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Tributary waters in the upper Eagle River drainage which are not <br /> required to satisfy decreed water rights are intercepted and by- <br /> passed around Climax facilities via a system of maintained <br /> interceptor canals . These interceptors are necessary to deliver <br /> runoff waters around the industrial water circuits and thus, <br /> prevent any discharge of process waters into the Eagle River. <br /> TENMILE CREEK DRAINAGE <br /> Climax operations and facilities within the Tenmile Creek drain- <br /> age include the open pit and underground workings, rock dumps, <br /> tailing delivery and deposition systems, industrial water cir- <br /> cuits, water collection systems, wastewater treatment systems, <br /> and the mill and office complex area consisting of crushing and <br /> milling facilities for the open pit mine , warehouse grounds, and <br /> office and various maintenance buildings. <br /> Climax maintains Colorado PDES Permit No. CO-0000248 to dis- <br /> charge treated waters into Tenmile Creek downstream of the May- <br /> flower tailing pond. <br /> Tailing and Industrial Water Systems <br /> • The three tailing ponds lie within the Tenmile Creek drainage <br /> (with minor drainage from Robinson entering the Eagle watershed <br /> as previously discussed ) . Tailing from the mill complex can be <br /> deposited in any of the ponds via the tailing delivery system <br /> which routes along the west side of the E dump to connect the <br /> mill with the deposition areas. Presently, the system is set to <br /> allow for deposition in the Robinson and Tenmile ponds. The <br /> newer, Mayflower pond presently is utilized for water treatment <br /> (discussed in "Water Quality Control" ) . <br /> Briefly, mill tailing in slurry form is delivered from the mill <br /> to the dam crest of the selected tailing pond. The process water <br /> is separated from the tailing through settling and the clarified <br /> water is returned to the mill circuit through a decant and pump- <br /> ing system. Seepage from the No. 3 dam (Tenmile ) and No. 5 dam <br /> ( Mayflower ) is intercepted by subdrains and returned to the <br /> system by pumping. <br /> Non-process Water Systems <br /> As in the Eagle River drainage , runoff water and tributary <br /> waters in the Tenmile Creek drainage which are not required to <br /> satisfy decreed water rights are diverted around the tailing <br /> ponds and industrial water systems through the east and west <br /> • interceptor canal systems . These canal systems prevent contact <br /> between runoff and the industrial-process waters. Intercepted <br /> water is diverted into Tenmile Creek below the Mayflower tailing <br /> pond . The interceptor systems are regularly maintained and <br /> operated. <br /> G-4 <br />