_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 (280)

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2. 04 . 7 Hydrology Description 1. Comment Regional cross-sections should be provided showing the depth of the alluvial, Pleistocene basalt, Wasatch, and Mesaverde aquifers below the ground surface. Site-specific cross-sections should be provided showing the depth of the alluvial and Mesaverde aquifers below the ground surface. A map should be provided showing the location and horizontal extent of the alluvial aquifers. Reply Site specific cross-sections and maps showing the location and horizontal extent of the alluvial aquifer have been prepared by Willard-Owens and are included as Exhibits to Section D of Chapter III . Vol. 5, Chap. III, Sec. D, (Add as Exhibits III- D-3 (a-c) . 2. Comment The text mentions one well in the Mesaverde Formation, p. 21, appendix III-E-1. The location and use of this well should be provided, and the particular aquifer unit used in the Mesaverde Formation should be identified. The uses of the wells in the East Muddy Creek alluvium should be identified. Reply Add Willard-Owens explanation (attached) as referenced below. Vol. 5, Appendix III-E-1 (Add new information as Pages 21.1 & 26 . 1 of the ground water section of the Willard Owens Hydrologic report) 3. Comment The applicant did not provide any samples of water quality data for the Mesaverde aquifer and is lacking recent water quality samples for the Coal Creek alluvium (only three samples from 1974 were provided) . The information on water quality data for the Mesaverde aquifer and Coal Creek alluvium does not provide enough detail to extrapolate what effects will occur from the mining operations . Baseline water quality data must be submitted. Reply Add Willard-Owens comment (attached) together with the following Mid-Continent comment to page 21 .1 of Appendix III-E-1: There is no doubt in our minds that the Coal Creek alluvium is shallow, steep and resurfaces many times in Coal Basin. We believe the water quality of the surface flows are the same as the alluvium. We have six years of surface water quality data. We also now have more ground water quality data (Oct. 80, Jan. 81 and April 81)which we have included in Appendix III-E-2.