Laserfiche WebLink
1.0 INTRODUCTION <br /> Wyoming Fuel Company (WFC) owns and operates the New Elk and Golden Eagle <br /> underground coal mines in southern Colorado. This report presents the hydrologic <br /> monitoring activities conducted at the two mines during the First and Second Quarters of <br /> 1986 (January, February, March, April, May and June). <br /> 1.1 Site Description <br /> The mine sites are located approximately six miles west of Weston in Las Animas <br /> County, Colorado (T33S, R68W) and are situated in mountainous terrain which provides <br /> numerous canyons contributing runoff to the series of ephemeral, intermittent, and <br /> perennial streams of the area (Figure 1). The surface facilities are adjacent to the <br /> Purgatoire River which is the primary drainage of the area. The general direction of <br /> stream flow is easterly to the confluence with the Arkansas River also in Las Animas, <br /> Colorado. <br /> The closest weather station to the site is located at the Trinidad Airport (elevation <br /> 5,746 ft) approximately 30 miles east. Over a recording period of 50 years, total annual <br /> precipitation averages 13.5 inches. The majority of this precipitation occurs from April <br /> to September, July recording the most rainfall in the form of rapidly moving <br /> thunderstorms. The mean temperature is 51.50F, January and July having the lowest and <br /> highest temperature, respectively. The project area is approximately 1,650 ft higher in <br /> elevation than the Trinidad Airport and can be considered to have a somewhat lower mean <br /> temperature and higher average precipitation. Data collected from the Golden Eagle and <br /> New Elk precipitation stations confirm the fact that 16.26 inches and 18.90 inches being <br /> recorded at each station for 1985, respectively. These stations are located approximately <br /> three miles apart (Figure 1) with the major difference in recorded precipitation being <br /> observed during mid-summer thunderstorms. Table 4 is a summary of the precipitation <br /> data collected through June. <br /> -1- <br />