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;. • • iii iiiiiiiiiiiuiii STATE OF COL~~.~,~v DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY Department of Natural Resources Illi ~hcrmdn >i.. Room '_IS Den. rr. CC'YV_04 Phone i SU ~? iihh-tilt; F a.\. 30 .; 8 ; ' 3106 March 24, 1993 Mr. Marcus Middleton Colorado Yampa Coal Company 29587 Routt County Road No. 27 Oak Creek, CO 80467 pF p0~ 4 F/-^4) )O~ ..~5 Rnv Romrr Co.ernor snchael B. LOng Division Dnectar Re: 1992 Annual Hydrology Report, 1992 Annual Reclamation Report Mine No. 3, Permit No. C-84-062 Dear Mr. Middleton: The Division has completed review of the above-mentioned reports. Our comments are as follows: Annual Hvdroloav Report All monitoring frequency and quality checks were made as required by the approved permit. No water quality or quantity impacts are apparent from review of the data presented. Quality data from Foidel Creek continues to show increasing TDS, EC, and sulfate from mining discharge upstream at the Foidel Creek Mine. Well 008-AV-2 on the Foidel Creek AVF shows an approximate 41 percent increase in total dissolved solids, directly related to recharge of the alluvium by the streamflow dominated by the underground mine discharge approximately five miles upstream. Figure 18, Middle Creek downstream of Mine 3, shows a 147 percent increase in mean total dissolved solids over the baseline condition. Most of this increase is again attributable to Foidel Creek upstream of Mine 3. However, it is noted that site 76, pond M3S, has unusually high EC readings for a sedimentation pond. It is most likely recharged through the pond bottom by a spoil spring from the pit area below the pond and to the southeast. Data reported in 1993 from nearby well 008-SP-4b should verify this theory. Therefore, discharge from M3S can and does contribute some portion of elevated total dissolved solids to Middle Creek. It is also worthy of note that the spring above pond E within the Fish Creek Tipple area (No. C-82- 056) derives its water source from backfilled pit areas of Mine 3. Some of this recharge area is bond released. Please note the following two items: Beginning with the 1993 AHR, please submit a bar graph showing annual precipitation for each year since monitoring began. This information assists the Division when evaluating recharge characteristics and runoff volumes. 2. Also with the 1993 AHR, please annotate the elevation for well 008-SP-4b on map 4b.