2019-07-17_PERMIT FILE - M2019035

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RECEIVED Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety JUL 17 2019 Department of Natural Resources DIVISION OF RECLAMATION MINING AND SAFETY 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, CO 80203 July 15, 2019 Comments on the Construction Materials Impact Reclamation Permit by Martinez Western Constructors, Inc. for the mined property(Ducray Pit 2)to the east of the Mary Ann Sink Trust(601 22 Road), in Grand Junction, Colorado. I submit these comments based on a visual inspection (from the Sink's property) located west of the property that was mined for gravel to the east of the Sink property at the north end of 22 1/2 road in Grand Junction. I live in Redlands Village and have been friends with the Sinks for many years. The public notice was confusing to me since it says that the permit is for a proposed mine which will commence in July 2019 and complete in October 2019. Since the mining has already occurred, why is it a 'proposed' mine? My primary concern regards the drainage situation post mining. There are two ephemeral drainages that enter the property from the south and southeast. The flat area in the center of the mined area has no channel for any water which enters the property from the drainages to cross and exit the property. It is currently a flat expanse with no channel at all and abuts the Sink Trust property to the west. On that property there is a channel leading northward to the Colorado River. This section of the river is habitat for the Federally listed Colorado Pikeminnow, Humpback Chub and Razorback Sucker. If a significant rain event were to occur on the north side of the Colorado National Monument(which has happened in recent memory) and the runoff were to come down the ephemeral drainages toward the River,there is nothing to stop the flow from running unimpeded through the flat area which was mined. It would seem that a requirement of the permit would include utilizing the expertise of a hydrologist/engineer to design a flood mitigation system to carry any flood water through the property and on to the Sink Trust to the west without a large load of sediment and/or erosion of the channel. The drainage on the Sink Trust empties into the Colorado River within% mile of the mined property. The existence of the channel on the property directly west of the mined area,would indicate that there was previously a channel in the area mined to the east. Reestablishment of this channel would hopefully prevent a large rain event from eroding a new channel through the mined area, moving a lot of sediment to the northwest through the Sink Trust property, potentially causing additional erosion and potential bank stability before reaching the Colorado River. I also noticed that the impacts from the mining approach the fence on the west side. One post looked like it was not totally secure anymore. Isn't there some sort of required setback from a neighbor's 1