REP52367 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The Twentymile Coal Company Foidel Creek Mine is located approximately 25 miles southwest of Steamboat Springs, Colorado on the south end of Twentymile Park. The associated Fish Creek:Tipple is located approximately 20 miles southwest of Steamboat Springs at the north end of Twentymile Park and the tipple structure and related areas cover approximately 70 acres (Figure 1). The surface facilities cover approximately 330 acres. A spur of the Southern Pacific Railroad runs to the mine site and the tipple. Immediately north of the portal area is Foidel Creek into which the mine water is discharged following treatment. The mine site drainage goes into seven sediment ponds (Ponds T, B, C, D, E, F and Pond G) which drain northward into Foidel Creek. Further north of the portal area is Fish Creek. Mining has extended into the Fish Creek drainage. Beginning in October, 1989, some of the mine water has been dischazged into Fish Creek through the Fish Creek Borehole. The portal area is bordered by spoil from the Colorado Yampa Coal Company (CYCC) strip mines. The portal is faced-up in the down dip low-wall of the strip mine. The Fish Creek Tipple site drains into Tipple Pond E which drains northward into Fish Creek. On the tipple site and to the south are reclaimed spoils which are released from bond. Hydrologic monitoring has been conducted in the area since 1979. The tipple was constructed in 1974. The underground mine was begun in 1983; however, surface coal mining has been conducted in the immediate vicinity since the 1960's. This report covers the hydrologic monitoring for water year 1993 for the Foidel Creek Mine and for the Fish Creek Tipple. The previous monitoring of these azeas was presented in the prior Annual Hydrologic Reports. The hydrologic monitoring has been divided into five parts; 1) ground water, 2) surface water, 3) springs, 4) mine inflows, and 5) effluent sites. The Fish Creek Alluvial Valley Floor mining area data is presented in Appendix B. The monitoring locations are shown on Figure 2 and summarized on Table 1. The parameter lists are shown on Tables 2 and 3. A listing of all water year data collected at these sites is submitted sepazately. Summaries of the complete data set and the 1993 water year data aze presented on Tables 4 to 60 and Figures 3 to 55. Unless otherwise indicated, reference to a yeaz means a water yeaz. Presently, the hydrologic monitoring is conducted by Cyprus Yampa Valley Coal Corporation personnel, however, one surface water site is monitored for flow rate by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Water quality analyses were performed primarily by ACZ Laboratories (formerly Bookcliffs) of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. -t- 6/15/94 1:27 pm