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of the permit application. The original findings document (1982), <br />an Amended Findings Document for Permit Renewal (1987), and <br />Technical Revision No. 14 (1989) also include discussions of <br />probable hydrologic consequences. Section 2.04.7 of the permit <br />application and Section VI of the 1982 Findings Document contain <br />extensive discussion of the hydrologic balance of the permit area. <br />Potential Effects on Surface Water Quantity <br />General Area <br />Based on the hydrologic balance calculations for the drainages in <br />the general area and the fact that all runoff from the mine area is <br />to be either diverted around the mine or retained in sedimentation <br />ponds for a maximum of 36 hours, no change in the hydrologic <br />balance will occur. Since the area to be mined is a fraction of <br />the total watershed areas, the general area will not be affected. <br />Permit Area <br />The probable hydrologic consequences (PHC) section of the 1982 <br />Findings Document predicted that there would be no significant <br />effects to the hydrologic balance of Taylor, Wilson or Goodspring <br />Creeks as a result of mining. Monitoring data in the mine's Annual <br />Reclamation Reports (ARR's) through 1991 confirms that there have <br />been no significant impacts on water quantity of these streams to <br />date due to mining operations at the Colowyo Mine. <br />Estimations of surface water runoff based on pre-mining and post- <br />mining conditions are included on page 2.04.7-89 of the permit <br />application. It is estimated that surface runoff from the permit <br />area will decrease by 36 acre-feet per year due to increased <br />infiltration and evapotranspiration. This is approximately two <br />percent of the estimated annual flow of Goodspring and Taylor <br />Creeks downstream from the permit area. During its adequacy review <br />of Permit Revision No. 1, the Division raised several questions <br />about the modeling assumptions used for generating these numbers <br />and sizing surface water control structures. The operator has <br />committed to re-evaluating the modeling procedures by August 31, 1992. <br />All structures built before August 31, 1992 will adequately detain <br />and treat all waters originating from areas to be disturbed through <br />December 31, 1992. Structures built after August 31, 1992 will <br />detain and treat all waters originating from all remaining areas <br />proposed to be disturbed as a consequence of this permit revision <br />(PR-01>. Regardless of possible refinements in the modeling, the <br />Division finds that there will be no significant impacts to surface <br />water quantity due to Colowyo's mining operations. <br />Mined areas will be reclaimed to approximate original contour with <br />the exception of three excess spoil fills. The sizes of drainage <br />areas for some ephemeral and intermittent drainages within the <br />mined area will be changed; however, there will be no changes to <br />-20- <br />