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Geof Schlittgen 10007 County Rd. 250 Durango, Co. 81301 Recslved Jim Dyer Colorado State Representative P.O. Box 5225 Durango, Co. 81302 QI,;J ~ n ~r,;;r ti J.:J faENVER OFF ICE , p~~-~ F::.~ Ottro Cif '~1 tt: ':::.e.:s ~, G~.~oyy Dear Jim, Thanks very much for taking the time to meet with me and to visit the Mountain Redi- Mix, Thomas Pit on the Animas River north of Durango.) was glad to have the opportunity to share our concerns as regards their gravel mining operations. As you could see, damage to the riverway, to neighboring properties and t~ irrigation water rights has been extensive. The eastern most arm of the river, which supplied the Wallace Ditch head gate at least since the water right filing in 1876, as ~rrell as the original main channel have been totally dried up, with 100% of the river's flow having been diverted into the gravel pit. The river bed has been lowered substantially and the banks have become much steeper and deeper as the result of the mining activity. In actuality upstream property owners' land has been mined due to the sloughing off of the aggregate into the gaping Thomas Pit. We understand the need for aggregate material, however not at the expense of our property and water rights. Prior to the issuance of a new permit for Mountain Redi-Mix to operate at the Thomas Pit location, which permit is currently up for consideration by the Army Corps of Engineers, we feel that it would be appropriate for Mountain Redi-Mix to be required to remediate the damage they have created. 1. The river flow should be restored to the main and eastern most channels. Returning the flow to the eastern most channel should at least be in a sufficient amount to provide water, allowing for carriage loss, so that the Wallace Ditch Water rights can be realized from the historic head gate. The Main channel is easily determinE~d directly east of and adjacent to the pit. Thare has been so much disturbance and alteration directly upstream of the pit that it has become quite difficult to determine where that channel was. A close approximation can be arrived at and will have to be a;;certained taking into account the needs to move the river to the east and to raise the level of the river bed such that water can naturally flow into the eastern most channel from the main channel. 2. The river bed upstream of the pit should be restored and a provision made in operations such that this can be maintained or enhanced through spring runoff deposits. This will be necessary to insure that the river continues to flow into the eastern most channel providing for Wallace Ditch irrigation water.