Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Superfund Site. Responding to these concerns and uncertainties, RHR opted to change the
location and method of treated water disposal.
Instead of discharging groundwater pumped to the surface and treated during mine dewatering
depressurizing operations, the proposed action now calls for reusing this water by irrigating
approximately 5,000 acres of rangeland located about 5 miles north-northeast of the permit area.
At the request of the Forest Service, RHR agreed to conduct resource surveys along the proposed
pipeline route. These were conducted in the spring of 2012 (McClain and Thompson, 2012).
SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted a reconnaissance-level biological survey
of approximately 84 acres along the proposed pipeline route (figures 50 and 51). This field
survey evaluated the potential presence of special status species and sensitive habitats, as
well as determining the similarities, consistencies or lack thereof with the Roca Honda Mine
project area as outlined in the BDR (McClain and Thompson, 2012).
Figure 50. Southern end of proposed water reuse pipeline route
The proposed reuse pipeline route occurs on both privately owned and Forest Service land, all
within McKinley County. The surveyed portion begins approximately 3.2 km (2 miles) north of
San Mateo (figure 50), where it runs north and parallel to the west side of County Road 75,
crosses the Leopoldo Diversion Dam and San Lucas Road, and ends near Laguna Polvadera
(figure 52). The topography of the area is variable, including upland rolling hills, lowlands, and
incised arroyos. Electrical transmission wires follow along much of the proposed pipeline as it
parallels County Road 75. The project vicinity consists of Cibola NF multi-use land and private
grazed ranchland throughout the majority of the pipeline route (McClain and Thompson, 2012).
200 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest