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There is a limitation the amount of water surface ~a which can be exposed <br />at any one time. This restriction resulted from the evaporative loss <br />augmentation plan for the operation. No more than 6 acres of water surface can <br />~ be exposed at any one time. <br />To place the restriction in perspective, imagine operating a bottomland <br />gravel pit where all the gravel is below the water table and the permit area is <br />about 110 acres and never have more than 6 acres of water exposed at any one <br />time. This is a good description of the operation. <br />DESQ2IPTION Q~ OPERATION MEI'EfODS: One could say that such a restriction would <br />be impossible to meet, but Castle Concrete has developed a method to achieve <br />this end. Because the gravel tends to be rather "dirty" the washing process <br />produces large quantities of sediment which can be used to backfill mined out <br />areas. The silt and clay Ss therefore deposited in mined out areas and <br />naturally seeks the level of the water table. In seme final land uses this <br />kind of a backfill would produce worthless land, but when the final land use Ss <br />pasture, with some additional work, this can result In a distinct advantage. <br />SEQII~ S~4L IIEII{ODS: The washing process takes water from ponds which <br />have been mined out. The water is then used to remove the fines from the <br />gravel. This is then pumped to a mined out area for deposition as backfill. <br />At the "end" of the pond a gravel filter is installed which helps to remove any <br />sediment before the water enters the mile long ditch leading to the Arkansas <br />River. Long before the water reaches the river, it is clear of sediment. The <br />Health Department has approved this method. <br />In order to control the amount of sediment reaching the gravel filter, <br />which is not very efficient, the sediment ponds are kept quite large so that <br />most of the sediment settles before the water reaches the gravel filter. The <br />procedure works very well. <br />nnnrFrr_r. METHODS: when a sediment pond has filled to an extent that it no <br />longer can hold any more sediment, the exit pipe is moved to another mined out <br />area, the gravel filter established, and silt deposition continues. The <br />abandoned silt pond is then allowed to dry until it is semi-solid. It never <br />4 <br />