Laserfiche WebLink
ROADS <br />The only roads remaining on the site aze the graveled entrance gate road and a dirt road on the west <br />side of the East Pit ridge. Both roads have been approved as permanent. The surfaces of both roads <br />were in good condition. The ditch next to the East Pit road was in good shape. <br />HYDROLOGIC BALANCE <br />All ponds were reclaimed a few yeazs ago. All ditches remaining on the site have previously been <br />approved as permanent. A ditch drop structure on the southwest corner of the East Pit azea also has <br />been previously approved as permanent. The double-culvert in the drop structure was cleaz of <br />sediment. Most runoffto the drop structure comes from ditch 2S2a (extending along the southwest <br />end of East Pit) and ditch 2S 1 (extending along the road on the west flank of the East Pit azea). <br />Downcutting was evident in these ditches and in the upper part of ditch 3Nc on the northeast end of <br />East Pit. Designs for these ditches (and the drop structure) are in Exhibit 7 of the permit application. <br />The Division is reviewing these designs to determine if renovation is needed. <br />During the inspection, we discussed renovation work for the diversion ditch and pipe (culvert CS) in <br />the Revision 1 azea. The inlet azea of the pipe is being bypassed where a sharp bend in the inlet ditch <br />has blown out. Mike Keegan explained that a tentative plan would be to bring in a dozer and reshape <br />the inlet azea of the pipe and then bury the pipe where it has been exposed by erosion. During the <br />discussion, minimization of new disturbance when doing this repair was emphasized. <br />Hydrologic monitoring was eliminated in Technical Revision TR-32 in January 2003. Monitoring <br />wells were reclaimed some time ago. Jerry Koblitz will submit well abandonment reports to the <br />Division, unless the Division already has the reports. <br />I measured electroconductivity in Stollsteimer Creek at a point directly upstream from the disturbed <br />area, and at a point downstream from the disturbed azea (at Highway 151). The upstream measurement <br />was 890 mmhos/cm; the downstream value was 930 nunhos/cm. The downstream increase would be a <br />minor impact, if the increase is caused by the mine. Both values were below the baseline mean of 942 <br />micromhos/cm found in 1980-1 on Stollsteimer Creek. <br />As part of its review of the bond release application, the Division is evaluating impacts on hydrologic <br />balance at the mine site. This evaluation will include a review of the hydrologic monitoring data <br />submitted in the bond release application. <br />SUPPORT FACILITIES <br />The only facilities remaining aze a building, a mobile home, and barbed wire fences azound the <br />reclaimed azeas. All of these have previously been approved as permanent. No problems were evident <br />in the surface facilities azea. The fences were in good repair. <br />FISH AND WILDLIFE <br />Although no wildlife other than birds was seen during the inspection, evidence of wildlife use of the <br />reclaimed azeas was evident in the form of droppings (deer or elk), hoof prints, and browsed shrubs. <br />What appeaz to vole borrowings were found at one location on the east flank of the East Pit ridge. The <br />4 <br />