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Probable Hydrologic Consequences of Mining <br /> The Coal Creek Basin includes a 26. 6 square mile watershed <br /> (Jct with Crystal) and consists of eight main tributary streams. <br /> The Coal Basin Mine complex presently affects three of these <br /> drainages, the south fork and north fork of Dutch Creek and Coal <br /> Creek the primary stream (Total disturbed area 290 acres, 0. 45 <br /> sq.mi) . Sediment loads within this basin are naturally high, <br /> this is due to the geology (large expanses of exposed Mancos <br /> shale) , steep terrain and large volumes of runoff generated <br /> primarily by snowmelt. <br /> The Coal Basin mine plan is designed to minimize the impacts <br /> on the surface and ground water of the area. Drainages from <br /> all mine disturbed areas are routed through one or more of 39 <br /> sedimentation ponds. <br /> The Coal Basin Mine operation in 1980 had 5 mines in production <br /> and some 15 miles of haul roads affected by heavy truck traffic. <br /> Today with modernization of equipment, two mines Dutch Creek #1 & <br /> #2 produce more coal than all five previously did. The haul <br /> roads affected have been reduced to 4. 5 miles thus greatly reducing <br /> the T.S .S. levels. The remaining haul road presently experiences <br /> heavy truck traffic, estimated at 60, 000 trips per year hauling <br /> between 1. 6 and 1. 8 million tons of raw coal. A large portion of <br /> these roads are located on steep slopes with resulting steep <br /> outslopes. This factor along with the high degree of road main- <br /> tenance required results in increased sediment loading to the <br /> stream systems during snowmelt and rainfall events. This loading <br /> is mainly in the Dutch Creek drainage. <br /> 48 <br /> I� <br />