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• <br />• <br />West Elk Mine 2010 Annual Hydrology Report 7 <br />2.2.2 Flows in Minnesota Creek near Paonia, CO <br />A summary of the average monthly stream flow data for Minnesota Creek near <br />Paonia (USGS #09134000; Hydrologic Unit 14020004) including historical and WY 2010 <br />data, is graphically presented in Figure 7. The average monthly flows in Minnesota Creek <br />near Paonia in WY 2010 ranged from 2.99 cfs (February 2010) to 49.6 cfs (June 2010) <br />(USGS 2011b). In comparison, historical monthly averages have ranged from 3.45 cfs <br />(January) to 87.8 cfs (May) over the period of record from 1937 through 1947 and 1986 <br />through WY 2009 (USGS NWIS, 2011b). The average monthly flows in Minnesota Creek <br />near Paonia in WY 2010 were above the historical monthly average (1937 through 1947 <br />and 1986 through WY 2009) in January and August 2010, and below the historical <br />monthly average from October through December 2009, February through July 2010, and <br />in September 2010 (USGS NWIS, 2011b). <br />The mean annual flow in Minnesota Creek near Paonia in WY 2010 was 15.9 cfs <br />corresponding to about 72 percent of the historical mean annual flow (22.0 cfs) over the <br />period of record (USGS NWIS, 2011b). The peak flow in Minnesota Creek in WY 2010 <br />was 106 cfs on May 30, 2010 compared to the maximum recorded peak flow to date, 359 <br />cfs on May 28, 1993 (USGS, 2011b). Natural stream flow is affected by two small storage <br />reservoirs, small trans -basin diversions from Coal Creek into Minnesota Creek and <br />diversions upstream from the station for irrigation of about 100 acres (USGS, 2011b). <br />July 2011 HydroGeo, Inc. <br />