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<br />II.C Hydrology <br />Regulations promulgated by the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) <br />require that environmental resource information be assembled in areas of proposed surface or <br />underground coal mining prior to the issuance of a permit to mine. Specifically, sections 783.13, 783.15, <br />783.16, and 783.17 of the OSM rules and regulations (found in volume 44, number 50 of the Federal <br />Register dated Tuesday, March 13, 1979) require that hydrologic information be gathered prior to permit <br />issuance. As a part of compliance with these regulations, a hydrologic study was conducted on Federal <br />Coal leases C-023703, D-047201, C-0126669, C-8424 and C-8425 and adjacent contiguous areas (see <br />Map 2 for location of lease boundaries, etc). Exploration drilling in lease COC-51551 during 1989 and <br />1991 indicates hydrologic conditions of this lease are similar to conditions in the other six leases. BME is <br />operating an underground coal mine on this coal lease area. These properties are jointly referred to as <br />"the Deserado Mine area or lease area". The lease area is in Rio Blanco county, Colorado, about 7 miles <br />northeast of Rangely (Figure II.C-1 ). This section describes the present hydrologic conditions of the area <br />of concern, the expected impact of mining in the lease area on the local and regional hydrologic system, <br />and the methods which have been and will be used to predict and monitor this impact. <br />This section has been divided into six parts. The first part following the introduction describes the overall <br />hydrologic environment, giving a synopsis of the physical variables in the area which have an effect on the <br />• hydrologic system. The next part describes the surface water hydrologic system of the lease and adjacent <br />areas along with the associated pre-, during, and post-mining monitoring programs. The third part <br />discusses the groundwater hydrology and associated monitoring programs. Current water rights (surtace <br />and subsurface) within and surrounding the lease area are then presented. The fifth part contains a <br />discussion of the probable impact of mining on the hydrologic system of the lease and adjacent areas. <br />The final part lists references, including both literature cited in the report and personal contacts made with <br />research organizations and governmental agencies during the study period. <br />The majority of the data and information presented in this report were collected and analyzed between <br />November 1978 and March 1981 (inclusive). Where appropriate, individual dates of collection will be <br />noted in the main body of this report. <br />No surtace or mineral owners have indicated the presence of any existing gas or oil wells within the permit <br />area. No gas or oil wells, or evidence thereof, have been encountered. <br />• Permit Renewal #4 (1/2004) II.C-1 <br />