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<br />Brad Janes, reclamation specialist
<br />Division of Mined Land Reclamation
<br />f"I INSPECTION REPORT
<br />2nd June 1980
<br />RE: Weld County Open Pit Sand and Gravel Operation
<br />~ LOCATION: Apx. 1 mile east of Interstate 25 and along and south of St. Vrain
<br />Creek/or;
<br />SE's, SW's, and SW~y, SE'y, Sec. 35, T3N, R68W
<br />and N~, NE's, Sec. 2, T2N, R68W, Weld County.
<br />ACCESS: Interstate 25 to Longmont Exit; at exit, travel east on dirt road
<br />(County Rd. ) apx. 1 mile to the first intersection; turn north, as road
<br />curves right access to the mine is straight ahead (north) through farm
<br />property.
<br />This site was initially discovered and inspected on the 23rd of April, 1980,
<br />by James Schmieding and myself. The site was actively being mined by Weld
<br />County as evidenced by well marked County vehicles and the presence of County
<br />employees- Division records indicated that the above operation was and is
<br />unpermitted. Due to the increasing number of items that were being scheduled
<br />for the May Board meeting, it was decided to defer Board consideration of this
<br />operation until the June Board meeting. On May 30th,(~'eorge Hurd, on behalf of
<br />his brother-in-law, John Slovek (adjacent land owner to the operation), filed
<br />a complaint over the telephone regarding the above operation, to Mark Loye
<br />(reclamation specialist), and prompted this inspection as described below
<br />(refer to attached map for descriptions).
<br />On June 2nd, 1980, Mark Loye and myself met with George Hurd, John Slovek, and
<br />Gary Slovek at the above site where we discussed the situation and observed the
<br />operation. Weld County was actively mining the site. A large bucket loader
<br />was excavating apx. 300 yards west of several 1000 cu. yds. of stockpiled
<br />materials. Three crushers were evident, two functional. There were apx. three
<br />dozers, perhaps a front-end-loader, and during the course of 45 minutes, apx.
<br />five haul trucks entered the site, with several others observed in transit as
<br />we left the site. Upon entering the site, a water truck was ahead of us and
<br />upon siting the State vehicle let go of residual water on a dusty access road-
<br />I observed this truck filling up at the pond site near the mine entrance but
<br />did not observe it spraying the access road upon leaving the site. Obviously,
<br />dust control was not a concern of the operator as the road remained in a dusty
<br />condition as evidenced by the billows kicked up by the state vehicle when we
<br />left, and by the trucks ae they approached the site.
<br />Overall disturbance of surface Features is apx. 40~ acres. Mining has occurred
<br />along the banks and possibly on the creek bed of St. Vrain Creek and active
<br />stream bank erosion with obvious downstream damage has occurred. Bank walls are
<br />apx. 4 feet verticle above the surface of the water, crumbly, lacking vegetation,
<br />and all indications are that this erosion is recent and ongoing. Bank erosion
<br />is evident from the point of disturbance at the west end of the operation and
<br />downstream to the east, well into the adjacent land owner's property. Erosion
<br />has occurred on both sides of the creek and mature cottonwood trees have fallen
<br />into the Sl-. Vrain. The fallen trees were in full folliage indicating that the
<br />bank erosion was recent. An old access road along the south aide of the creek
<br />and north of the operation's apx. 10 acre pond, has been renderred ueless by the
<br />bank erosion. At one point on this road, a cut occurred allowing water to exit
<br />into the St. Vrain. This was no doubt related to the channelized canal that has
<br />been created by the operator which at one time channelized flow into this pond.
<br />John Slovek stated that the cut between the pond and the Sc. Vrain was the result
<br />of emergency measures taken to prevent high waters from flooding adjacent lands.
<br />High waters have occurred on the site and on adjacent lands as evidenced by drift
<br />wood and other foreign objects which are typical remnants of high waters and
<br />flooding. A dike currently blocks the canal water from entering the pond. The
<br />cut on the bank between the pond and creek has been filled, however, stress
<br />fractures along the road and also on a buffer which seperates the adjacent land
<br />owners pond from the sites 10 acre pond, are evident and indicate a stability
<br />problem.
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