GENERAL39690

• Permit No: C1981015
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 3/12/1998
• Doc Name: Letter regarding Owners of Certain Lands
• From: DMG
• To: Ms Lilliam H Lynch
• Permit Index Doc Type: Reclamation Project
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department o(Natural Resources
1313 Sherman 51., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
Mazch 12, 1998
Ms. Lillian H. Lynch
Ms. Sheila C. Mast
935 South, 1100 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84105-1518
RE: Fruita No. 1 and No. 2 Coal Mines
- File C-81-015
Deaz Ms. Lynch and Ms. Mast:
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DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL
RESOURCES
Roy Romer
Governor
lames 5. Lochhead
Executive Director
Michael B. Long
Division Director
Mesa County Assessor Office records indicate that you aze joint owners of certain lands located
north of Fruita, in Mesa County, Colorado, within the NEl/4 Sec. 30, T8S, R101 W, 6th P.M.,
which were disturbed by surface operations associated with the Fruita No. 1 and No. 2 Coal
Mines.
As you may be awaze, the mines have not produced since 1980: The No. 1 Mine was reclaimed
in 1984/1985, and the No. 2 Mine was reclaimed between 1989 and 1991. The reclamation bond
for the site was forfeited by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Boazd in March, ] 994,
following failure of the operator to abate an enforcement action issued by the Division of
Minerals and Geology (the Division).
The purpose of this letter is to advise you that, as a result of a flash flood event which occurred in
eazly August, 1997, the Division will be using a portion or all of the remaining bond monies to
perform remedial reclamation on the site. The storm event washed out a segment of a permanent
upland diversion, resulting in extensive deposition of sediment and boulders within various
portions of the reclaimed azea and along the access road, and also caused significant gully
erosion on the No. 1 mine bench outslope, as well as portions of the road surface and fill
embankments.
As a result of damage caused by the flooding, we have reevaluated the reclamation plan and feel
that certain significant modifications aze warranted. It would appeaz that from the standpoint of
long term stability, there would be little point in reestablishing the permanent diversion above the
No. 1 Mine bench. The diversion crosses an erosional chute above the mine, which receives
concentrated storm runoff from a lazge azea of steep, barren slopes. It would be only a matter of
time until flooding would once again wash out the diversion, should it be reestablished.
In order to minimize the recurrence of damage from future storms, we plan to construct drainage