2014-10-27_HYDROLOGY - M2000158 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Rick Parsons, P.E. October 27, 2014 Page 2 anticipated consumptive is 31.0 acre-feet annually of evaporation loss from an exposed ground water surface area of 10.8 acres. Effective precipitation was taken as 70% of the average precipitation recorded at the NOAA Fort Lupton climate station. Net evaporation at this site is therefore 34.34 inches per year. The depletions were lagged to the stream using a Glover analysis and assuming a distance from the centroid of the pond to the stream of 1,000 feet, distance to the impermeable boundary of 16,100 feet, transmissivity of 156,000 gpd/ft, and a specific yield of 0.2. The Applicant has provided a monthly schedule of lagged actual depletions to the river system, together with a schedule of replacement requirements (see Table 2). This SWSP accounts for actual depletions determined to accrue to the steam system during this plan period. In total 31.0 acre-feet of lagged depletions are expected to accrue to the river annually. Replacements The proposed source of replacement for this pit is water stored in-priority within Sharkey's Reservoir. This water will be pumped from the reservoir directly to the South Platte River near the same location as depletions from Sharkey's Pond accrue to the river. Therefore, no transit losses will be applied and there will be no interviewing water rights to be injured. The District 2 Water Commissioner approved the diversion of South Platte River water into Sharkey's Reservoir during periods of free river in September 2013 and the 2013/2014 winter storage season. A total of approximately 1,479 acre-feet of river water was brought into Sharkey's Reservoir via two pumps. Water from the pumps is mixed on the way to the reservoir through a pipe with a totalizing flow meter. Approximately 62 acre-feet of the water in storage will be used for replacement purposes during the period of this SWSP. The Applicant is working with the water commissioner on the location of the pump to be installed in Sharkey Reservoir and the pipe layout that will be used to deliver the replacement water to the South Platte River. A separate Totalizing Flow Meter ("TFM") must be installed to accurately measure the amount of water pumped from Sharkey's Reservoir for replacement purposes by November 30, 2014. The Applicant is discussing options with the water commissioner for making replacement to the river in slug releases. Since the monthly replacement amounts are relatively small volumes, slug releases could be made each month with the prior approval of the water commissioner. The monthly consumptive use and lagged depletions for this plan period are shown in the attached Table 2. Long Term Augmentation Requirements In accordance with the letter dated April 30, 2010 from the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety ("DRMS"), all sand and gravel mining operators were required to demonstrate to DRMS how they were in compliance with the requirements of the Colorado Reclamation Act and the Mineral Rules and Regulations for the protection of water resources by April 30, 2011. The operator's response to the DRMS letter has not been provided to this office. The final reclamation of the pit includes backfilling or lining of all exposed groundwater within the permit boundary. The operator currently has a bond through DRMS in the amount of$686,900 to cover reclamation cost. It is not known if this current bond is sufficient to cover the cost of lining or backfilling Sharkey's Pond to mitigate injurious stream depletions. In order to provide additional renewals of this SWSP, the applicant must provide documentation that a bond is held, or a plan with DRMS to obtain such a bond is implemented, which is sufficient to cover the cost of lining or backfilling Sharkey's Pond. Such a bond must be maintained until the Division Engineer's office approves a liner for Sharkey's Pond as meeting the gravel pit lining criteria, or the pit is backfilled.