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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE <br />Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made during <br />the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection and the <br />facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action. <br />This was a partial inspection conducted by Tom Kaldenbach of the Colorado Division of Minerals and <br />Geology. Ross Gubka represented the operator. The ground was dry and the weather was warm. <br />HYDROLOGIC BALANCE: <br />Irrigation -Seasonal flow in the West Lateral Ditch had begun shortly before the inspection. The <br />operator was testing a new head gate above the mine. The head gate directs part of the flow from the <br />West Lateral Ditch into the new HDPE pipe that crosses the mine. The headgate appeared to be <br />functioning properly. <br />Stream Flows -Tuttle and Calamity Draws were each flowing less than 50 gpm, with no contribution <br />from irrigation return flows yet this year. <br />Spoil Springs -Spoil Spring No. 1 (on New Horizon #1 Mine) was discharging less than 25 gpm. <br />The discharge occurs in an area of several square yards at the base of a hill in a drainage filled with <br />cattails. Spoil Spring No. 2 was seeping from the bottom of an intersecting drainage at the base of the <br />same hill. W illows fill this drainage. Spoil Spring Nos. 1 and 2 are at about the same elevation, and <br />appear to be discharges from the same spoil mass underlying the hill. Vegetation in both drainages <br />show no adverse impact from the springs. Spoil Spring #3 (on the Rice tract) expresses as a seepy <br />area on grass-covered reclaim. The permit identifies this spring's source as the bedrock exposed in <br />the pit highwall (now buried). Seepage from Spoil Spring No. 3 shows no adverse impact to <br />vegetation. <br />Ponds -Pond 8 awaits completion following final delineation of active mining on one end of the <br />pond. <br />Monitoring Wells -Surface casing on Wells N16, N17, and N18 appeared in good condition. Caps <br />were in place and the wells were marked. <br />RECLAMATION SUCCESS: Vegetation on reclaimed areas throughout the mine have greened up <br />nicely. No problems were found on the site. <br />