2015-12-30_HYDROLOGY - M1983090 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Poudre Pits Combined SWSP Page 6 of 10 December 28, 2015 satisfaction of the water commissioner. During months where the projected diversions will exceed the mining and operational depletions and the monthly return flow attributed to these shares, the excess water will be diverted into the unlined middle ponds on the Tigges site where it will recharge the ground water and create lagged accretions. It is projected that this will occur in July and August of this plan period with a net amount of 26.93 acre-feet being recharged. Recharge is lagged to the river using the same parameters as the Tigges depletions and will result in a lagged accretion of 23.78 acre-feet during this approval period (note that this amount includes accretions from past deliveries to recharge). The 7 Whitney Ditch shares are insufficient to provide replacement during the months of January through June, and again from September through December. To cover these months the Applicant has obtained a lease with the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, the Ground Water Management Subdistrict of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, and the Well Augmentation Subdistrict of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District (collectively "Central") for 125.9 acre-feet of fully consumable water in storage in Siebring Reservoir (WDID 0303803), 83rd Avenue Reservoir (WDID 0303408), and La Poudre Reservoir (WDID 0303377). Siebring Reservoir and 83rd Avenue Reservoir are located in Section 31, Township 6 North, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M., across the Cache la Poudre River from the Firestein/Tigges pit (M-1996-060). La Poudre Reservoir is located within the boundaries of La Poudre Aggregate Mine (M-1983-090) in Section 19, Township 6 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. The term of the lease is January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. A copy of the signed lease was provided to this office on November 18, 2015 and is attached. If the Whitney Ditch or B.H. Eaton Ditch are sweeping the river, Central lease water from La Poudre Reservoir can only be used to cover the depletions from the La Poudre and North La Poudre Pits and the Central lease water from Siebring Reservoir and 83rd Avenue Reservoir can only be used to replace depletions from the Firestein/Tigges site. Conveyance loss for delivery of the augmentation water referenced above is subject to assessment and modification as determined by the division engineer. Long -Term Augmentation In accordance with the letter dated April 30, 2010 (copy attached) from the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety ("DRMS"), all sand and gravel mining operators must comply with the requirements of the Colorado Reclamation Act and the Mineral Rules and Regulations for the protection of water resources. The April 30, 2010 letter from DRMS requires that you provide information to DRMS to demonstrate you can replace long term injurious stream depletions that result from mining related exposure of ground water. For any gravel pit whose reclamation includes unlined ponds, a plan of augmentation approved by the water court must be obtained to cover the long term evaporative depletions. Until an augmentation plan is obtained the operator may post a sufficient bond to backfill or line the site thereby eliminating any long term augmentation requirements, or permanently dedicate shares that will be used in an augmentation plan to the pit. For any gravel pit whose reclamation includes lining or backfilling of the pit, bonds must be posted that can be used to complete the reclamation plan should the operator walk away from the site. The North La Poudre and La Poudre pits have been bonded through DRMS and are in compliance with the April 2010 DRMS letter (approach #1 and #3). The Roberts phase within the Firestein/Tigges/Roberts pit is augmented under the plan for augmentation approved in case no. 2002CW331 and is in compliance with the April 2010 DRMS letter (approach #2). An inspection by the DRMS on January 10, 2013 found the bond for the Firestein and Tigges phase within the Firestein/Tigges/Roberts pit to be inadequate. The operator has since