2002-02-07_REVISION - M1976020 (7)

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INTRODUCTION The Thomas Pit, located approximately 11 miles north of Durango, was initially mined by the Colorado Department of Transportation in the 1930's in order to build the Million Dollaz Highway to Silverton. The site is the most upstream gravel mining site in [he Animas River as it lessens its grade after leaving the San Juan Mountains. Prior to Nielsons, Ina (Animas Aggregates) taking over the site in 1968, the site was also used as a gold mine dredge operation which mined a deep hole on the west side of the channel approximately 200 feet wide, 900 feet wide and over 60 feet deep. In 1968, Nielsons, Inc. took over the site and extracted sand and gravel from the River itself by directing flow in one part of [he channel while mining the other. Mining also occurred by excavating pond areas adjacent to the River. In 1973, the Corps of Engineers assisted in restoring a flood control berm which is now the east boundary of the permit in the River itself. This flood control berm has been called the dike in much of the past correspondence. In 1976, Nielsons (Animas Aggregates) permitted the site as a 1101imited impact permit with the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (then called the Mined Land Reclamation Division). The permit was given # M-76-020 and comprised an affected area of less than 10 acres. In April of 1980, the operator received an Army Corps of Engineers permit (#9668) authorizing placement of approximately 3000 cubic yards of dredged fill and rock fill to repair damaged dikes along the west riverbank built in 1953. In 1981, Animas Aggregates expanded the permit to a 112 status with an affected area of approximately 29.8 acres. Mining at that time still consisted of river extraction. In September of 1985, Animas Aggregates and some neighbors submitted a Department of the Army permit application to repair damaged riverbanks resulting from 1984 runoff. This application was withdrawn in 1985. In August of 1994, Animas Aggregates applied for a US Army 404 permit to continue to allow mining in the River channel in the amount of 18,800 tons per year. In accordance with this application and the grandfather provision of the Corps rules, mining was permitted until August 1996 when the new individual permit was applied for (#199475260). This permit received extensive public comment. The permit was never actually approved although this may have been the fault of the operator in not signing the permit. Regardless, mining has not occurred in the River since Thomas Pit 2/02 1