Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Impacts to Natural Resources with Cultural Value
Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Interrelationships between cultural resources and natural resources give a landscape meaning
through their association with a people’s history and cultural identity. As described previously, the
tribal landscapes that overlap the proposed project area include natural resources that are infused
with cultural meaning and values and are, therefore, another type of cultural resource. Thus, any
discussion of project impacts to cultural resources must include mention of impacts to these
natural resources.
Springs
Throughout the tribal consultation and the ethnographic assessments, the involved tribes have
expressed the importance of springs to traditional cultural practices and to the significance of the
Mt. Taylor TCP. Springs do provide a source of water. However, their importance to the tribes
truly stems from their association with the mountain and the supernatural realm. Springs are
considered a conduit or portal for prayers and blessings to reach the Spiritual Beings. The water
and associated vegetation from springs is considered to have spiritual significance and is used for
ceremonies and rituals.
The “Water Resources” section of this EIS presents the analysis of whether the flow of water at
springs in the area would be impacted by the proposed project. The conclusions reached are that
one spring, Bridge Spring located adjacent to Highway 605 south of the mine permit area, would
be noticeably affected, potentially running dry during the mine’s dewatering operations and for
years afterwards. Qualitative analysis of other springs, including San Lucas, Maruca, La Mosca,
El Rito, San Mateo, Cienega, Gooseberry, and De Armand Springs, indicate that because these
springs are largely fed by water from much higher elevations than the Westwater Canyon
member, it is reasonable to consider them to be isolated from changes resulting from mine
dewatering. Analysis of the potential for impacts to Horace Spring indicates the possibility for a
small, long-term impact to the spring.
The potential that any changes could occur to the springs is a concern to the tribes. Because of the
very important and sacred role of springs in the traditional cultural and religious practices of the
tribes, the integrity of springs is paramount to the success of those practices. To cause changes to
a spring, no matter how small, could impact the ceremonies and rituals associated with that
spring, and subsequently result in detriments to the health and well-being of the tribe and its
people. From a cultural perspective, any change to the springs is considered an adverse impact.
Groundwater
Aquifers are considered part of Mt. Taylor, and are part of the cycle whereby the mountain and
the Spiritual Beings provide water to the people. The provision of water by the mountain is
directly influenced by and influences the traditional cultural practices conducted on the mountain.
Through these connections, the aquifers are considered part of the cultural “universe” associated
with the Mt. Taylor TCP.
During construction of the Roca Honda Mine, the shafts would pass through two aquifers that
contain sufficient groundwater to require some degree of dewatering: the Gallup and Dakota
sandstones. During operations, dewatering would be done in the unit being mined, the Westwater
Canyon Member of the Morrison Formation. Over the life of the mine, an estimated 1,192 acrefeet
of groundwater would be pumped from the Gallup aquifer, 232 AF from the Dakota aquifer,
and 79,037 AF from the Westwater aquifer. The groundwater analysis shows that the magnitude
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 353