REP52340

• Permit No: C1981020
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 4/25/2003
• Doc Name: 2001 & 2002 AHR Review Memo
• From: Dan Mathews
• To: Sandy Brown
• Annual Report Year: 2001
• Permit Index Doc Type: Hydrology Report
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

_^__:i
STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Na[ural Resources
1313 Sherman 5[., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
DATE: April 25, 2003
ScpNNED
TO: Sandy Brown
FROM: Dan Mathews "`{~~~///
RE: 2001 and 2002 AHRs for McClane and Munger Canyon Mines
Permit No. C-80-004 (McCune) and C-81-020 (Munger)
DlV{SfON OE
MINERALS
GEOLOGY
RECLAMATION
MINING•SAFETY
Bill Owens
Governor
Greg E. Walther
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
Acting Division Director
I have conducted a preliminary review of the 2001 and 2002 AHR's for McClane and
Munger Canyon Mines. The reports are consistent with the format and information content
of previous years, with the exception that the 2002 report includes a full suite sample of
minewater. 2002 is the first year in many years that the mine discharged water.
Information in both reports appears to comply with permit requirements with a couple
exceptions, listed below.
First, in October 2001, the permits were amended to specify that the AHR "will also include
baseline water quality data in addition to the quarterly monitoring data to allow for
comparison of baseline and 'during mining' conditions." As such, the 2002 AHR should
have included baseline surface and ground water data for the monitored surface water sites
and and monitoring wells, but did not. I will request that the operator submit this
information for inclusion in the 2002 AHR, before I request PHC review of the AHRs by a
hydrologist.
Second, the permits require quarterly sampling of East Salt Creek, which is an intermittent
stream tributary to the Colorado River. The permit also requires twice a year sampling of
two ephemeral drainages, McClane Creek and Munger Creek. These drainages exhibit
typical flashy flows after intense summer storms, and brief snowmelt runoff in wet years.
Permit language states that "flow measurements wilt be ideally taken twice a year if water
is available to sample." Also, "measurements will be taken once during spring snow melt
and once during a storm event". Looking back over the last few years, there was one
spring sample from Munger Creek in 1998 and summer samples from both Munger and
McClane Creek in 1997. No samples were taken for either Munger or McClane Creek
during the 2001 or 2002 water years. Given the nature of the McClane and Munger
operations, the sampling is done quarterly by a consultant to the operator, and ii is usually
only by happenstance that the sampler would be on site during a brief flow period for one of
the creeks. We probably need to recommend to the operator that they make arrangements
to ensure that a sample gets taken from each stream during spring runoff (if there is one),
and during at least one rainstorm runoff event. They would likely need to assign this
responsibility to someone who is on site full time. Alternatively, if there is no benefit to be
gained from sampling the streams, which are dry most of the time, we could recommend
that the operator amend the permits to delete the requirement. I'll ask for input from you
and a hydrologist on this question.