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Stream Channel Parameters <br />Exhibit 55B and Changes Due to Mining-induced Subsidence Page 2 <br />been and may be found to exist beyond the planned longwall panels. If mineable coal is found <br />beyond the projected mining and is within the Projected Potential Mining Area, MCC may <br />continue mining within this area. The dashed line extensions of E-seam longwall panels E3-E6 <br />shown in Figure 1, represent the maximum projected areal extent of the panel lengths within the <br />Dry Fork mining area. Throughout Exhibit 55B, these maximum panel lengths will be included as <br />part of the panels for which subsidence effects are being evaluated. <br />Figure 1 shows the drainage basins of streams in the vicinity of the South of Divide and Dry Fork <br />mining areas (study area). Each basin has an identification number that will be used throughout <br />this discussion of stream channel parameters and subsequent changes. As shown in Figure 1, <br />Basins 4 through 6 and 26 through 35 are located in the Dry Fork of Minnesota Creek (Dry Fork) <br />drainage; Basin 36, Lick Creek, is a direct tributary to Minnesota Creek. Minnesota Creek is a <br />tributary to the North Fork of the Gunnison River (North Fork). Basin 37 is Deep Creek, a <br />tributary to Raven Creek, which is a tributary to the North Fork. <br />Table 1 identifies which streams may be impacted by the proposed mining. Due to the fact that <br />impacts to tributaries would be maximized in the lower segments of the streams, this study <br />focuses on the lower reaches of the tributary watersheds. As shown in Table 1, the mine area will <br />underlie portions of 14 separate minor tributaries of the Dry Fork, Lick Creek, and Deep Creek in <br />the study area. A detailed discussion of the mine plan and projected subsidence for these areas is <br />given in Exhibit 60E. The remaining two basin channels were determined to be outside the <br />influence of mining activities. The stream channels for Basins 4 and 34 were modeled to verify <br />that they were outside the influence of mining. <br />The first portion of this hydraulic and hydrologic evaluation establishes pre-mining, or baseline, <br />conditions. The second portion of this evaluation describes the potential and likely impacts of <br />mining operations on the surface drainage system and channel characteristics. <br />831-032.810 Wright Water Engineers, Inc.