Laserfiche WebLink
channel will not be disturbed, water quality and quantity shall not be adversely <br />affected, and appropriate riparian vegetation will be reestablished. The buffer <br />zone variance is granted for the azea located along the southern disturbed area <br />collection ditch to Pond 007 (4.05.18(1)). The azea will be no lazger than .4 acre <br />at any time during mining and reclamation activities. <br />F. Water Rights <br />The water augmentation plan is found in Section 2.05.6(3) of the permit <br />document. Western Fuels-Colorado has acquired approval from the Colorado <br />Water Court for this augmentation plan and has a completed well permit for use <br />of water from Pond 007. <br />G. Probable Hydrologic Consequences <br />I) Impact on groundwater rights. Ground water rights within the immediate region <br />(2 mile radius) around the New Horizon Mine aze presented in Appendix 2.04.7-1 of <br />the permit. In all, 29 ground water rights have been identified in the vicinity of the <br />New Horizon 1 and New Horizon 2 mining azeas. All monitoring wells installed by the <br />permittee and domestic wells within the surrounding azea aze shown on Map <br />2.04.7-1-A. Two wells within the mine azea will be affected, the Garvey well (Water <br />Right #42) and the Ernest well (Water Right #1). These wells, and the land in which <br />they are located, have been purchased by the permittee. <br />Of the 29 water rights within the surrounding azea, 27 wells have intakes too deep to <br />be affected by the pit pumping induced drawdown in the overburden aquifer. These <br />wells aze installed in the Burro Canyon Formation, which is below the Dakota coals <br />that were mined. Significant shales sepazate the coals from the strata of the wells. Two <br />righted wells, W-009 and W04, have intakes close to the elevation of the bottom of the <br />mine pit. The wells aze located approximately 2,300 feet east of New Horizon 2 and <br />will not be affected by the New Horizon #1 Mine Area. At the eastern boundary of <br />New Horizon 2, mining will only extend 10 feet below the water table. Therefore, <br />drawdown impacts to these wells aze expected to be small. The wells aze righted for <br />imgation water use. This area has been mined and reclaimed for over 6 yeazs ago and <br />there has not been any problem identified with these wells. <br />21 Impact of spoil material on groundwater flow and recharge. The mine pit has <br />been fully reclaimed for many yeazs in the New Horizon 1 azea. A potential long-term <br />impact to the local groundwater flow is the length of time necessary for resaturation of <br />the spoil material and reestablishment of a flow gradient. Another potential impact is <br />an increased rechage into the spoil from precipitation and irrigation, resulting in spoil <br />springs developing downgradient. These springs may have acid conditions and high <br />dissolved solids. <br />Spoil material at the New Horizon 1 mine has increased permeability in comparison to <br />22 <br />