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,4 United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERV3NOCT 24 PM 3:40 Mountain - Prairie Region IN REPLY REFER TO FwsiR6 /NwRS MAILING ADDRESS: STREET LOCATION: Mail Stop 60100 Post Office Box 25486 134 Union Boulevard Denver Federal Center Lakewood, Colorado 80228 -1807 Denver, Colorado 80225 -0486 OCT 18 2013 Grand Junction Pipe and Supply Attention: Gayle Lyman and Ivan Geer 2311 River Road Grand Junction, Colorado 81505 Dear Mr. Lyman and Mr. Geer: U.B. FISH & W ILDI.IFF. 96 tv[C6 This letter is written in regards to the Grand Junction Pipe and Supply's State of Colorado Mining Permit known as the 23 Road Gravel Pit. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) manages this particular property as a part of the Colorado River Wildlife Management Area under an agreement with the Upper Colorado Region, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) created on May 11, 2001, and approved on July 5, 2001, between the appropriate Regional Directors. The Regional Director for the Service, with concurrence from the Regional Director for Reclamation, is satisfied with Grand Junction Pipe and Supply's reclamation efforts at this location. The 23 Road Gravel Pit was originally permitted by what is now the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS) in 1979, Permit Number M -1979 -089. Grand Junction Concrete Pipe and Supply filed an Amendment with the DRMS in 1988 to increase the size of the gravel pit by including what is now Reclamation property. The United States of America acquired this property from Grand Junction Concrete Pipe and Supply in September of 2000. The DRMS ultimately approved this Amendment to expand in March 1989, with mining commencing shortly thereafter and continuing into the early 1990s. Once this property was mined out, reclamation of the site commenced and appears to have occurred during the early 1990s. The post mine land use of this Amendment property was approved by the DRMS as wildlife habitat. The site features includes a pond with side slopes of 3:1 (horizontal to vertical); salvaged topsoil was utilized as a growth media around the pond. The pond's perimeter was planted with a grass mix comprised of Western Wheatgrass, Alkalai Sacaton, and Cicer Milkvetch. In the past, Grand Junction Pipe and Supply has partnered with the Service in spraying the site for noxious weeds. During 2012, Mesa County constructed a concrete pedestrian and bike path through this area as part of the Colorado River Front Trail System. During this construction, some of the previously established vegetation along the northern edge of the pond was disturbed.