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~~~~~~~ ~ <br />YYesi Elk Mine <br />coverage throughout the Lease area. Along with the water quality analysis in Exhibit 19, a <br />comparison of the water quality analysis of the springs to water quality standards recommended by <br />the State of Colorado has been performed. Indications are that spring wa#er quality is good. Most <br />of the springs located above the F-Seam show total dissolved solids (TDS) local and that there is <br />not a large continuous groundwater reservoir supplying these springs. In general, the quality of <br />water issuing fi-oan springs below the F-Seam is just below that of waters. tom the overburden. <br />Furthermore, Mayo and Associates conducted a hydrogeologic analysis of the permit and adjacent <br />area iri 1999: The complete repor< is included in Exhibit 1 S. T'o surnrnarize Dr. Mayo's findings: <br />the groundwater systems are localised, are not arzally extensive, and tend to form discrete <br />groundwater bodies that are not in hydrodyna~-„c comrriun_ication ~~ each other. Therefore, <br />impacts to the water quality of a spring due to underground mining are highly unlikely. <br />1'~~rz~a~irsg o~'~ese~vairs a~a~d S~flc& Pa~~s <br />Although water level measurements are not taken on Minnesota Reservoir, the Upper and Lower <br />Dry Fork flumes provide an estimate of the reservoir in#lows and outflows. T he planned retrofit of <br />the ditch company's flume upstream of the reservoir vrill improve the accuracy of the reservoir <br />inflow measurement. <br />In addition, the West Elk Mi~.e, in cooperationw7th the U.S. Forest Service ~USFS), Paonia Ranger <br />District in Paonia, Colorado, has agreed to informally monitor the USFS surface water resources <br />(stock ponds), as depicted on Map 37, that are located directly over longw-all panels to be mined or <br />within the angle-of-drawper the agreement letter in Exhibit 19C. In addition to the conaanit~ents <br />provided in Exhibit 19C, MCC will also photograph on a yearly basis the resources that are located <br />over longwall panels to be mined or within the angle of draw. 1~3e results of the monitoring will be <br />included in the Annual Hydrology Report Table S lists the iTSFS water resources within or <br />adjacent to the West Elk Mine permit area. <br />Surface Vilater Quantity <br />S#~'eams <br />Based upon the monitoring program previously described, this section provides an overview of <br />the existing streamflow regime for the Watersheds in the vicinity of the West Elk Mine. <br />Included are discussions on average annual flows, low flows, peak flows, and issues relating.. <br />to channel morphology and sediment yield. <br />Stream,~I~~v <br />Most of the streams in the permit area are ephemeral, flowing only in response to snowmelt or <br />signif;cant rainfall events. Using Sylvester Culch as an example, "significant" rainfall (based <br />on the conceptual-level application of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service curve number {CN) <br />approach), means that a precipitation amount or snowgnelt equivalent of about one inch in 24- <br />hours is required to generate runoff. <br />2'4~-7d Rerzsedhvz I995P}20iS; F~vira~,trar_ 1998 PR(T8; Re-~iz2u'J~ 1959 TR88 <br />