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While looking at Pond F, we also looked (from the east end of the pile) at the <br />spoil pile being developed uphill of the pond (Photos #2, 5, 6 and 7). This pile, <br />identified as Refuse Pile No. 1211-CO-09-04591-2, will be in use for upwards of <br />20 years or so and is material from the coal wash plant or station near the coal <br />stockpile. This pile crosses two arroyos or drainages (Photo #7) but we were told <br />that the water coming down the drainages will be diverted into Pond F instead of <br />being piped under the pile. Originally the largest drainage (Photo #7) flowed <br />under the highway (in a 2' cmp), then over DTD and then under the FMC in a 4' <br />diameter concrete culvert (Photo #9) and then downhill to a culvert under a <br />driveway (Photo #10) and then to the North Fork of the Gunnison River. This <br />drainage was listed in the discharge permit as discharge point no. 006. The <br />permit indicates that mine water from mine drainage goes to this discharge point, <br />but it is unknown where it comes from since the drainages uphill apparently no <br />longer go into it. It's possible it may only take runoff from the highway or the <br />highway side of the haul road noted in Photos # 7 and 8. <br />Just downstream in the FMC there is a point where water can enter the FMC <br />from the DTD from a turnout on the DTD. An erosion channel was noted where <br />the water has run down the slope which indicates that this occurs periodically <br />and is another point where water from the DTD can be discharged into the FMC. <br />If water is pumped out of Pond F into the DTD, this location would most likely be <br />upstream of this turnout. <br />We next walked along portions of the DTD and then looked at Ponds D, C and B <br />in that order. Ponds C and D have been in place for quite a while and collect <br />runoff from surface runoff and mine water according to the discharge permit <br />information. The discharge channel down the slope below these ponds and for <br />haul road drainage, and a drainage uphill of the haul roads in this area (Photo <br />#11) goes to a 2 % foot diameter corrugated plastic pipe (cpp) under the highway <br />and into a small poorly defined channel that diverts flows into the DTD. There <br />was a 6" pipe with a valve that can drain or discharge water from Pond D, which <br />discharges into a ditch along the highway and also goes to the cpp under the <br />highway. It wasn't noted if there was a discharge pipe for Pond C, which was <br />higher up the slope and west of Pond D, but it was noted that there was at least <br />one pump removing water from Pond C but where it was going was not <br />determined. Flows were not noted in the discharge channel mentioned above. <br />Several sections of the DTD are piped for various lengths but it was noted that <br />water was backing up at the inlet ends of the pipe. Since the DTD didn't appear <br />to be running full further upstream, these piped sections may be partially plugged <br />or undersized. Either way, if the DTD capacity is exceeded, the water would flow <br />down the slope to the FMC. <br />