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March 5, 2004 Page 3. ing saturated gravels over time. More importantly the con- tinuously wet gravels have created 'collapse-structures' in heretofore unknown - but suspected - tunnels and cavitous 'dog- holes' whose origins were 'high-grading' miners in the 1930s. ('WARNING!' signs will again be posted - for the 3rd time - this season. The previous signs were taken down and discarded by what the owners suspect were 'mountain-bikers' who, in recent years, attracted by the varied and unique topography of the Gumaer rampantly traverse the property). Approximately one-half - the southern half - of the Columbia Ditch has either been intentionally abandoned and/or otherwise unused and not maintained in recent years co-incident with the decline in gold placer mining in the area (in particular, the placers south of the Alma Placer which the ditch used to serve) as well as changes in land use in those areas where real estate development has begun. Indeed, the recent Alma Placer submittal to the Board is of-a-piece of what is occurring in the immediate area. The effective terminus of the Columbia Ditch at this writing is at that location where the gate-valve empties wash-water from the ditch terminus at that juncture point where the Alma and Gumaer properties 'touch' each other in - SE4NE~, Sec. 12; T. 9 S., R. 78 W, or about 1000 feet east of the current washing plant and which water has a vertical fall of about 60 feet in that distance to the plant. While it beyond the intent and ken for this writer to advise any miner as to how to conduct his mining operation(s) - generally a most secretive affair in gold placer mining - there is no inhibition for this writer to suggest to anyone how to improve his water delivery system to his washing plant - if for no other reason than to mitigate continuing damage to this writer's property under the present circumstances. On Mine Plan Map 'C-2' (in the recent submittal) there is a stated designation 'Columbia Ditch water takeoff channel' - a very old channel - and which has as its source another ditch water point-of-diversion about 1900 feet northwest of the pre- viously mentioned and currently used gate-valve location. The distance between the two points-of-diversion - the approximately 1900 feet co-incides almost perfectly - and completely~,tirthat portion of the Columbia Ditch that traverses the Gumaer property, or, the very portion of the ditch which has been saturating the Gumaer property. While it is understood that a water exit from the ditch is more efficient and effective at the current gate-valve location - with todays' relatively cheap prices for for all manner and types and sizes of flexible, 'ribbed', plastic-type temporary piping of large diameter installed in