Laserfiche WebLink
Environmental Services <br />• Botanical Studies <br />~. t~ \ y~ <br />• Photography ~ - ~~' _; -? <br />January 2, 1991 <br />~~~i-k 1~: ~P,l~i[FJL <br />37 E. Colorado Avenue <br />Denver, CO 80210 <br />(303) 7;?2-9067 <br />Jean E. Manger <br />Chief, Regulatory Branch <br />D.S. Army Corps of Engineers <br />P.O. Hox 1580 <br />Albuquerque, NM 87103-1580 <br />RE: Possible QOQ permit requirements for Solberg Pit, E1 Paeo County, <br />Colorado. <br />Dear Jean Mangers <br />On December 26, 1990, Mr. Gregg R. Squire of the Colorado Division of <br />Mined Land Reclamation forwarded to me your December !., 1990 letter to <br />Bruce Humphries expreaeini; a concern that the conversion and amendment <br />application for the Solbe:°g Pit could come under the 404 permit rules. <br />After consideration of vour letter and an examination of the <br />operational plan, it ie~m~r opinion the 404 permit rules would not <br />apply in this teas. Following are the reasons why it Se not felt the <br />rules apply. <br />First, this operation ie a dry bank gravel pit that excavates sand and <br />gravels from xhat appears to be non-continuous, ridgeline deposit. <br />The drilling for this protect and for other possible profecte near <br />this site reveal a rather unusual pattern of gravel deposition. In <br />this area the gravels are largely confined to the ridges separating <br />the drainages that ultimately lead to Black Squirrel Creek. Although <br />Black Squirrel Creek has deposits within the drainage course, moat of <br />the tributaries leading to tha main stream follow the less resistant <br />sand deposits leaving the more resistant gravels in the ridges. This <br />pattern may have developed. ae a result of vast a.11uv1a1 outflows, <br />possibly in n braided stream pattern, from the Bleok Forest area. <br />This appears to have been subsequently modified by aeolian processes. <br />What gravel was contained in the softer materials in the original <br />alluvium ie now found along Black Squirrel Creek while the original <br />alluvium containing more gravel formed the ridges. Whether this <br />scenario of origin is correct in all respects ie not that important. <br />The fact ie, in this area St is the ridges that are of interest to <br />gravel producers. Little aggregate of any value has ever been found <br />in the bottoms of the many tributaries that eo extensively dissect <br />this landscape. Furthermore, the gravel found on the ridges ie not of <br />high quality and has only limited applications. <br />