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Local watershed reports <br />High <br />Country <br />Citizens' <br />Alliance <br />Background <br />Heavy metals, although not the only <br />concern of the Coal Creek Watershed <br />Coalition (CCWC) in Crested Butte, <br />is the primary focus of the CCWC <br />Steering Committee. Since its inception <br />in January 2004, the CCWC has been <br />zeroing in on an abandoned mine in the <br />Crested Butte municipal water supply <br />watershed. The Steering Committee <br />is composed of members of Crested <br />Butte and Gunnison County staff, the <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and <br />Geology, the Colorado Water Quality <br />Control Division, US Forest Service and <br />several interested citizens. High Country <br />Citizens' Alliance Water Program <br />Director, Steve Glazer, provides the <br />coordination and facilitation of the <br />Steering Committee. <br />The Colorado Water Quality Control <br />Commission listed two segments <br />of Coal Creek (COGUUGII and <br />COGUUG 12) for metals impairment <br />in March of 2004. The Coal Creek <br />Watershed is located in Gunnison <br />County, Colorado and is tributary to <br />the Slate, East and Gunnison Rivers. <br />The Standard Mine produced copper, <br />lead, cadmium, zinc and silver and <br />was abandoned in 1966. It has eroding <br />waste -rock piles and a small discharge <br />leaching zinc and cadmium. <br />Cleanup Efforts <br />The first task of the CCWC was to <br />develop a watershed management plan <br />that was completed in June 2005 with <br />the assistance of an EPA /State Section <br />319 grant. A primary component of that <br />plan was to initiate a comprehensive <br />sampling and analysis program. We <br />Coal Creek Watershed <br />Coalition Efforts <br />are currently training local volunteers <br />to collect water samples to be tested <br />for multiple constituents. The CCWC <br />is also being assisted by a metals study <br />being conducted by a University of <br />Colorado public outreach program <br />and a bio- monitoring investigation by <br />researchers from the Rocky Mountain <br />Biological Laboratory. <br />Toward the end of 2004, the CCWC <br />realized the abandoned mine cleanup <br />was beyond the capacity of a volunteer <br />cleanup so we turned to the assistance <br />of EPA through the Superfund Program. <br />We gained the support of the local <br />and county elected officials and then <br />asked Governor Owens to recommend <br />adding the Standard Mine to the <br />National Priorities List, which he did. <br />A preliminary listing happened in May <br />with the final notice of listing pending. <br />EPA has initiated their preliminary site <br />remediation investigation and begun <br />forming a community advisory group <br />to assist them in doing a risk assessment <br />followed by the development of <br />remediation plan. <br />Other Issues <br />There are other issues inthewatershed <br />the CCWC will be investigating. A <br />county road traverses the entire length <br />of Coal Creek that transports sediment <br />into the stream during stormwater <br />runoff events. The gravel road is treated <br />with magnesium chloride as a dust <br />retardant that could be contributing <br />to water quality impairment. In the <br />winter, the road is closed and is used <br />as a trailhead for recreational activities <br />including snowmobiling so we will be <br />testing for oil and grease that could be <br />contributing contaminants. There is <br />also disbursed residential development <br />in the watershed so we will be testing <br />for bacteria as well. <br />The town <br />Alliance Standard Mine tipple <br />The community has <br />embraced the efforts <br />of the Coal Greek <br />Watershed Coalition. <br />and county <br />already have <br />watershed <br />protection <br />ordinances in <br />place to protect <br />the town's <br />drinking water <br />supply. The <br />CCWC will be <br />analyzing the <br />data collected <br />to determine <br />whether to <br />recommend any changes to those <br />ordinances to address any new threats <br />to the municipal water supply. The <br />community has embraced the efforts of <br />the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition as <br />a means to enhance aquatic ecosystem <br />health and to assure the town's drinking <br />water remains safe. <br />