2008-10-03_REVISION - C1981010 (4)

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crucial benefit to reclaimed rangelands as they greatly improve grazing distribution and vegetation utilization. Without the adequately distributed water supplies that these ponds provide, wildlife and livestock species tend to congregate around scarce available water supplies and grossly over-utilize a small part of the range while failing to adequately utilize the majority of the range. This proves to be detrimental to both plant and animal resources. Livestock Water Tanks located within this SL-10 submittal (NNE #1, WP #1 and WP #2) are presented on Map 2.0. These three LSWT's were surveyed and demonstrate that they meet DRMS design criteria. Table 4.1-1 demonstrates that they are successfully providing drinking water to wildlife and livestock species on at least an ephemeral basis, which is as much as can be expected in this region of the country. 4.2 Surface Water Impacts Within the area of this proposed bond release application, surface water runs off through six different watersheds, including discharge through six active NPDES outfalls. All runoff is tributary to the Yampa River. The six active discharge points are all covered under NPDES Permit CO-0032115 and include the following outfalls: 001 (Johnson Gulch), 002 (No Name Gulch), 011 (East Pyeatt Gulch), 013 (West Pyeatt Gulch), 015 (Grouse Gulch) and 016 (Sage Gulch). Surface water consistently discharges only through Johnson, No Name and East Pyeatt Gulches. The remaining three watersheds seldom if ever record surface water runoff. Throughout the sampling history of these discharge points, no violations of Permit No. CO-0032115 standards have occurred. Spoil springs that were present in the bottoms of drainages at the down-gradient contact of spoils and non-mined areas in Johnson and No Name Gulches were released from Phase III bond liability with the approval of SL-4. A spoil spring (East Pyeatt South) has developed in the East Pyeatt drainage at the down-gradient contact of spoils and non-mined areas. No spoil springs are present on any of the reclaimed lands proposed for bond release in this application. 4.3. Ground Water Impacts The northern edge of the mined area in each of the drainages included in this proposed Phase III bond release application is typically several thousand feet south of the shallow alluvial aquifer systems identified to the north of the mine permit area. Geologic structure generally controls the groundwater movement in these drainages. (Permit C-81-010, Map M32). Upper Williams Fork units that discharge to the shallow aquifer systems do not extend south into the mine areas within the area encompassed by this bond release request. 7