1986-12-11_PERMIT FILE - C1981017

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-6- Ground water occurs in both bedrock and alluvial aquifers in the vicinity of the Coal Basin mining operation. Bedrock strata which have the potential to be considered aquifers are the Upper Sandstone, the Middle Sandstone, and the Rollins Sandstone. In the Coal Basin affected area, the Upper Sandstone is approximately 50 feet thick, the Middle Sandstone is about 120 feet thick and the Rollins Sandstone is about 140 feet thick. All of these sandstones outcrop on the eastern wall of Coal Basin. This is presumably where recharge to the aquifers occur. From their outcrops, the sandstones dip to the west under Huntsman Ridge and eventually extend deep under the Piceance Basin. There are no known users of water in the vicinity of the mine from the three sandstone units because of their depth (over 2,000 feet) . The Coal Basin mining operation is located on the divide that separates the North Fork of the Gunnison watershed from the Crystal River watershed. Drainage from the east side of Huntsman Ridge flows east into Coal Creek to the Crystal River, then north where the Crystal River joins the Roaring Fork River near Carbondale, approximately 17 miles north of Coal Basin. The Roaring Fork then flows northwest to the confluence with the Colorado River at Glenwood Springs. The drainage on the west side of Hunttman Ridge consists of a number of small tributaries flowing to the west and south which in turn flow into the Clear Fork and East Muddy Creek. Both creeks flow west into the North Fork of the Gunnison which joins the Colorado River at Grand Junction, 70 miles west of Coal Basin. Topsoil at Coal Basin is limited. Only a thin veneer of topsoil exists on the steep side slopes of the canyons. What topsoil is available is generally found in the valley bottoms and areas with low to moderate slopes. Even where soils are relatively deep, salvage is often difficult because of large amounts of rock fragments. Since the Coal Basin mines were opened prior to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, no topsoil was salvaged on most of the disturbed area. The areas where topsoil is currently being salvaged include the sediment ponds, the rock tunnel waste disposal area, the refuse pile extension area and the new refuse pile. Topsoil for reclamation of the mine benches will be salvaged from a topsoil borrow area near Mine No. 3. The Coal Basin permit area is characterized by a diverse climate due to the high elevation and precipitous rise in elevation. The lowest point within the permit area is the preparation plant at 8,000 feet, while the highest point is along Huntsman Ridge at 11,852 feet. As a result, temperature, precipitation, and wind conditions are quite variable throughout the permit area. Winters in Coal Basin are long, with snowfall beginning in October and continuing through May. Annual snowfalls approaching 200 inches are not uncommon in Coal Basin.