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,-(; ry'?1 Ce:l.tnA91.f ;-,( {'C , . ODffOJ5 C.S.6.1 Climax Mine and Mill (WDID 360841) The Climax Mine and Mill, owned and operated by the Climax Molybdenum Company, is located at the headwaters of Tenmile Creek in the upper Blue River basin above Dillon Reservoir. The mine was opened in about 1918 and historically has been the world's largest producer of molybdenum. Mining production has been minimal since about 1982 because of reduced demand and the productions capabilities at the Henderson Mine (see following discussion). Because of its substantial ore reserves, it is anticipated that primary molybdenum production will resume at Climax. The milling operations at the Climax Mine are based on flotation processes to recover the molybdenum concentrate. The waste rock, crushed to a consistency of fme sand, is transported as a tailing slurry for deposition in large tailing ponds. Water is used and re-used in the milling process through an elaborate system of pumping stations, pipelines, reservoirs, tanks, and tailing ponds. Consumptive use of water is primarily associated with evaporation from the surfaces of the tailing ponds and water reservoirs, together with the consumption of water entrapped within the deposited tailing sands. From data supplied by Climax and its consultants, the historical consumptive uses of water at the Climax Mine and Mill are estimated to be about 5,600 acre-feet annually during peak production years, although it historically has been in excess of 7,300 acre-feet. For the CRDSS study period, 1975 through 1991, the average annual consumptive use has been about 3,300 acre-feet. Most of the replacement (make-up) water used at Climax is diverted from the headwaters of Tenmile Creek and its tributaries on Climax property. Depletions to Tenmile Creek have averaged about 5,300 acre-feet during peak production years. Additional replacement water for the milling process is diverted from the upper reaches of the East Fork Eagle River and the East Fork Arkansas River. Water imported from the Eagle River basin (Water District 37) and from the Arkansas River basin (Division 2) have averaged about 250 and 300 acre-feet per year, respectively. The diversions from the Arkansas River basin represent a transbasin import into the Colorado River basin. Very little of the water imported from the Arkansas River is consumed in the milling process. Water in excess of the industrial requirements, including replacement, is intercepted and diverted around the mine complex and tailing ponds in a network of interceptor canals, for eventual discharge into Tenmile Creek and the East Fork Eagle River downstream of the industrial facilities. To the extent that process water within the industrial water system (non-interceptable) is unneeded, the excess water is treated and discharged into Tenmile Creek. This discharge occurs on a year-round basis, although most of the water is discharged during the spring snowmelt runoff period. Climax owns and utilizes over 30 individual water right priorities for the operations at Climax. All of the Tenmile Creek water rights are junior to the Shoshone Power Plant right for 1,250 cfs, such that the depletions to the flow of Tenmile Creek and the Eagle River are generally limited to the spring snowmelt runoff period. The major industrial direct flow rights used at Climax include the following: Climax Mine And Mill Major Direct Flow Water Rights (cfs) Amount Adjudication Date Appropriation Date Administration Number 1.78 11-26-1921 07-21-1917 25924.24673 17.12 11-26-1921 03-24-1918 25924.24919 100.00 2-27-1931 6-10-1927 29228.28284 50.00 02-27-1931 10-12-1927 29228.28408 55.00 08-22-1932 04-12-1929 29642.28956 31.00 10-26-1937 06-04-1926 30184.27913 100.00 10-26-1937 8-15-1935 1272.00000 60.00 10-26-1937 08-15-1935 31272.00000 35.00 10-26-1937 06-04-1936 31566.00000 20.00 10-26-1937 06-04-1936 31566.00000 M, all of the Climax water rights in the Tenmile Creek basin can be modeled as a single diversion oc e Climax property line on Tenmile Creek. This aggregated water right can be represented with an appropriation date of June 10, 1927 (administration no. 29228.28284) with a capacity of 118.9 cfs, representing the fIrst three water rights shown above. Depletions to the flow ofTenmile Creek are limited by the volume of water physically and legally available for diversion on the Climax property, further limited by the mining and milling requirements. From engineering studies provided by Climax's water rights consultant, a time series representing the historical stream depletion to Tenmile Creek has been prepared for the CRDSS study period (1975 through 1991) and is included in the CRDSS database. Because it represents depletions, there are no return flows