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Tatum Windmill Well Investigation The Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) with the assistance of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), has concluded its investigation of the Tatums' well. The purpose of the investigation is to determine if the well has been adversely impacted by mining activities associated with the Golden Eagle underground coal mine and, if so, what those impacts were and if those impacts have been minimised. The investigation is initiated pursuant to a citizen's complaint sent to the OSM, and to the resultant Ten-Day Notice #93-020-370-005 Violation 2 of 3 (TDN) from the OSM. If the well was adversely impacted, the investigation was to determine what responsibility Basin Resources, the owners of the Golden Eagle Mine, might have to mitigate those impacts. This report and findings culminate this phase of the investigation that was conducted during the first four months of 1995. Site description The well that is the subject of this investigation is owned by Jim and Ann Tatum. The Tatums own a ranch about 20 miles west of Trinidad, Colorado. The parcel of land that the Tatum residence is on is approximately 110 acres in size, and is bisected by the Purgatoire River and Colorado Highway 12. The subject well is located about 550 feet north of the highway and 300 feet south of the northern property boundary. The well can be found on the 1971 USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle Vigil, in the N'/z SE'/. of Section 19, T33S, R67W, Las Animas County. The ground level elevation of the well is 7295 feet as measured from this map. Field Observations and Analysis The following are observations that were made by OSM and DMG in February and March of 1995. Both agencies inspected the well oa February 1, 1995, and on March 1, 1995. Personnel from the DMG have inspected the well several times during the past year and information collected during these inspections is also presented in this document. The Tatum windmill well is topped by a dilapidated windmill tower. Several of the fan blades were noted to have been broken off. The reciprocating pump linkage, or "sucker rod," is broken off in the well. The sucker rod is made of wood. On March 1, 1995, when the well pump casing was pulled, the sucker rod was noted to have been broken off at about the 40-foot level. Adjacent to the well is a 750-gallon stock watering tank that is turned upside down. A hole was noted to be rusted in the bottom. The well is located about 10 feet south of an access road to the ventilation shaft and exhaust fan for the Golden Eagle underground mine. The Golden Eagle mine has realigned and improved sections of this road to access the ventilation shaft. The alignment of the road has therefore changed since the publication of the USGS 7.5 minute Vigil quadrangle published in 1971. The well is marked on this 1971 quadrangle. 1