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West Elk Mine 2006 Annual Hydrology Report 12 <br />• holding ponds and is then discharged to the North Fork, if necessary. All of the mine water <br />discharge occurs between the North Fork Upper and North Fork Lower monitoring stations. <br />3.1.1.5 Sylvester Gulch <br />Sylvester Gulch is an intermittent stream that drains the north central mine area. All of the active <br />surface facilities of the mine are located within the Sylvester Gulch drainage basin area including: <br />the main road to the mine facilities from Highway 133, the mine waste dump, the mine shop and <br />offices, the mine portal, the mine ventilation shafts, and the mine water discharge facility. The <br />three monitoring sites in Sylvester Gulch: Upper (9-inch Parshall flume and data logger), Middle <br />(12-inch Parshall flume and staff gauge), and Lower Sylvester Gulch, monitor areas up-gradient of <br />the mine surface facilities area, areas down-gradient of the mine water discharge point and the <br />mine facilities, and areas down-gradient of the mine spoils dump, respectively. <br />3.1.2 Lower North Fork Drainage Basin Surface Water Monitoring <br />Stations <br />3.1.2.1 North Fork Lower <br />The North Fork Lower monitoring station monitors the North Fork down-gradient of the mine <br />facilities area and mine discharge points (Map 2). <br />3.1.2.2 Lower Gribble Gulch <br />Gribble Gulch is an ephemeral stream that flows only in response to storm events and spring <br />runoff. This stream drainage drains the western mine panel area. The Lower Gribble Gulch station <br />is located west of the mine and was established to monitor the effects of mining in the west and <br />northwest mine panel area. <br />3.1.3 Minnesota Creek Drainage Basin Surface Water Monitoring Stations <br />3.1.3.1 Lick Creek Flume <br />Lick Creek is an ephemeral stream that is tributary to upper Minnesota Creek and flows only in <br />response to storm events and spring runoff. Lick Creek drains the southern part of the un-mined <br />South of the Divide (SOD) coal lease area (Map 2). This monitoring station was established in <br />1977 when MCC was planning to develop this tract and consists of a 18-inch Parshall flume and a <br />data logger. The site was also established as part of the Minnesota Creek Water Augmentation <br />Plan (WWE, 1986). <br /> <br />December 2007 HydroGeo, Inc. <br />