PERMFILE132706

• Permit No: M2000014
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 1/27/2000
• Doc Name: Application Exhibits
• From: Yust Ranch
• To: DMG
• Section_Exhibit Name: Application Exhibits
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

~ i
GEORGE M. FOSHA
Consulting Water Resources Engineer
2620 South Ivy Street
Denver, Colorado 80222
Tel. [phone]
April 13, 1999
Ms. Lurline Curran
Planning and Zoning Department
Grand County Court House
P. O. Box 239
Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado 80451
Dear Ludine:
4ECEIVED
JkN 2 7 2000
Division or ta~nerab 8 Geology
Re: Tri-River fnc.
Proposed Yust Gravel Pit
I have been retained by Tri-River Inc. to assist with the development of a water supply for
a sand and gravel miring operation proposed for developmerrt on property owned by Mr. James
Yust in the NE1/4 of the SW1l4 d Section 19, T1N, RBtMI. It is my understanding that fhe sand
and gravel will be mined in the dry above the natural water fade. As such, rm ponds will be
eructed that would expose grorurdweter to the atmosphere and therefore no evaporation
losses would occur. However, Tri-River intends to screen and wash the mined materials in a
packaged wash pant. In the washing process, a certain amount d process water is 'locked up'
on the surfaces of the sand and gravel partides (i.e. damp sand). As the sand product leaves the
pant, this locked up water represents a depletion to the flovus of the Blue River/Coorado River
system. Theoretically, this degetion could impact the water rights of senior water users in the
lower Colorado River basin.
From studies pertonned for a number of gravel producers on the Front Range, it has
been determined that the amount of water 'consumed' during the washing process ranges from
about 3 percent to about 4 peroerrt of the total product weigh. This is equivalent to a range of
7.2 to 9.6 gallons per !on of product. These values have been used as the basis for numerous
augmentation pans and substitute water suppy pans and have been accepted by the Cdorado
Division of Water Resources.
Td-River estimates that at full pmduk~on, the proposed pant will process about 30,000
tons of washed sand and gravel per year, primarily during athree-morrth period in the summer
~ruc5on season. Aocordrngly, the stream degetion assocated with the operation is
estimated to range from 0.66 acre-foot per year to 0.86 aae-foot per year. Although this
degetion is very small, render strict administration of water rights in the Cdorado River basin, the
Division of Water Resources (State Engineer) may require that the degetion be offset or