PERMFILE44465

• Permit No: M1980244
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 8/15/2002
• Doc Name: Draft NPDES Permit
• From: CDPHE
• To: DMG
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

APPENDIX A
WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT
CRIPPLE CREEK & VICTOR GOLD MINING COMPANY,
AREQUA GULCH AND CRIPPLE CREEK
Table A-1
Assessment Summar
Nance of Facility Cripple Creek &Victor Gold Mining Company,
Are ua Gulch
CDPS number CO-0043648
WBID -Stream Segment Arkansas River Basin, Upper Arkansas Sub-basin,
Stream Segment 21 and 22a: Mainstem of Cripple
Creek from the source to the confluence with Foumvle
Creek (COARUA21) and Mainstem of Arequa Gulch
from the source to the confluence with Cripple Creek
(COARUA22a).
Classifications Cold Water Aqua[ic Life Class 2
Class 2 Recreation
A 'culture
Desi anon Use Protected
I. Introduction
The water quality assessment (WQA) of the Cripple Creek &and Victor Gold Mining Company ("CC&V"),
Arequa Gulch sediment pond dischazge was developed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE), Water Quality Control Division (WQCD). The WQA was prepared to facilitate issuance
of the Colorado Dischazge Pemzit System (CDPS) permit for the CC&V sediment pond discharge, CDPS Pemut
No. CO-0043648, and is intended to determine the assimilative capacities available io the CC&V discharge for
pollutants found to be of concern. Figure A-1 on the following page contanis a map of the study azea evaluated as
part of this WQA.
Water collected in the sediment pond below the CC&V Valley Leach Facility is discharged to Arequa Gulch,
which often has no flow. The effluent is conveyed to Cripple Creek, which is a perennial stream.
Arequa Gulch (Upper Arkansas River Basin Segment 22a) is water quality limited, and is on the Colorado 1998
303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies. The parameters ofwater quality impairments cited on the 1998 303(d) List
for Arequa Gulch are: pH, Al, Mn, CN, Fe, and Zn. In January 2001 Mn, Fe and Zn were delisted from the 303(d)
List on the basis that the segment is meeting the assigned standards. Asite-specific hearing was held inNovember
2001 to consider asite-specific standard for pH, which was adopted by the Water Quality Control Conunission
("Commission"). This parameter will be considered for removal from the 1998 303(d) List once the new standard
becomes effective. This segment remains on the 303d List for Al, and CN.
Cripple Creek (Upper Arkansas River Basin Segment 21) is also water quality limited az1d is on the Colorado 1998
303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies. The pazameters ofwater quality impairment included on the 1998 303(d)
List for Cripple Creek aze Mn and Fe. However, the WQCD determined that Cripple Creek was attahiing the
numeric water quality standards for Fe, and removed the parameter from the 1998 303(d) List. This segment
retrains listed for Mn.
Cripple Creek is lazger than Arequa Gulch, but also has relatively low flows. The neazest upstream permitted
facility is the Cripple Creek W WTP that dischazges into the headwaters of Cripple Creek approximately 3 miles
upstream of Arequa Gulch. Due to the distance between the City of Cripple Creek WWTP and the CC&V
discharge to Arequa Gulch, the assimilative capacities aze not limited by upstreani facilities.
Appendix A Page 1 of 13