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f MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID#: M-1999-050 PAGE: 3 INSPECTION DATE: 8-27-01 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: ACS species of fish and commingling of certain species must be prevented. The water management operations at the Timnath Connell Pit were inspected on 8-27-01. The various mining phases for this operation are depicted on the Pre- mining/Mining Plan Map included as Exhibit C to the mined land reclamation permit. Mining in Phase 1 of the pit had been completed by the date of this inspection and the west recharge pond was installed. The west recharge pond is triangular in shape as illustrated on the sketch attached to this report, as compared to the rectangular shaped pond depicted on the Exhibit C maps. The south side of the west recharge pond is sloped at 3H:1V in native undisturbed alluvial sand and gravel to assure positive recharge to the aquifer south of the pond once it is filled. The monitoring plan approved in technical revision TR-Ol requires that a staff gauge be installed in the west recharge pond and that readings of the gauge be recorded monthly. The staff gauge was not in place at the time of this inspection. This was not a compliance problem at that time since the recharge pond had only recently been completed and had not yet been completely filled. Will Welch of Connell Resources stated that the staff gauge would be installed as soon as possible. The mining pit was being dewatered at the time of this inspection. The extent of the active pit included the south part of phase 2 and portions of the south part of phase 3 as illustrated on the Exhibit C maps. The approximate area of the mining pit at the time of this inspection is illustrated on the attached sketch. Water pumped from the active pit could be routed via a valved pipeline to either the west recharge pond or to the temporary sediment pond located in mining phase 4, or both (see attached sketch). The overflow from the temporary sediment pond spilled into the CR 36 roadside ditch and flowed to the culvert under CR 36 then into Willow Pond. Water from the temporary sediment pond could also be routed to the Box Elder irrigation ditch if necessary, for example if Willow Pond were to become overfilled. Connell Resources had recently dredged the temporary sediment pond to expose fresh alluvial gravel in the base of the pond. The intent of this dredging was to increase recharge to the alluvial aquifer to the south and increase water levels in Swift Ponds. If the west recharge pond were to be completely filled it would drain through a pipe under the south berm and report to the CR 36 culvert. The west recharge pond was perhaps only 20 percent filled as of 8- 27-01 (see attached photos). The area surrounding the inlet to the CR 36 culvert had been recently disturbed by earthwork operations related to the west recharge pond and spillway pipe installation. This bare ground could contribute silt to the flows into the CR 36 culvert; Connell Resources was directed to sow seed and revegetate this area. The first annual reclamation report for the Timnath Connell Pit mined land reclamation permit was submitted in December 2000. This report did not include the ground water monitoring data required by the terms of technical revision TR-O1. The Operator has subsequently provided the required data following a discussion of the requirements during this inspection.