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<br />• 1 <br />purchased for a cattle operation for which the mining claims <br />supply the base land for the grazing permits. Both Plaintiffs <br />and Defendants used the ranch accordingly, and while the permit- <br />ted gravel operation consists of 9.9 acres, a continued gravel <br />operation would necessitate the removal of what topsoil there is <br />to get at the sand and gravel. The court in Morrison, on page <br />214, found no distinction between that situation and a situation <br />where the sand and gravel constituted the entire surface of the <br />land. <br />With regard to the intent of the parties, the Court has <br />already found that only the Plaintiffs had any intent to reserve <br />sand and gravel. The Court does no[ find this intent was ever <br />communicated to the buyer. Further, the Court has found that the <br />intent of the Plaintiff and purchaser with reference to the 1989 <br />deed, Plaintiff's Exhibit 10, is no[ clear, is not unequivocal <br />and is ambiguous, and therefore any ambiguity is to be resolved <br />against Plaintiff as the one who furnished the legal description. <br />The intent of the parties with reference to the Shaw chain of <br />title is sheer speculation. <br />Finally, while the Reams family honored a request to <br />pay royalties for sand and gravel to the mineral right holder on <br />their ranch, the weight of the testimony indicates that sand and <br />gravel is not normally considered to be a mineral in the west end <br />of Montrose County and is no[ generally considered to be a <br />mineral by those engaged in the mining industry. Further, the <br />testimony indicated that the real value to this sand and gravel <br />was because of road access and the availability of water to <br />conduct the sand and gravel operations. The sand and gravel on <br />the subject property is not unique in character and is very <br />common to the area. The testimony indicated some 34 different <br />sites where sand and gravel could be obtained within an eight <br />mile radius of the subject property. <br />Although of limited assistance, the Court does note the <br />definition of various terms in Black's Law Dictionary. 5th <br />Edition, 1979. Following definitions are noted: <br />1. Mineral. "Any valuable inert or lifeless sub- <br />stance formed or deposited in its present position through <br />natural agencies alone, and which is found either in or upon the <br />soil of the earth or in the rocks beneath the soil." <br />"Any natural constituent of <br />earth, inorganic or Cossil, homogeneous in <br />definite chemical composition and known cr <br />term includes all fossil bodies or matters <br />quarries, whence anything may be dug, such <br />may be quarried." <br />the crust of the <br />structure, having a <br />ystallization. The <br />dug out of mines or <br />as beds of stone which <br />"The word is not a definite term and is suscepti- <br />16 <br />