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Temporary Substitute Supply Plan -Line Camp, Montezumar County, SEP 2004, Page 3 <br />3. Operations to Date. The following summarizes actual mining operations since the beginning of the Line Camp <br />Pit. Because of different reporting periods, some information overlaps.2 <br />a. 2001-2002 Mining activities commenced in 2001, with the drying up of 6.5 acres per the 4SA-Owner <br />agreement., in preparation for mining. Other mining activities were delayed by various permits. <br />By the end of Water Year 2001-2002 (Oct 2002), almost six acres was affected by mining and related activities. <br />6.5 acres of irrigated land was ofricially dried up, starting in July 2001?'to provide water to replace depletions. All <br />stripped soil was used to construct berms around the south and part of the west and east sides of the pit permit <br />area. A test pit for water was dug to below the water table, with a maximum size of 30 by 30 feet. Otherwise, <br />there was no penetration of the water table, in part because the water table was so low during the period, and in <br />part because the SWSP and well permit were not approved. As ordered and approved by the CDWR in the <br />Substitute Water Supply Plan (approved in 2002), an agreement was e;<ecuted with MVIC4 for storage of water <br />(not used in the dried up area) to be released to make up mining consumption. A well permit for the pit was <br />issued, and awater-level monitoring well was permitted and constructed, and has been monitored since that <br />time. <br />In 2001 and through August of 2002, there was no consumption of water by mining operations. With the <br />approved SWSP and well permit, the first significant area of open water was exposed in September 2002 (0.5 <br />acres), and increased to 0.69 acres in October 2002. During Water Year 2001-2002, 1.96 acre-feet of water was <br />consumed by mining operations, including dust control and construction of the access road and intersection with <br />CH 145 (see below), of 19.88 acre-feet available from the dryup; no water was consumed by the Pit during non- <br />irrigation periods. In January 2003, the dry-up area was increased from 6.5 to 12.5 acres. During Water Year <br />2002-2003, 8.82 acre-feet of water was consumed by the Pit, of 41.60 acre-feet available from the dryup; in April <br />2003, 0.12 acre-feet of water above that available from the dry-up was required and provided by a release from <br />MVIC later that year, per the agreement. Problems with permits, especially with DOT, delayed planned <br />operations significantly. <br />The tables on the next page (Figure 1) show the monthly operations, a)nsumption, water available from dry-up, <br />and a running balance of water, including surplus water from the dry-up. During 2001, a total of 10 acre-feet was <br />stored in Groundhog Reservoir per the agreement with MVIC; in 2002 a total of 20 acre-feet (10 from each year) <br />was stored; the remainder was allowed to flow downstream: therefore, by October 2001, 19.88 acre-feet was <br />stored in Groundhog Reservoir, available to make up losses during periods when the Home Ditch was not in <br />priority, or in months when the dry-up did not provide enough water to meet consumption, <br />z Mining permit year is May through April; Water year is November Through October; other permits and <br />notifications have other reporting years, including calendar years. Due to winter conditions, actual mining <br />(excavation, processing) is not done from October or November through March or April, and removal of <br />processed products is limited during the winter period. <br />a This date was selected by Gary Witt of Wright Water Engineers, the contractor reviewing the original <br />SWSP. The dry-up had actually begun with the beginning of the irrigation season that year. <br />° Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company <br />