelt with minimum flows during the winter months. Surface drainage from the permit azea runs directly to the North Fork of [he Gunnison • River. One perennial, three intermittent, and eight creeks and gulches drain the permit area. From west to east, the creeks shown on drawing E8-3286 aze known as: Hubbard Creek Perennial Bear Creek Intermittent Elk Creek Intermittent Sanbom Creek Intermittent Unnamed Drainage Ephemeral Coal Gulch Ephemeral A-Gulch Ephemeral B-Gulch Ephemeral C-Gulch Ephemeral Hawksnest Creek Ephemeral Hoopla Gulch Ephemeral Bazdine Canyon Ephemeral Thompson Creek Intermittent rJ