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STATE OF COLORADO DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY Dep. rlmenl of Natural Resourceo 1313 Shermen SL, Room 215 Denver, Coloracb 80203 Phone: (3031 866-7561 FAX: 1303)83?-b106 ~~ DIVISION OF MINERALS GEOLOGY RECLAMATION MINING•SAf ETY BSI I Owens Governor INTERNAL MEMO Greg E Watcher Ececulne Dveclor Michael B. Lang Diaision Director TO: Joe Dudash, Sandy Brown, Larry Routten l4 Feb 2000 ~~ FROM: Jim Burnell SUBJ: Sanborn Creek Monitoring I visited the staff at Sanborn Creek last Thursday (10 February 2000) to discuss the installation of a monitoring well as part of their TR-32 work on Elk Creek Canyon. By way of review, the operator proposed to add facilities in the canyon of Elk Creek, upstream of the main mine facilities. My comments on the revision were that they really needed to establish groundwater monitoring both up-gradient and down-gradient of the proposed facilities. The response was that (I) Oxbow is already monitoring up-gradient of the proposed portal facilities and (2) there is no undisturbed ground down-gradient of those facilities in which to site a well. I met with Kathy Welt, Mark Milner and Tom Anderson of the Oxbow staff to discuss the issue First I reminded them of why we (the Division) have to see monitoring data. They accepted this explanation. We viewed maps detailing the facilities at the mine and in the vicinity of the canyon and discussed my opinion of both an "ideal" location for the down-gradient well and a feasible, workable location. We then traveled up the canyon, looked at existing facilities and development, discussed disturbance of the area through the years, reviewed the plans for new construction in the canyon and looked at possible sites. Siting a monitoring well is a delicate issue. The canyon is quite narrow down-hill (down- gradient and downstream) from the proposed portals and the imposition of the new facilities will not only leave little room for ameaningfully-sited well after construction, but makes the maintenance of a functioning well very difficult during construction. The location I think would be ideal will be [he center of construction activity -moving of the existing road and developing a topsoil pile, a conveyer, and a sediment pond.