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CHAPTER IV <br />ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALTERNATIVES <br />A. Alternative 1: Approval of the Proposed Mining Plan <br />1. Critical Elements <br />a. Cultural, paleontological, or historic <br />resource values <br />All of the known cultural sites, with the <br />exception of site 5RT865, have been determined <br />to be not eligible for inclusion on the <br />National Register of Historic Places (BLM, <br />1994 and CHS, 1988). Additional testing would <br />be required at 5RT865 to determine site <br />eligibility, however no disturbance is planned <br />in the vicinity of the site, thus no further <br />testing of the site is planned. <br />Although surface mining would destroy all of <br />the cultural sites within the area of planned. <br />disturbance, The BLM and the State Historic <br />Preservation Officer have determined that none <br />of these sites demonstrate features which <br />would substantially add to the knowledge of <br />prehistoric cultures of the region. <br />b. Water quality /supply values <br />1. Surface Water <br />Following mining, mean flows in Grassy <br />Creek would increase by about 1/3 cfs <br />during the irrigation season (June 1- <br />September 30). TDS concentrations would <br />increase by about five percent. The <br />only current use of Grassy Creek water <br />(livestock watering) would not be <br />impaired by the projected increase in <br />salinity. <br />Mining within the Sage Creek watershed, <br />during the second or third permit term, <br />could increase TDS concentrations in Sage <br />Creek to about 2,118 mg /l. This increase <br />in salinity could result in material <br />damage to the use of Sage Creek for <br />irrigation water. Colorado DMG has <br />conditioned their permit to require <br />Seneca to evaluate the probable <br />hydrologic consequences of proposed <br />0J <br />