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TWCi Tucson water Company, Inc. <br />a community owned and volunteer operated non-profit corporation since 1990 <br />July 24, 200:3 <br />RECEIVED <br />12490 Salem St. <br />Henderson, CO 80640 <br />Office/Home 303-654-9879 <br />Cell 720-635-6175 <br />Fax 303-659-6121 <br />Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources Division of Minerals and Geg1Q <br />Division of Minerals and Geology II''f? C?'? VP^ <br />Attn: Harry Posey <br />13 <br />13 Sherman JUL 2 4 2003 <br />Room <br />Denver? CO 80203 division of INiperels and <br />Geolo9Y <br />Subject: Request for investigation of ?ewatering damage <br />RE: Permit # M-2001-085, 124f" Estates Sand & Gravel Mine <br />Dear Mr. Posey: <br />4411 <br />I am a homeowner and volunteer operator for a small water company serving 36 homes and the <br />Henderson Elementary school, located -%2 mile east of Hwy 85 & 124' Ave (Hwy 22), NW % Sec 36, <br />T1 S, R67W, 6' PM. We operate both a drinking water system and an irrigation system. Our main <br />irrigation well, state registered # 420-R at 400GPM, is located on 2050 ft S. and 850 ft E. of the NW <br />corner of Sec :36, (SW % of NW '/ Sec 36, or western edge of lot 3, block 1, Tucson Estates Amended <br />Plat) in the alluvial aquifer of the S. Platt river. <br />After surviving the multi-year drought and the nearby gravel mining to build DIA and E-470, we <br />assumed our irrigation system was going to continue its reliable operation because we had detected no <br />significant change (31 ft.+/- 1 ft) in our static/drawdown water level during the past 9 years (see log <br />attached). However, this spring we detected a loss of 3-4ft in the April-May time frame and because our <br />well is only 40ft deep this loss was catastrophic to our large 220GPM pump. A small 80GPM pump <br />continues to operate with a smaller drawdown and lower intake level. Both pumps are at the bottom. <br />(The well depth was originally 46ft in 1946; it now measures 39.6ft because we lowered the top of the <br />casing -6ft when we installed new pumps and a new underground pump house in 1993) <br />Confused about why this was happening now, especially with the spring snow, we initially assumed it <br />was simply a falling alluvial water level from growth and excessive pumping along the S. Platt river <br />between Commerce City and Brighton / Ft. Lupton. As we worked to begin a replacement well and took <br />action (imposing sweeping water restrictions on all TWC's users, charging a special $18, 000 <br />assessment, arranging line of credit loans of $15, 000 and $50, 000, issuing numerous notices & holding <br />a community meeting, applying for drilling permits and beginning an arduous bidding process) we <br />discovered what we believe to be the most likely cause of our 57 year old well failure... near continuous <br />pumping, at - .500GPM, of the 124th Estates Sand and Gravel Mine since April, 2003. <br />This mine is located in the NE % of the SE %4 Sec 35, T1 S, R67W, 6' PM (SE of Hwy 85 & 12411). <br />A member of our community working at the Brannan Mine (NE of Hwy 85 & 124th) reported that they <br />had noticed a drop in the water level of their unlined pit/lake of -oft in the same April-May time frame. <br />A smaller pit/lake SW of Hwy 85 & 1201iAve also is down in a similar time/amount. Therefore, in three <br />compass directions (N, E, & S) of the 124th Estates Mine we have severely lowered water levels.