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Mr. R.A. Everist • <br />May 18, 1988 <br />Page 2 <br />• <br />o Mr. Ward Fischer, water attorney with the law firm of Fischer, <br />Brown, Huddleson and Gunn in Ft. Collins, Colorado. <br />o Mr. Lloyd Thomas, long-time resident of Carr and owner of the Lone <br />Tree Poultry water right. <br />o Other individuals with the State Engineer's Office, Division One. <br />WATER REQUIREMENTS FOR PROPOSED MINE <br />Estimated water demands for the proposed mine are summarized in Table 1. <br />The demands in Table 1 are more refined estimates than those in our <br />original report and reflect the most current information available on <br />likely mine operations, and other information obtained by WWE on water <br />losses associated with gravel mines. Specifically, water demands for the <br />proposed mine were refined to reflect: 1) no use of water for irrigation <br />(dry-land irrigation is possible at the mine site), 2) specific estimates <br />of water required for dust control, 3) use of 2.5 feet versus 3.0 feet for <br />annual net evaporative loss from the ponds, (2.5 feet of net loss is <br />consistent with our calculations and figures recently accepted by the State <br />Engineer for simllar operations in the area), and 4) use of 2 percent water <br />loss to aggregate rather than the previously used 5 percent loss rate <br />because the gravel is quite coarse. <br />As Table 1 shows, the proposed mine will have a water demand of <br />approximately 5 acre-feet per day. Nearly all of this demand is for the <br />wash plant and will be met through a recycling system with the two proposed <br />ponds. Each pond will have a capacity of approximately 10 acre-feet for a <br />total system capacity of 20 acre-feet. With the total average daily demand <br />of approximately 5 acre-feet, only one pond will be required at any time. <br />Table 1 indicates that the annual consumptive use for the mine wlll be <br />approximately 16 acre-feet. Water losses are associated with pond <br />evaporation, aggregate removal, and dust control. To be conservative, it <br />was assumed that 100 percent of the annual net evaporation from the ponds <br />(2.5 acre-feet per year) will have to be replaced, even though the mine is <br />planned to be in operation approximately 120 days a year. <br />REPLACEMENT WATER FOR PROPOSED MINE <br />Several sources of replacement water were investigated for possible use to <br />replace depletions from the mine. One of these sources, the Lone Tree <br />Poultry water right, was specifically evaluated for this purpose. The <br />characteristics and historic consumptive use of this water right are <br />discussed in the following. <br /> <br />