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Dissolved Metals <br />Averages <br />2011 <br />Q1 2012 <br />_Historic <br />Lead <br />_Q4 <br />0.008 <br />0.0003 _ <br />0.0001 mg /L <br />Zinc <br />0.302 <br />0.37 <br />0.41 mg /L <br />Table G -4 - Mine Discharge Water Quality Comparison <br />Note: The historic averages were calculated from the water data that can be found in Appendix 3. The recent sampling data can be found in Appendix <br />4. <br />3.3 Mine Water Discharge Management <br />Historically, the mine water discharge was not hazardous to the local watershed and wildlife, as the <br />successful WET tests in Appendix 3 show. The mining operations within Revenue may bring new <br />water into the mine, so Star Mine Operations feels it is a best management practice to take steps to <br />improve the mine water discharge quality. Additionally, the mine water will be used in the mill <br />operations, so cleaner mine water will be beneficial to processing. An analysis of the mine water <br />discharge chemistry and how it will be handled during operations can be found in Exhibit T. <br />The underground water balance (during mining) is based on the 2 quarters of tests and is shown in <br />Figure G -1. <br />4. Surface Water <br />4.1 Existing Surface Water System <br />Surface water flows in the area of the Revenue Mine are dominated by Sneffels Creek and its <br />drainage basin (Yankee Boy Basin). This drainage basin begins as high as 14,150' (peak of Mt. <br />Sneffels) and is over 3600 acres in size. Much of the drainage basin is above timberline. <br />Immediately north of the mine, Sneffels flows from 700 gpm to over 10,000 gpm depending on the <br />season. These flows are supplied by both surface runoff from the drainage basin and from old open <br />mine workings such as the Atlas Mine. The old mines are all pre -law, and therefore do not have <br />environmental controls in place to protect surface water. However, sampling data from Sneffels <br />upstream of Revenue and Atlas shows that the creek water is relatively clean. <br />The surface water flows at the Revenue Mine all funnel to Sneffels Creek. Sneffels Creek is Stream <br />Segment 9 of the Uncompaghre River basin (Region 10) as designated by the Colorado Department <br />of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE). Sneffels Creek near the mine alternates between <br />shallow wide sections and very narrow steep areas that are in small canyons of extremely high <br />energy. The stream drops from 10670 feet elevation at the upper edge of the permit to 10580 feet at <br />Revenue Mine August 2012 G -10 <br />