Environmental Impact Assessment Of The Mountain Pine Ridge ...

NOAA forecasts for the region are based on the historical occurrence of tropical storms and
hurricanes from 1944-1999 and these analyses indicate that named tropical storm and hurricane
occurrence in Belize peaks in September of each year; and the maximum probability of a named
tropical storm occurring in Belize is < 10 % for the month of September and < 4 % for the month of
September for a tropical cyclone (see Illustration 15).
Rainfall Volume
Belize National Meteorological Service
(BNMS) weather station located at
Augustine is the nearest BNMS rainfall
monitoring station to the mining site. Mean
monthly rainfall rates for Augustine
(Mountain Pine Ridge) for a 10 year
average were reported by King et al 1992
to range between 50 mm (2 In) and 210 mm
(8 In) per month as shown in Illustration
16.
mm / Month
ILLUSTRATION 16:
MEAN MONTHLY RAINFALL AT AUGSTINE,
MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE
250
The Mountain Pine Ridge Granite Quarry EIA / Ecoworks Page 30 of 167
200
150
100
50
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Month
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annual rainfall for the Mountain Pine Ridge at Augustine varied between the total reported by King
et al 1992 for the 10-year period of review of 1,376 mm or 54 inches to approximately 1,778 mm or
70 inches over a 30 year period averaged by the National Meteorological Service (see Illustration
17).
Groundwater Volume
Kwon (2005) noted that weathering zone depth above the granite batholith of the Mountain Pine
Ridge area of Belize was likely to be closely linked to rainwater penetration and groundwater runoff
into creek flows, such that dry creeks in dry weather should provide good indication of low
groundwater flows and shallow weathering, while flowing creeks in dry weather should provide good
indication of high groundwater flows and more deeply developed weathering; while noting the
ample water flows through Pinol Creek in dry weather.
Buckalew et al (1995) reported that groundwater yields in the vicinity of the mining site at 60 ft
depth would be expected to range from < 0.004 cubic meters per minute, to > 0.04 cubic meters per
minute. Although specifically unchallenged in the vicinity of the mining site, the observed surface
flow of Pinol Creek at approximately 2 M 3 per minute during field inspection in May is in keeping
with both Kwon and Buckalew et al’s reporting on surface water yield in the area, the latter of whom
forecast surface flows to range from < 0.04 to > 400 cubic meters per minute annually. Taken
together, the reported and observed findings indicated that annual rainfall, acting in conjunction with
groundwater seepage into Pinol Creek are likely to be more than sufficient to meet the potable and
wash water requirements identified for the proposed development (see Page X).