Laserfiche WebLink
The flow of water in Terror Creek and in the North Fork of the Gunnison River is strongly <br />influenced by irrigation structures along these stream courses. The Overland Ditch intercepts and <br />distributes water from the upper reaches of Terror Creek. The flow in the North Fork is <br />controlled by Paonia Reservoir and water withdrawals by several irrigation ditches -the Fire <br />Mountain Canal, Stewart Ditch, Farmers Ditch, and Paonia Ditch. In addition, there are two <br />pipelines that will withdraw water from the Steven's Gulch Well Field. The first is currently in <br />operation and is operated by the Pitkin Mesa Pipeline Company. The second pipeline carries <br />water from the Steven's Gulch Well Field to the site of the proposed Roatcap Creek portal <br />facility. <br />There are many springs and numerous ponds within the permit and hydrologically adjacent azea <br />of the Bowie No. 1 Mine. It appears that most of these springs and ponds are intermittent and <br />depend upon seasonal precipitation and long-term weather patterns. The source of most of the <br />springs appeazs to be related to landslide complexes, faults and fractwes, areas of colluvium/ <br />alluvium where ground water has accumulated, or the discharge points at the contact of the <br />Rollins sandstone with the lenticular sandstones of the Mesaverde Formation. <br />Water Riahts and Replacement -Rules 2.04.7(31. 2.05.6(3I(ii}, 2.07.6(2)_(c}, 4.05.15 <br />Water rights and associated mitigation plans are found on pages 56-57 of Section 2.04.7 and on <br />pages 94-99 of Section 2.05.6 in Volume 1. Detailed tabulations and discussions of water rights <br />and mitigation plans aze documented in Volumes 5 and SA. <br />The Bowie No. 1 Mine could potentially damage water rights in three ways. Water for use <br />within the mine is derived from an alluvial well Feld in Steven's Gulch. Drawdown of this <br />alluvium could affect flows in Steven's Gulch and in the North Fork of the Gunnison. Over a <br />hundred springs and spring-fed or runoff-fed stockponds cover the permit area, and many aze <br />found in the affected area. Subsidence could affect the structural integrity of these ponds or <br />interrupt flow to springs. Lastly, mine inflows from streams along fractures could diminish <br />adjacent surface water flows. <br />During the permit renewal process of 1993, it had been noted that the Bowie No. 1 Mine was <br />consuming approximately 30,000 gpd (as proposed in their original permit application) for use at <br />the mine. In early 1986, they consumed 8,700 gpd. Water consumption will decrease <br />dramatically while the mining operations remain temporazily halted. This water supply is drawn <br />from a well field which taps the alluvium of Steven's Gulch. The applicant has obtained an <br />approved augmentation plan through Division 4 Water Court to replace water removed from <br />Steven's Gulch. The plan uses releases from East Beckwith No. 1 Reservoir, located in the <br />Anthracite drainage, to compensate for any injury to other vested water rights or, for this <br />purpose, the North Fork alluvium. The Bowie No, 1 Mine, through an agreement with Pitkin <br />Mesa Pipeline Company, obtains additional water for mine consumption. This water is also <br />drawn from the Steven's Gulch alluvium, but under the pipeline company's water right. <br />BRL proposes to replace the water supply of any legitimate water user if impacted by the mine <br />until such time as repairs are instituted. The application includes specific sources of water <br />owned by Bowie Resources Limited that will be called upon. A subsidence repair plan for <br />17 <br />