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__.. _.-._,,.,, ~ rr5 589 6685 P.02i03 <br />oQ LAW OFFICE of DOUG GEORGE <br />1115 Maier Stzeet, Alaaroea, CO 81101 (:'19) 589.6767 <br />I'ax N°. (719) 589-1450 pE~ryEp <br />March 3, 2000 1UiR 0 6 '00 <br />W~T[R Ff9D1it5/ <br />lT~7E EXME91 <br />AIWOI; <br />Steve Vandiver, Division Engineer <br />Colorado Division of Water Resources <br />P.O. Box 269 <br />Alamosa, CO 81101 <br />RE: Indicarion of Rito Seco Upstream Contamination, <br />Costilla Cotulty, Colorado <br />Dear Mr. Vandiver: <br />This letter is written with reference in the matters also referenced i~ the <br />"Nonce of Violation and Intent to Sue Pursuant to the Clean Water Act," dated <br />August 4, 1999, which concerned seeps identified on Battle Mountain Gold properly <br />located near San Luis, Colorado. It is my understanding that testing from those <br />seeps identified the discharge of several pollutants including calcium, fluoride, <br />manganese (dissolved), manganese (total), sulphate, TDS,'rron (dissolved), iron <br />(total), chloride, potassium, silica (dissolved), silica (total), cadmium, and copper. <br />At a location approximately 1 mile downstream of the Battle Mountain Gold <br />discharge, my clients, Shalom Ranch and Sandy Cooper, operate a well and irrigation <br />center pivot, which irrigates their alfalfa field. That well and center pivot provide the <br />water for the crop that fuznishes feed fur the Shalom Ranch operation- This well has <br />operated for many years producing 800 gallons of water per minute. However, in <br />August of 1999, the well lost SO°r6 of its production, resulting in a produa:.on of 400 <br />gallons per minute. Mr. Cooper investigated the problem thoroughly by the <br />involvement of well experts and others; and, after other potential causes of the <br />problem were eliminated (e.g. less water available), he was left. with the rer. raining <br />concern of an unusual and rapid corrosion of the metal parts involved in tt,e well's <br />operation. The corrosion included large ~vhit.e "boils" which only appeared on the <br />casing below the water table and which restdted in dogging of 9U% of the pipe <br />perforations. A piping rystem, used to vacuum out the well, rusted considerably and <br />also developed white deposits, even though that line was only in the hole for <br />approximately 2 weeks. <br />