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There was some discussion that either Reclamation or Fire Mountain Canal and <br />Reservoir Company may have a carriage contract to carry stock water (for <br />approx'/< cfs) from the DTD in the FMC to a point downstream of where the DTD <br />crosses over the FMC. This contract should be located so that the conditions of <br />its use can be identified. This stock water is delivered even when the FMC <br />diversions are discontinued for the irrigation season. So any discharges from <br />mine settling ponds would be a large percentage of the water in the FMC and this <br />water is diverted for use in stock ponds or tanks. It is unknown if the water users <br />receiving this stock water know that these settling pond discharges are possibly <br />included in their water. There are 2-3 locations where water from the DTD can be <br />discharged into the FMC, some above and some below these various settling <br />pond discharges. So there is some flexibility of where this water is put into the <br />FMC, but depending on maintenance activities, this flexibility may not be <br />available. A case in point is soon after this site visit, the Fire Mountain Canal and <br />Reservoir Company planned on lining a section of the FMC between the lower <br />two locations. <br />A follow-up with the various state agencies that oversee this mine should be <br />conducted as well as getting information that was provided to these agencies for <br />permit approvals on discharges and design of the settling ponds as well as what <br />was approved, including as-built drawing of the settling ponds etc. Efforts will <br />also be made to get notifications from the appropriate agencies on any changes <br />to the various permits associated with this mine to see what if any impacts to the <br />FMC may result so that Reclamation's facilities will be protected. A follow-up site <br />visit should be arranged to include the state regulators to show them what our <br />concerns are and to see what can be done to prevent unacceptable discharges <br />into the FMC. It should be noted that during discussions with the Water Quality <br />Control Division and the DMG, neither were aware that the United States owns <br />the FMC. <br />Reclamation, the North Fork Water Conservancy District and the Fire Mountain <br />Canal and Reservoir Company should continue to work with state regulators, the <br />DTD owner and the Bowie Resources personnel and pursue efforts to prevent all <br />discharges from these settling ponds from entering the FMC. <br />6 <br />