Laserfiche WebLink
application, the three zones being monitored (upper sandstone facies, siltstone and coal <br />facies, and the lower sandstone) identify three different stratigraphic zones which lack the <br />characteristics of an aquifer. The strata are too tight with little yield as demonstrated by <br />pumping tests. <br />The "upper sandstone facies" holes are designated by a name ending in "U". <br />There are three upper facies holes with water (22-3U, 29-4U and 33-8U). 22-3U is a <br />newer hole constructed in the fourth quarter of 2005 for baseline and monitoring purposes <br />of future mining activities. Water levels in this well showed a rise over the past year but <br />may still be stabilizing from the initial drilling. While not yet required by the existing permit, <br />data for this well is shown in Appendix C. <br />29-4U has an obstruction in the casing (dead rodent) blocking the DTW probe from <br />reaching the water level. Additional effort and time to rot should free up the obstruction <br />for future measurements. We•suspect that 29-4U continues to behave similar to 29-4M. <br />The water level in 33-8U continued to decline with a drop of 4.1 feet from the prior year. <br />This drop is potentially due in part to the close proximity of longwall mining but more <br />significantly the continuing effect of a prolonged dry cycle. Longwall panel LWB-7 was <br />mined out in early October 2006 and was located as close as 1400' from this hole. <br />The middle "siltstone-coal facies" monitoring holes are designated by an "M" following the <br />hole number. These monitor holes are open through the interval containing the D Seam <br />and B Seam. <br />Monitoring hole 22-3M was drilled in November 2006 to be used as the future `point of <br />compliance'. Depth to water data is included in Appendix D and quarterly qualitative data <br />presented in Appendix C. <br />Monitor hole TW2-17M was surrounded by mining first in November 1985 but was not <br />intercepted in the workings. It is apparently located in a pillar completely surrounded by <br />open workings. At that time it showed virtually no response to room-and-pillar mining. In <br />February 1988 longwall panel 1 was mined to within about 900 feet of this hole. <br />Obviously, longwall mining disrupts the mined zone more than room-and-pillar mining, <br />and the water level in TW2-17M did show a response to mining at that time. The water <br />level has steadily decreased since 1988 with a decrease of 9.7 feet since the last <br />monitoring period. <br />Water levels in monitoring hole 29-4M decreased 7.3 feet from the prior year. Much of <br />the effects are probably due to the continuation of drier than normal conditions. Some <br />6 <br />