2020-12-03_HYDROLOGY - M1982155 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Abdullah Javed, El December 3, 2020 Page 2 of 6 dust control operations. Depletions from pumping of water from the sump will accrue to Rock Creek. Consumptive use of ground water for the mining operation includes water used for dust control and evaporation from the ground water pond (permit no. 77721-F, WDID 1005850). Replacement water will be provided by Fountain Mutual Irrigation Company ("FMIC") shares owned by Schmidt. This amendment and renewal is to approve the additional use of 250 acre-feet/year of water to be supplied by the Colorado Springs Utilities (CS-U)'s Hanna Wells for gravel pit operations, including dust control, aggregate production, and construction activities to repair and expand the access road leading to the gravel pit operation. The water will be delivered via pipeline to the Fountain Pit. In accordance with the letter dated April 30, 2010 (see 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 groundwater. In accordance with approach nos. 1 and 3, you have indicated that a bond has been obtained for $457,188 through the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety ("DRMS") to assure that depletions from ground water evaporation do not occur in the unforeseen event, or events, that would lead to the abandonment of the Pit. DEPLETIONS According to the submittal, the water leased from CS-U will be used for dust control, aggregate production, and access road construction activities. The water will be considered 100% consumptive, with instantaneous depletions to Fountain Creek. The consumptive uses of water from well permit no. 59834-F are from dust control, which have been estimated to be approximately 3.5 acre-feet per year, and evaporation from the ground water pond, aggregate production, and construction activities associated with the access road. Based on the NOAA Technical Report NWS-33, the gross annual evaporation rate in this area is approximately 46 inches (3.83 feet) per surface acre. The precipitation in the area was estimated to be 15.86 inches annually, using data from the Fountain Weather Station. The effective precipitation is estimated to be 70% of the actual precipitation, or 0.93 feet. With a gross evaporation of 3.83 feet, less 0.93 feet of evaporation credit, the net evaporation is estimated to be 2.91 feet per surface acre annually. Scaled for the 0.2-acre groundwater pond, the net evaporative depletion at the site is approximately 0.58 acre-feet per year.