Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />,r <br />The only possible sources of water for irrigation of the areas identified <br />as unconsolidated sediments are Canyon Creek, the Colorado River, and <br />South Canyon Creek. All the area below the Vulcan ditch can be irrigated <br />with water from Canyon Creek; therefore, this area meets the water <br />availability criteria for an AVF. Water from Canyon Creek cannot be used <br />to irrigate the unconsolidated sediments above the Vulcan ditch due to <br />the physical barrier of elevation differences. In order to irrigate the <br />remaining area from South Canyon Creek and the Colorado River, over 9 and <br />14 miles of ditch, respectively, would have to be constructed over <br />extremely steep terrain. Water from the Colorado River would have to be <br />diverted in Glenwood Canyon and the ditch would have to be constructed <br />through Glenwood Springs. It is not the regional practice to divert <br />water over extremely rough terrain; therefore, the area above the Vulcan <br />ditch does not meet the water availability criteria for an AVF. The <br />exception to this is the subirrigated area above the Vulcan ditch. <br />Based upon the above discussion, the Division has determined that all the <br />area underlain by unconsolidated streamlaid deposits below the Vulcan <br />ditch plus the small subirrigated area above the Vulcan Ditch is an <br />alluvial valley floor. For reference, the alluvial valley floor includes <br />all the area denoted as: (1) land presently flood irrigated; (2) land <br />historically flood irrigated; and (3> areas of probable sub-irrigation, <br />as shown on Figure 5.2-4 in the permit. <br />Colorado River Findings <br />1) None of the proposed mining operation will be located within the <br />alluvial valley floor. Therefore, the Division finds that the proposed <br />operation will not interrupt, discontinue, or preclude farming on the <br />alluvial valley floor. <br />2) Surface waters which supply the alluvial valley floor are diverted <br />from Canyon Creek on the opposite side of the Colorado River from the <br />surface facilities. A total of 115 acres of land are presently flood <br />irrigated. NCIG projects that two to four acre-feet of water per year is <br />required to irrigate each acre of land. Based on historic records, the <br />average flow in the Vulcan ditch is 1,400 acre-feet. A maximum of 460 <br />acre-feet (1.6 cfs average flow) will be required to irrigate the AVF <br />during the five month irrigation season, leaving adequate water for use <br />in the hydraulic mining operation. <br />NCIG Financial, Inc. has committed to supplying adequate water to the <br />AVF, even if it means stopping the use of water from the Vulcan ditch by <br />the mining operation. In order to aid the Division in tracking this <br />commitment, the following stipulation from a previous permit is necessary. <br />Stipulation No. 4 <br />THE PERMITTEE MUST AT ALL TIMES SUPPLY ADEQUATE WATER FOR FLOOD <br />IRRIGATION OF THE ALLUVIAL VALLEY FLOOR BELOW THE VULCAN DITCH. IF, <br />AT ANY TIME DURING THE IRRIGATION SEASON (MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, <br />AND SEPTEMBER), THE FLOW IN THE VULCAN DITCH DROPS BELOW 1.6 CUBIC <br />FEET PER SECOND, THE PERMITTEE MUST RECEIVE DIVISION APPROVAL, BASED <br />ON A DEMONSTRATION THAT THE WATER IS NOT NECESSARY FOR IRRIGATION OF <br />THE AVF, BEFORE USING THE WATER IN THE MINING OPERATION. <br />_28_ <br />