**9. Conclusions**


(6) Based on this research, it can be concluded that a "five maps, three zones and two zoning plans" approach can be used in other coal mining regions in Northwest China, to optimize mining whilst limiting water disruption above the mining area.

**Author Contributions:** Y.X. conceived the research and wrote the original draft. L.M. revised and reviewed the manuscript. Y.Y. collected the borehole data. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2017XKQY096); the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.

**Acknowledgments:** This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2017XKQY096), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests in connection with the work submitted.
