2009-05-01_HYDROLOGY - M1987038 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Pete Foster Page 2 May 1, 2009 A. An expansion of the mining operation which will occur over the next four years in four Phases. For Years One and Two, mining operations will be extended to the north, west and east of Bayfield Pit No. 1, and construction of a dewatering trench. Materials will be mined above the lowered water table. (See Figure 3) B. The water used in the gravel washing operation under the augmentation plan was 100% consumed because the gravel washing return flows returned to the Pine River downstream of the Pine River Canal, the calling water right. For this SWSP, the gravel washing operations have been changed. The wash water will be added to Bayfield Pit No. 1 for settlement purposes before entering Bayfield Pit No. 2 for discharge to the Pine River upstream of the Pine River Canal. Since the return flows will be returned upstream of the calling water right, the gravel washing return flow will be taken as a credit in this plan. For operations during Years One and Two, except for the above-referenced changes, the operation will continue as described in the augmentation plan decreed in 03CW65. Therefore there is no conflict with the amount of augmentation water decreed nor the uses specified in the decree. At full build-out, however, the water surface area will exceed the decreed 28.39 acres. Depletions The out-of-priority depletions for the facility during this approval period are expected to be 82 acre-feet of evaporation from a water surface area not to exceed 28.39 acres, 3.53 acre- feet of water lost in product, 2.73 acre-feet from concrete batching, and 0.49 acre-feet for dust suppression (See Tables 2 & 3). Total consumptive use from the pit operation is expected to be 88.7 acre-feet, but after the gravel washing return flow credit, the anticipated annual out-of- priority depletions to the Pine River are expected to be 85.4 acre-feet during 2009 and 88.4 acre-feet during 2010 (see Table 5). Lagged depletions were calculated using a transmissivity of 25,000 gpd/ft, a specific yield of 15%, and a distance of 200 feet from the edge of the pit to the river. At full build-out after gravel operations have ceased and the de-watered areas are allowed to fill with water, it is anticipated that 39.1 acres of water will be exposed resulting in 112.9 acre-feet of depletions. The operation will be covered by an SWSP and not the decreed augmentation plan. Therefore, water sales will not be allowed under the SWSP. Replacement Water The water supply currently decreed as an augmentation source for the Bayfield Facility is the Gosney Alternative Pump Station. The Applicant has a lease agreement with Gosney & Sons, Inc. that is effective so long as the Lessee owns the property or until the Lessee terminates the water lease. This pump station is decreed to supply up to 1 cfs for augmentation of water use at the Facility. A call is placed on the Pine River generally throughout the irrigation season from May 1 through October 30 by The Pine River Canal. The pump station is located on a tributary to the Pine River in an area that is considered to have water available for appropriation. The water will be delivered to the Bayfield Facility or directly into the Pine River Canal either by ditch or pipeline as directed by the Water Commissioner. Table 5, Column 4 shows that all out of priority depletions are less than the 1.0 cfs replacement water available,