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A major portion of the recharge to the groundwater table in this <br />area comes from irrigation return flows. Almost the entire flow of <br />the Poudre River consists of return flows during the irrigation <br />season. The groundwater is of poor quality with high nitrates and <br />possibly pesticides from agriculture and municipal sources. <br />The dewatering operation will lower the groundwater table by 12 to <br />15 feet at the pit. The State Engineer's tabulation indicates <br />there are permitted wells in the southeast and southwest corners of <br />the project. This could potentially place wells within a few <br />hundred feet of mining. The cone of depression should cause a <br />lowering of the groundwater table in the range of 8 to 12 feet at <br />this distance. The depth of the aquifer ranges between 15 to 30 <br />feet in this area. The wells are generally drilled to this depth, <br />although the permit records indicate very shallow wells also exist. <br />These wells, if they are currently being used, will almost <br />certainly be impacted. However, the proposed monitoring and <br />mitigation plan proposed will adequately protect the interests of <br />these well owners. <br />y~ter Rights <br />The: operator holds 240 shares in the Boyd and Freeman Ditch which <br />is located on the property (See Exhibit C). This ditch is also <br />held by the Western Mobile Companies on their adjacent mining <br />properties. A total of 993 shares of stock exist for this ditch <br />company. <br />They ditch historically irrigated approximately 80 acres of crop <br />lands on the proposed mining site. Present information indicates <br />that irrigated pasture and haylands were the primary use of the <br />property. The annual consumptive use of this crop would be <br />approximately 1.7 acre-feet per acre. This would give a <br />consumptive use of 136 acre-feet available for the historically <br />irrigated lands. This amount may change depending on the final <br />decree of the water court. <br />The following consumptive uses are estimated for the mining and <br />reclamation of this project: <br />Wash water <br />The plant that will operate will have a capacity to pump 1500 gpm <br />for. wash waters. These wash waters will be used to remove -200 <br />fines and will be recycled through settling ponds. The majority of <br />the losses are incurred in the residual moisture left in the <br />material once it is stockpiled. <br />G-3 <br />