2010-11-16_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1996083

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River is a calcium-bicarbonate type, and total dissolved solids concentrations range from approximately 100 milligrams per liter (mg/ 1) to approximately 400 mg/l. Terror Creek is a perennial stream which drains approximately 29 square miles, and Hubbard Creek is a perennial stream which drains approximately 35 square miles. Steven's Gulch is also a perennial stream with a drainage area of about 8 square miles. Freeman Gulch is a significant drainage which is tributary to Hubbard Creek. Freeman Gulch exhibited flow during the snowmelt period of Spring 1995, and may be considered an intermittent stream. Stephens Draw is also an intermittent stream, and Stockpond P-1 is located along Stephens Draw. The drainages of A-Gulch, B-Gulch, C-Gulch, D-Gulch, Sheep Corral Gulch and a portion of Dove Gulch probably exhibit ephemeral flow regimes. Originally, a portion of Dove Gulch was considered perennial. However, in Permit Revision No. 10, BRL demonstrated that a portion of Dove Gulch was ephemeral. With the addition of the western mining district through the approval of PR-12, there will be 27 monitored ponds and 59 monitored springs, some with associated ponds, in the permit and adjacent area. In addition, there are several decreed water rights within the proposed mine permit boundary. Seven are springs owned by BRL and eight are ponds and springs/ponds managed by the USDA-Forest Service. The USDA-Forest Service also manages one decreed spring and one decreed pond west of the proposed new permit area. Finally, there are nine high value springs within the proposed new permit area that are managed by the USDA-Forest Service. Groundwater in the area is located within the alluvial deposits along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and Hubbard and Terror Creeks, within the steep sloped colluvial deposits found within some of the drainages, in perched water zones located within the lenticular sandstones of the Mesa Verde formation and in the Rollins Sandstone. The Rollins Sandstone is a recognized aquifer in the area. The groundwater associated with the alluvial deposits of the North Fork of the Gunnison River has been developed for domestic and agricultural uses. The localized groundwater resources associated with the alluvial deposits of Hubbard Creek, Terror Creek and Steven's Gulch are not significantly developed. The groundwater associated with local colluvial deposits is recharged by snowmelt, and the water discharges through local intermittent springs and seeps. Most of this colluvial water is lost due to evaporation. Bedrock groundwater is not abundant in the permit area. The groundwaters of the locally perched bedrock water zones and of the Rollins Sandstone are not significantly developed in the permit and surrounding area, due to relatively poor water quality and low potential quantity yields. The general bedrock groundwater flow direction in the sandstone strata of the Mesaverde formation is from the recharge area near the outcrop of these strata, north toward the lower parts of the basin. Climatological Information - Detailed climate information is presented in Section 2.04.8 of the Bowie No. 2 Mine permit application document, and the information is summarized below. The nearest weather station to the permit area was the Wilcox Ranch Station, located east of the old Bowie townsite, in the Hubbard Creek Drainage. The period of record for this station is from 1948 to 1983, and the average annual precipitation of record for this station is 18.50 inches. The station was moved to the West Elk Mine in November 1983, and the station is now referred to as the Somerset IE Station. Other weather stations in the area were the Paonia 3SE and Paonia 1SW stations. The Paonia 3SE and Paonia ISW stations recorded data for the periods 1905 to 1957, and 1957 to 1993, respectively. 17