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HISTORY and BACKGROUND <br />The Monument Dam, impounding Minnesota Reservoir is located on the Dry Fork of <br />Minnesota Creek, approximately 6 miles east of the Town of Paonia. Initial work began <br />on the dam in 1891, with enlargements to the Deep Creek Ditch (a trans-basin diversion) <br />and Monument Dam in, 1899, 1904, and 1936, respectively. The water rights have a <br />senior priority of No. 35 in the State of Colorado. In other words, the water right was the <br />35th water right adjudicated through the Court after Colorado became a state in 1876. <br />Minnesota Canal and Reservoir Company is the owner and operator of the dam. When <br />the last enlargement was completed in 1936, the south abutment of the dam was <br />constructed into a large landslide body. <br />In order for Mountain Coal Company's West Elk Mine to progress longwall mining <br />within 1/4 mile of the dam and reservoir, it was necessary to construct preventative <br />measures to protect the dam from mine subsidence and seismic activity. No mining will <br />occur beneath the reservoir as the coal was withdrawn from the Federal Coal Lease (C- <br />1362). <br />MCC consulted with and negotiated the preventative measures and permitting through <br />the Department of Water Resources - Office of the State Engineer, Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation Mining and Safety, Minnesota Canal and Reservoir Company, United States <br />Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Colorado Water Quality Control <br />Division. <br />INTRODUCTION <br />The project is located in T13S, R90W, 61h PM, in Section 32, Gunnison County, <br />Colorado. <br />Mountain Coal Company, West Elk Mine, Exhibit 76, Monument Dam - Preventative <br />Measures, (Technical Revision No. 108), was approved by the Colorado Office of the <br />State Engineer and Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety, August 10, <br />2007. <br />PROJECT <br />MCC began the project in late August 2007 and completed it in October 2008. <br />Construction of preventative measures consisted of unloading of the landslide on the <br />south abutment, buttressing the downstream face of the dam, installation of a primary <br />spillway valve and piping, installation of trench drains, gravel filter, clay liner, <br />piezometers, inclinometers, rip-rapping the upstream face and emergency spillway. Also <br />associated with the project were the installation of a total remote survey station and <br />accelerometers for monitoring the dam for movement and seismic activity, both naturally <br />occurring and mine-induced. <br />MCC was instrumental in providing the permitting, engineering design, and project <br />management of construction activities for the Minnesota Canal and Reservoir Company. <br />Although the project was costly, the positive benefits of being a good corporate neighbor <br />will offset concerns associated with mine induced subsidence. <br />2