INSPEC05477

• Permit No: C1981015
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: INSPECTION REPORT
• Inspection Date: 12/31/1996
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

stockpiles had been located. The area is relatively flat to gently
sloping, and a vegetation stand similar in appearance to
surrounding areas is becoming established, dominated by shadscale
saltbush, Indian ricegrass, rubber rabbitbrush, and cheatgrass.
The reclaimed slopes and an ephemeral drainage which passes through
the site appear stable, with no evidence of recent erosion. Given
the limited disturbance area, vegetation cover comparable to
surrounding areas, and absence of erosion, it does not appear that
additional sediment controls are warranted for this area.
b) Two main collection/diversion ditches exist on site.
Diversion #I is a 100 yr permanent diversion which originates at a
point above the No. 1 Mine backfilled portals, and conveys drainage
around the Mine 1 bench to the access road just below the bench.
From that point the ditch continues along the inside of the road
for several hundred feet to a point where an ephemeral drainage
course is intersected. At this point the ditch enters a 24" CMP
which passes beneath the road, and drains to another 24" PVC
culvert which passes under the road berm, directing the flow from
Diversion # 1 into the natural channel, and ultimately into the
large sediment pond. Total flow length for Diversion #1 is
approximately 1450 feet. Diversion #1 is intact and functional.
The upper 400 to 500 feet of the ditch diverts flow around the
highwall; average dimensions are 10 feet wide by 2 feet deep,
gentle grade with established vegetation. The middle section of
the ditch flows along an old exploration road, and in effect the
road is the ditch. This segment is steeper, and there is some
downcutting approximately 14" deep in the lower segment, which
appears to be arrested by sandstone bedrock. The middle segment of
the ditch is a minimum of 10 feet wide by 1 foot deep. The lower
segment of the ditch, along the road is 4-5 feet wide by 1.5 to 2
feet deep. The culvert which passes flow beneath the road berm
into the natural drainage had been damaged last year, and it was
replaced by a DMG contractor in February, 1996. At the same time,
erosion beneath the culvert was repaired, and the ditch segment
above the road culvert was re-defined. The lower ditch segment and
both culverts are in good condition at this time.
Diversion Ditch No. 2 begins along the inside of the access road,
just below the 24" CMP at the end of Diversion No. 1, and extends
along the access road for most of its length, with the final 300
foot segment diverging from the road and entering a natural
drainage arroyo in the southwest corner of the affected area. The
major segment of the ditch which runs along the road (approximately
1500 feet) is adequately sized and functional, with no obstructions
or siltation, although there is minor downcutting up to 14 inches
deep along this segment. The lower ditch segment descends a
relatively steep, barren, shaley slope, and a 2 foot wide, by 2 to
4 foot deep gully has been eroded along the terminal 100 foot
segment of the ditch in this location. A number of large sandstone
boulders were placed in the gully several years ago, and based on
inspection reports since January, 1994, it does not appear that the
gullying has worsened since that time. This location will need to
be monitored in future inspections to evaluate whether further