PERMFILE135955

• Permit No: M1997086
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 1/27/1998
• Doc Name: MEMO MINING ACTIVITY BY SILOAM STONE CO NEAR RED CREEK RANCH
• From: DWR
• To: VIRGINIA STECKMAN
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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STATE OF COLORADO _
OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER
Division of Water Resources mac,°F cO~q
Department of Natural Resources »~ ~a-,
1313 Sherman S[reeL Room 818 1': `t
Denver, Colorado 80203 • re~b
Phone [phone]
FAx [phone]
RECEIVED Roy ROmer
Governor
lames S. Lachhead
Executive Director
JAN 2 7 1998 Hal D Simpson
State Engineer
M e ~ O Division of Mine2lt3 6 Geology
To: Virginia SteckmaQn ~~
From: Dick Wolfe, P.E., Water Supply Branch South Region
CC: Steve Witte, P.E., Division Engineer
Tony Waldron, Division of Minerals and Geology
Date: 01 /27/98
Re: Mining Activity by Siloam Stone Company near Red Creek Ranch
In response to our telephone conversation earlier today, I am submitting to you my thoughts on the
issues you raised in our telephone conversation. As I understand the situation, Siloam Stone Company
is proposing to expand their mining activities near your residence and others. You have a wncem that
the proposed method of blasting may have an adverse affect on your well and possible others in the
immediate area. As we discussed, it may be very difficult and expensive to determine to any great
certainty the exact effects of this mining activity on the surrounding ground water system. At this point,
it is our understanding that the proposed mining will not intercept any groundwater. I am assuming that
your two primary concerns include water quality and well production.
Depending on the magnitude of fhe blasting, and the proximity to water wells, it may be possible that
the blasting could cause a temporary discoloration in the water. However, I do not believe this situation
would exist very long or have any adverse health effects. The impact on well production is very difficult
to predict. One of the best ways to determine any changes in water quality or well production is to have
a monitoring program. Ideally, you should have as much data as possible before the mining activity. If
no information has been gathered on water quality and well production (water table elevation and flow
rate of wells), you should begin gathering this information as soon as possible. This information needs
to be obtained for as many of the existing wells in the area. Additionally, you could also request that
Siloam Stone Company install additional monitoring wells near the mining and the water wells. A
qualified professional could determine the exact number of wells and their location.
As I indicated to you on the telephone today, our agency is a referal agency to fhe Division of Minerals
and Geology. We reviewed all of the information submitted by Siloam and provided a response to the
Division of Minerals of Geology on October 29, 1997 (DMG #97-086). Based on the information
submitted, we found that there would not be any adverse impacts to vested water rights. Please
contact me if yeu have any other questions.