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Adequacy Issues: It is expected that both the settling pond and the pit will remain filled with water at all times. The water level of both bodies will be within one to two feet of the surrounding surface elevation. During spring runoff the level will rise to within a few inches of the bank elevation. Should flooding from the adjacent Animas River occur, it will he in the form of sheet flows which will wash over the banks of the pit and settling pond and back out onto the flood plain to the south of the permit area. The energy of the flood water will be reduced by entering the pit, which will curtail any erosive actions to the surrounding pit area. Once reclamation of the pit and pond areas is completed, the willows and seeded areas adjacent to the Animas River will also act as a stabilizing area to prevent bank erosion during spring runoff events. 2. It is anticipated that the high water channels that cross the proposed pit area will flood each spring during high runoff periods. When flooding does occur during mining operations, the water will be allowed to enter the pit area, which will already be bank full of water. The energy will be dissipated by the flat area created by the bank full pond and then the runoff water will be allowed to leave the pond and pit and return to the river downstream of the pit in the same direction and manner that it currently flows. The existing high flow channels will remain in their current conf+guration during mining and after reclamation is complete. As mining proceeds, the top one to two feet of gravel will be inspected for the presence of tailings. If tailings are present, that material will be stockpiled and analyzed for content. Once the tailings content is determined, the material will either be isoiated onsite away from high water flaws or removed as part of the excavated and classified materials. A detailed surface site inspection has been undertaken and no tailings have been found. 4. This operation will utilize water at a rate of 100 gallons per minute during processing and will use 10.69 acre feet during mining operations annually. A copy of Well Permit #63417 is attached. All water will be pumped either from the settling pond or lake and will be allowed to return to those bodies after process use. 5. Prior to mining the existing willows will be removed and stockpiled. Every effort will be made to keep these willows alive. Once mining is complete these willows wiN be replaced along the west and south sides of the pit