1996-02-06_REVISION - M1977493 (10)

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• NARRATIVE SITE DESCRIPTION The Cyprus Climax Mine is located approximately twelve miles north of Leadville, Colorado at the Continental Divide in portions of Townships 7S and 8S, Range 79W in Summit, Lake, and Eagle Counties. The mine straddles headwaters of three major drainage basins including the origin of the Arkansas River; Tenmile Creek, a tributary of the Blue River and the Colorado River; and the East Fork of the Eagle River, also a tributary of the Colorado River. Process water associated with the mine site is treated and discharged under the authority of CDPS Permit No. CO-0000248. The location of the compliance point for this permit is at OUTFALL 001 located in the Tenmile Creek drainage. Process water includes seepage and drainage from the mine workings, waste dumps, three tailing impoundments, and one reservoir that is used for recycling water through the Climax Mill. A second reservoir (Eagle Park Reservoir) is currently undergoing reclamation for the purpose of converting it to clear (non-process) water storage. The conversion is expected to be completed in one to three years. • The Climax mine facilities are located along and adjacent to Colorado Highway 91. The nearest communities are Copper Mountain (approximately 4 miles north), and Leadville (approximately 12.5 miles south); both situated along Highway 91. The total area of the Climax Mine Site is 14,300 acres. The total tributary area contributing runoff and industrial water to the Process Water discharge outfall is approximately 16,400 acres, including 840 acres in the Eagle River Basin, 100 acres in the Arkansas River basin, and 15,370 acres in the Tenmile Creek Basin. Of this total area (16,400 acres) tributary to OUTFALL 001, the area contributing process water is about 3,372 acres and the remainder consists of non-interceptable areas of storm water runoff only that can not be practically separated and isolated from industrial waters and must therefore be treated and monitored under the conditions and auspices of the CDPS process water permit. Some of these lands are upland of the Climax Mine property but are treated in the process watch system, nonetheless. The map included in this section of the SWMP (Figure 1) shows the relationship of the process water system with respect to Storm Water • areas and other areas that intercept and bypass unaffected waters from upland areas.