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<br />• INTRODUCTION <br />Bowie Resources Limited acquired the Orchard Valley Mine from the Cyprus <br />Orchard Valley Coal Corporation in December 1994. The underground coal mine <br />(renamed the Bowie No. 1 Mine) is approximately two miles north of Paonia, Colorado. <br />The Bowie No. 1 East Mine has not operated since it was sealed in June 1986, following <br />a mine fire. Then the azeal extent of the East mine workings was 1,156 acres. During <br />July 1993, rehabilitation efforts at the portal area of the East mine were completed and <br />the mine workings of the East and West mines were connected. Only the first <br />approximately fifteen crosscuts of the East mine were reopened with the rest of the mine <br />remained sealed and inactive. The existing coal processing support facilities at the East <br />mine were reactivated during 1993 and are currently being used. The support facility at <br />the West mine remains and is used for supplies and light maintenance activity, however, <br />coal is now transported from the mine through the East portals. The West mine was <br />opened in January 1987. The azeal extent of the West mine at the end of 1994 was <br />approximately 644 acres. The combined acreage of the East and West mines is <br />approximately 1,800 acres. The coal mined from both the East and West mine is in the <br />• "D" seam of the Mesaverde Coal Member. Hydrologic monitoring was begun at the mine <br />in 1983. This report presents monitoring results from the 1996 monitoring season. <br />The 1996 Annual Hydrology Report narrative following is divided into eleven <br />pazts. Discussion is presented by each monitoring category identified in Ta 1 1 <br />Summary_gf Hydrologic Monitoring Stations -Required Monitorine for Annual <br />Hvdrology Renort. Table 1 immediately follows the narrative in this report and precedes <br />the 1996 data summazies provided for each station. The individual station data <br />summaries are also ordered by Table 1. Maps depicting the locations of all Hydrologic <br />monitoring stations are appended to this report. Water quality monitors includes field <br />parameters (Table 2), water quality parameters (Table 3), and NPDES parameters (Table <br />4). Ponds were sampled for water quality only when discharging or outflows were <br />occurring. Ponds in the permit area typically are spring-fed or seep-fed and exhibit <br />diffuse non-concentrated areas of inflow. Often, the pond outlets present the only point <br />of concentrated flow at which flow measurements and field parameters can be obtained. <br />Where possible, quality measurements are obtained at the pond inlet. Stagnant water in <br />ponds was not sampled since water quality results would show the effects of evaporation <br />and stock use and could not be used to evaluate potential mine affects. The 1996 samples <br />Page -I- <br />