2011-01-13_REVISION - C1981038 (8)

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The Bowie No. 1 Mine permit area is drained by East Roatcap Creek, West Roatcap Creek, Main Roatcap Creek, Steven's Gulch, Coal Gulch, and Terror Creek, all of which are tributaries to the North Fork of the Gunnison. Terror Creek is a perennial stream with an aquatic community that includes some trout. The stream has a high gradient channel with riparian vegetation and alluvium confined to narrow bands along the channel. Steven's Gulch, East Roatcap Creek, and Coal Gulch are intermittent to ephemeral drainages that only flow part of the year. Localized deposits of colluvial material reworked by fluvial processes are present within the general area, primarily within the Steven's Gulch, West Fork Terror Creek, and Roatcap Creek drainages. These deposits are generally 20 to 30 acres in size and provide industrial (Steven's Gulch), domestic (Long Draw), and agricultural (Morrell Cow Camp) water sources (page 39, Section 2.04.7 of Volume 1). Several smaller occurrences of saturated alluvial/colluvial deposits are associated with the streams in the permit area; however, none of these is currently supporting agricultural use. The flow of water in Terror Creek and in the North Fork of the Gunnison River is strongly influenced by irrigation structures along these stream courses. The Overland Ditch intercepts and distributes water from the upper reaches of Terror Creek. The flow in the North Fork is controlled by Paonia Reservoir and water withdrawals by several irrigation ditches - the Fire Mountain Canal, Stewart Ditch, Farmers Ditch, and Paonia Ditch. In addition, there are two pipelines that will withdraw water from the Steven's Gulch Well Field. The first is currently in operation and is operated by the Pitkin Mesa Pipeline Company. The second pipeline carries water from the Steven's Gulch Well Field to the site of the proposed Roatcap Creek portal facility. There are many springs and numerous ponds within the permit and hydrologically adjacent area of the Bowie No. 1 Mine. It appears that most of these springs and ponds are intermittent and depend upon seasonal precipitation and long-term weather patterns. The source of most of the springs appears to be related to landslide complexes, faults and fractures, areas of colluvium/ alluvium where ground water has accumulated, or the discharge points at the contact of the Rollins sandstone with the lenticular sandstones of the Mesaverde Formation. Water Riehts and Replacement - Rules 2.04.7(31.2.05.6(3)(ii). 2.07.6(2)(c). 4.05.15 Water rights and associated mitigation plans are found on pages 56-57 of Section 2.04.7 and on pages 94-99 of Section 2.05.6 in Volume 1. Detailed tabulations and discussions of water rights and mitigation plans are documented in Volumes 5 and 5A. The Bowie No. 1 Mine could potentially damage water rights in three ways. Water for use within the mine is derived from an alluvial well field in Steven's Gulch. Drawdown of this alluvium could affect flows in Steven's Gulch and in the North Fork of the Gunnison. Over a hundred springs and spring-fed or runoff-fed stockponds cover the permit area, and many are found in the affected area. Subsidence could affect the structural integrity of these ponds or interrupt flow to springs. Lastly, mine inflows from streams along fractures could diminish adjacent surface water flows. During the permit renewal process of 1993, it had been noted that the Bowie No. 1 Mine was consuming approximately 30,000 gpd (as proposed in their original permit application) for use at the mine. In early 1986, they consumed 8,700 gpd. Water consumption decreased when the mining operations were temporarily halted. Now that mining and loadout operations have ceased, there is no water consumption from the well field. The water supply was drawn from a well field which taps the alluvium of Steven's Gulch. The applicant has obtained an approved augmentation plan through Division 4 Water Court to replace water removed from Steven's Gulch. The plan uses releases from East Beckwith No. 1 Reservoir, located in the Anthracite drainage, to compensate for any injury to other vested water rights or, for this 16