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Y <br /> PERMIT#:M-1983-109 <br /> INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: AME <br /> INSPECTION DATE: October 10,2018 <br /> OBSERVATIONS <br /> This was a normal monitoring inspection of the Aldrich Gravel Pit (Permit No. M-1983-109) conducted by <br /> Amy Eschberger of the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety(Division). Mr. Rick Spady represented the <br /> operator during the inspection. The site is located approximately 12 miles northeast of Haswell, Colorado in <br /> Kiowa County. Access to the site is from the north off Co Rd W 5. Photos 1-10 taken during the inspection are <br /> included with this report. <br /> This is a 110c operation permitted for 9.7 acres to mine sand and gravel for use in county road construction and <br /> maintenance (see enclosed mining plan maps approved with the original application). No material processing <br /> occurs on site. Mined material is directly hauled off site for use or temporarily stockpiled on the pit floor until <br /> needed. The approved permit area has an oval shape, oriented northwest-southeast adjacent to an unnamed <br /> drainage. The permitted operation began mining at the boundaries of an existing pit, working generally <br /> northwestward and southeastward. <br /> The approved post-mining land use for the site is agricultural. Reclamation of the site will include grading all <br /> disturbed slopes to 3H:1V or flatter, replacing 9-12 inches of topsoil on disturbed land, and seeding the land <br /> with a native grass mixture. Technical Revision No. 1, approved in 2008, clarified that the operator will import <br /> additional topsoil as needed for reclamation. According to the permit file, the pit was reclaimed in the 1990's, <br /> but was reactivated in 2005. The annual reports submitted by the operator indicate the site has been active every <br /> year since that time. <br /> The site was not active during the inspection. A permit sign was posted at the main site entrance. The permit <br /> boundary was delineated with T-posts. The edge of disturbance is only within a few feet of the permit boundary <br /> along its northern and western edges. However, there is some room to expand the pit southeastward where <br /> topsoil has already been stripped in preparation for mining. Pit highwalls are approximately 25 feet in height <br /> with near vertical slopes. Active mining walls have significant rilling due to the nature of the substrate, but <br /> appeared to be stable. A portion of the northern pit wall has been backfilled and graded to 3H:1 V or flatter <br /> slopes. Vegetative cover of disturbed areas appeared to consist primarily of annual weeds. <br /> The pit floor had some ponded water during the inspection due to a recent storm event. The operator should be <br /> aware, the Division of Water Resources requires that all stormwater contained on site either infiltrate into the <br /> ground or be released to the natural stream system within 72 hours, or all work must cease until a substitute <br /> water supply plan or augmentation plan is obtained. Mined material was stockpiled on the pit floor. Salvaged <br /> topsoil was stored along the edges of the pit. <br /> The operation appears to be following the approved mining plan. The Division recommends the operator repair <br /> and stabilize the small washout observed at the northeastern edge of the pit as soon as possible to prevent any <br /> offsite damage from occurring during future storm events. No problems were observed. <br /> This concludes the report. <br /> Page 2 of 8 <br />