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Arnow, 1974). This table shows that use of ground water in the Northern Colorado River <br />Basin is much less than surface water. This is attributed to the relatively poor water <br />quality in most of the aquifers and the more plentiful supply of much better quality <br />surface water. This holds true on a more local basis as well. There are 30 water wells <br />within 1 mile of the NHN permit area that draw water primarily from the Brushy Basin <br />Member of the underlying Morrison Formation, which is the uppermost sandstone of that <br />formation. The Brushy Basin Member is well isolated from the Ldx overburden, coal, <br />and under- burden zones by tight siltstone and shale of the lower Dakota Formation. <br />These water wells are for domestic and stock watering uses, (see section 2.04.7, <br />Map2.04.7 -8 and Table 2.04.7 -4). The towns of Nucla and Naturita as well as the Nucla <br />Power Plant draw their municipal and industrial water from surface water sources. <br />WFC's consultant, Bishop- Brogden Associates, Inc. (BBA) has determined (1/14/2011) <br />from the Colorado Division of Water Resources database that more than 98% of <br />consumptive water use in the San Miguel River Basin is from irrigation with surface <br />water. BBA determined by using a consumptive use factor of 1.58 acre -feet of water per <br />acre of irrigation that the 40,592 acres of irrigated land in the San Miguel Basin <br />(Colorado Division of Water Resources database) resulted in a consumptive use of about <br />65,000 ac -ft/yr. The overburden, coal, and under- burden zones in the NHN permit area <br />are unsuitable for domestic drinking water and crop irrigation. The overburden and <br />under- burden zones, in most cases however, would be marginal for livestock, while the <br />coal zone would not. Low permeability and resulting low well yields greatly reduces any <br />potential use of water from the three stratums (OB, Coal, UB). <br />Ground water is important for augmenting streamflow in the region. However, this <br />significance is more important at the headwaters in the mountains. The surface water <br />quality, especially during low flow, is affected by ground water; but due to ground <br />water's high concentrations of dissolved solids, it has a deteriorating effect. <br />Site specific hydrology information is presented in Section 2.04.7. This section was <br />included only as a general overview. <br />Section 2.04.5 Page 9 April 2011 <br />