OUTLINE FOR A
            CUMULATIVE HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT
                             (CHIA)

SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR CHIA DETERMINATION

I. Discussion of CHIA process elements

A. Cumulative impact area
   1.Maximum upstream and downstream extent of CIA
     a.Discuss criteria used to evaluate significance of spatially remote operations
     b.Discuss application of criteria and resulting CIA extremes

   2.Delineate watershed area between these points on suitable map
     a.Specify anticipated mining operations and locate on map
     b.Discuss process of delineating surface-water CIA
     c.Discuss process of delineating ground-water CIA
     d.Show working CIA on suitable map.

B. Hydrologic baseline conditions in the CIA
   1.Determine adequacy of available hydrologic data
     a.Surface-water data
     b.Ground-water data

   2.Characterization of the hydrologic system
     a. surface-water system
      i. Physical description of surface-water system
     ii. Flows
    iii. Surface-water quality
     iv. Inventory surface-water usage
     b.Ground-water system
      i. Physical describtion of ground-water system
     ii. Ground-water flows
    iii. Ground-water quality
     iv. Inventory ground-water usage

C. Hydrologic concerns and associated indicator parameters
   1.Surface-water concerns
     a.Identify concerns (Discuss rationale for inclusion of each concern.)
     b.Indicator parameters used to evaluate surface-water concerns (Discuss reasons for
selection of specific parameters.)
     c.Impact assessment sites
      i. Discuss selection of sites where impacts are to be assessed
     ii. Locate sites on map of CIA (Use map prepared in step I.A.2)

   2.Ground-water concerns
     a.Identify concerns (Discuss rationale for inclusion of each concern.)

     b.Indicator parameters used to evaluate ground-water concerns (Discuss reasons for
selection of specific parameters.)
     c.Impact assessment sites
      i. Discuss selection of sites where impacts are to be assessed
     ii. Locate sites on map of CIA 

D. Material damage criteria
   1.Existing water-quality standards
   2.Existing water-quantity standards
   3.Development of limiting parameter values for concerns inadequately covered by existing    
   standards.
   4.Site-specific material damage criteria
     a.Prepare list of criteria for each parameter at each site

E. Assessment of cumulative impacts of mining on indicator parameters
   1. Mining methods used within the CIA
      a.Describe the mining methods used
      b.Discuss the effects of various mining methods on hydrology of the CIA

   2. Surface water
      a.Predictive methods used
       i. Discuss reasons for using these methods
      ii. Discuss assumptions of the methods
     iii. Discuss data requirements of the methods
      iv. Discuss procedure used to calibrate method
      b.Projected values of indicator parameters at identified
        surface-water impact sites--long- and short-term impacts
       i. Discuss difference in procedure to obtain short-and long-term parameter values
      ii. Discuss quantity parameters for each site
     iii. Discuss quality parameters for each site

   3. Ground water
      a.Predictive methods used
       i. Discuss reasons for using these methods
      ii. Discuss assumptions of the methods 
     iii. Discuss data requirements of the methods
      iv. Discuss procedure used to calibrate method
      b.Projected values of indicator parameters at identified ground-water impact sites



  


II. Determination and statement of findings

A. Determination of material damage potential
   1.Surface water
     a.Comparison of projected values with material damage criteria
     b.Potential for material damage to the surface-water system

   2.Ground water
     a.Comparison of projected values with material damage criteria
     b.Potential for material damage to the ground-water system

B. Statement of findings
   1.Summary of findings
   2.Discussion

III. References

IV. Appendixes
     Baseline hydrologic data