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Tatum Windmill Well Investigation <br />The Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) with the assistance of the <br />Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), has concluded its <br />investigation of the Tatums' well. The purpose of the investigation is to determine if the <br />well has been adversely impacted by mining activities associated with the Golden Eagle <br />underground coal mine and, if so, what those impacts were and if those impacts have <br />been TMinimi~ad. The investigation is initiated pursuant to a citizen's complaint sent to <br />the OSM, and to the resultant Ten-Day Notice #93-020-370-005 Violation 2 of 3 ('TDN) <br />from the OSM. If the well was adversely impacted, the investigation was to determine <br />what responsibility Basin Resources, the owners of the Golden Eagle Mine, might have <br />to mitigate those impacts. This report and findings culminate this phase of the <br />investigation that was conducted during the first four months of 1995. <br />Site description <br />The well that is the subject of this im~estigation is owned by Jim and Ann Tatum. The <br />Tatums own a ranch about 20 miles west of Trinidad, Colorado. The pazcel of land that <br />the Tatum residence is on is approximately 110 acres in size, and is bisected by the <br />Purgatoire River and Colorado Highway 12. The subject well is located about 550 feet <br />north of the highway and 300 feet south of the northern property boundary. The well <br />can be found on the 1971 USGS 7S minute quadrangle Vigil, in the N~'r SE'/. of Section <br />19, T33S, R67W, Las Animas County. The ground level elevation of the well is 7295 <br />feet as measured from this map. <br />Fleld Observations and Analysis <br />The following are observations that were made by OSM and DMG in February and <br />March of 1995. Both agencies inspected the well on February 1, 1995, and on March 1, <br />2995. Personnel from the DMG have inspected the well several times during the past <br />year and information collected during these inspections is also presented in this <br />document. <br />The Tatum windatill well is topped by a dilapidated windmill tower. Several of the fan <br />blades were noted to have been broken off. The reciprocating pump linkage, or "sucker <br />rod," i5 broken off in the well. The sucker rod is made of wood. On March 1, 1995, <br />when the well pump casing was pulled, Ure sucker rod was noted to have been broken off <br />at about the 40-foot level. Adjacent to the well is a 750-gallon stock watering tank that <br />is turned upside down. A hole was noted to be rusted in the bottom. <br />The well is located about 10 feet south of an access road to the ventilation shaft and <br />exhaust fan for the Golden Eagle underground mine. The Golden Eagle mine has <br />realigned and improved sections of this road to access the ventilation shaft. The <br />alignment of the road has therefore changed since the publication of the USGS 7.5 <br />minute Vigil quadrangle published in 1971. The well is marked on this 1971 quadrangle. <br />