2012-05-04_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C2010089

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the Dolores River and ultimately to the Colorado River. About 117 acres of the proposed permit area will drain into Tuttle Draw, and 199 acres will drain to tributaries of Coal Creek Canyon. The permit area is roughly 4.5 miles upstream of the San Miguel River via Coal Creek Canyon, and 2 miles upstream of the San Miguel River on Tuttle Draw. Figure 2 of this document shows the drainages within and adjacent to the permit boundary; and surface water information is presented in detail in Sections 2.04.5 and 2.04.7 of the permit application package. Peak flows for the draws within the permit area are 0.8 cfs in Glasier Draw, 2.65 cfs in Meehan Draw, and 1.5 cfs in Nygren Draw. Average flows are 0.55 cfs for Meehan Draw and 0.3 cfs for Nygren Draw. Flows to these draws are primarily due to seepage and subsurface flow from irrigation water, with peak flows being attributed to thunderstorm activity. Tuttle Draw averages 2.0 cfs, with peak flows of 9.35 cfs. Coal Creek Canyon averages 0.9 cfs. Peak flows on Tuttle Draw and Coal Creek Canyon are primarily in response to irrigation return flows during the latter part of irrigation season. The San Miguel River, with a drainage area of 1,080 square miles, derives the majority of its flow from snow melt runoff. Mean flow at Naturita for water years 1995-2009 is 247 cfs. The USGS station at Uravan has a mean flow of 358 cfs for water years 1954-2011, and at Nucla the mean is 246 cfs for water years 1995-2011. During irrigation season, roughly mid April to early October, the Colorado Cooperative Company (CCC) Ditch diverts approximately 100 cfs from the San Miguel River just upstream of the town of Naturita, so lower flows are experienced during the latter part of the irrigation season. The ditch is used primarily for flood irrigation of the Tabequache plateau area, which includes the proposed permit area. As mining operations move to the north, the ditch will be replaced by a permanent pipeline. Western Fuels-Colorado (WFC) has conducted baseline water monitoring on twenty surface water sites within and adjacent to the permit boundary. In addition to the monitoring conducted by WFC, Peabody Coal Company conducted baseline monitoring prior to mining in the New Horizon #1 area (southern portion of the proposed New Horizon North Mine) in the early 1980’s. WFC has also collected surface water data on Tuttle Draw for its adjacent New Horizon #2 Mine. Maps 2.04.5-1, 2.04.7-1, and 2.04.7-10, of the permit application package depict all of the nd surface water monitoring sites. Baseline data on the 2 Park Lateral and Tuttle, Nygren, Meehan and Glasier Draws has been collected (monthly field parameters and bi-monthly laboratory analysis) since October 2008. During the application adequacy review, the Division determined that additional baseline data would be necessary on the unnamed tributary of Coal Creek (to which Meehan and Glasier Draws flow) and the San Miguel River. Baseline data on the unnamed tributary to Coal Creek Canyon will commence one year prior to any mine related disturbance. Baseline monitoring on the San Miguel River will commence as soon as practicable. Baseline water quality data indicates that water in the draws within the permit area is suitable for livestock and irrigation use, but unsuitable for domestic drinking water due to elevated sulfates. nd Water in the 2 Park Lateral is suitable for domestic use drinking water. The 2nd Park Lateral is a calcium bicarbonate type water, similar to its San Miguel River source, 12