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Final Compensatory Mitigation and Monitoring Plan—Version 2.0 <br />Climax Mine Overburden Storage Facility Expansion (SPK-2013-00045) <br />March 2017 Bikis Water Consultants, a division of SGM Page 7 <br />additional criteria in mind, several areas on Climax property were observed and evaluated for <br />suitability to provide the required mitigation. <br />The Lake Irwin area meets all necessary criteria. It is a spring-fed and surface drainage <br />discharge area located up against Sheep Mountain at the northwest corner of the former <br />Robinson Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) (Figure 1). This site allows for the required acreage of <br />mitigation, has multiple and ample sources of water, can be integrated into adjacent natural <br />habitats and will not interfere with the Mine Plan. For these reasons, this site was selected to <br />provide the mitigation in this plan. <br />5.0 BASELINE INFORMATION <br />5.1 PROJECT SITE - MCNULTY GULCH <br />Existing conditions at the McNulty Gulch project site are shown in Figure 2. The watershed is <br />comprised of alpine and sub-alpine plant communities at elevations of 11,200 to 12,300 feet. <br />Some spruce and fir occur in the northern part of the watershed. The lower part of the <br />watershed was logged years ago and the remnants from land disturbance including historical <br />mining, logging, old roads, and cut stumps still persist. The McNulty Gulch Interceptor pipe, <br />which intercepts and conveys a portion of the runoff in the upper part of the watershed to the <br />northern part of the watershed, cuts across the watershed. The existing OSF for the mine which <br />has been used for years is located in the southern part of McNulty Gulch. Although Climax <br />holds the water rights and can use all flow in McNulty Gulch for industrial and other uses, a <br />portion of surface flow is directed to Clinton Reservoir via the Climax East Interceptor Ditch <br />EID). Clinton Reservoir has a regulated discharge to Tenmile Creek, which in turn is tributary <br />to the Blue River (HUC 14010002) and the Upper Colorado River. Water that comes in contact <br />with the OSF is collected and treated at the mine’s extensive process water/water treatment <br />system prior to discharge to Tenmile Creek. These disturbances and the existing OSF reduce <br />the connectivity of the wetlands in McNulty Gulch from adjacent, undisturbed, and natural <br />habitats. <br />Extensive work over a period of several years was completed to delineate and characterize the <br />wetlands and other aquatic resources in McNulty Gulch. Details of this work can be found in the <br />final Wetland Delineation Report July 2013 by BWC-SGM.