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PERMIT #: M-1992-069 <br />INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: JLE <br />INSPECTION DATE: November 10, 2010 <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />This was a normal monitoring inspection of the 83rd Joint Venture site; DRMS File No. M-1992-069, operated by <br />Aggregate Industries WCR - Inc. This site is located approximately one mile northwest of Greeley, Colorado in Weld <br />County. 1, Jared Ebert and Peter Hays of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) conducted <br />the inspection. Mrs. Connie Davis of Aggregate Industries WCR - Inc. accompanied the Division on the inspection. <br />This site was last inspected on March 31, 2010 and it was found the final configuration of the site differed from the <br />current approved reclamation plan. This issue was cited as a problem and the Operator was required to submit a <br />Technical Revision to the reclamation plan to update the current configuration of the site. On October 29th, 2010 the <br />Division received a letter from the Operator requesting an extension of the corrective action due date. Within this letter, <br />the Operator indicated a flood event occurred at the site in June of this year. <br />This inspection was conducted to evaluate the condition of the site after the flood and the possible impact to the <br />reclamation plan. A map is enclosed with this report illustrating the Division's findings. The Boyd-Freeman ditch begins <br />at a headgate at the Poudre River west of the site. According to Mrs. Davis, the City of Greeley is the primary <br />shareholder of this ditch. The ditch flows east until it arrives at the western permit boundary of the site. At this point, the <br />ditch makes a 90 degree turn to the north until it reaches the northern permit boundary where it makes a sharp turn to east. <br />The ditch flows east parallel to the northern permit boundary. About midway along the northern permit boundary the <br />ditch connects to a pipe which transports the water east until it turns northeast out of the permit boundary. <br />According to Mrs. Davis, during the June flood event, water from the Poudre River breached the headgate of the Boyd- <br />Freeman ditch. It appears this ditch used to be about four to five feet deep. During the flood event, the ditch was severely <br />damaged due to the excess flood volume. Floodwater entered the site where the ditch makes its 90 degree turn to the <br />north at the southern end of the western permit boundary. At this point, the pit slope failed allowing water to enter the <br />western lake. A small berm separates the western lake from the eastern lake. Floodwaters began to overtop this berm and <br />eventually the berm failed, and the floodwaters entered the eastern lake. A small wetland basin was created east of the <br />eastern lake, a small swale separated the eastern lake from the wetland basin. Floodwaters overtopped this swale <br />depositing sediment on the eastern side of the swale. At this point, a flood control spillway at the north end of the wetland <br />basin allowed the water to flow out of the site. <br />The primary damage to the site occurred where the slope failed at the western end of the permit boundary and the breach <br />of the berm separating the west lake from the east lake. A gas line owned by the City of Greeley was located within this <br />berm. This gas line was exposed as a result of the berm failure. According to Mrs. Davis, the gas line in not operating at <br />this time. A small amount of sediment was deposited from the flood event in the wetland basin east of the eastern lake. It <br />appears the lakes helped capture and slow the floodwaters from the ditch. Given the distance of the site from the Poudre <br />River (over 1,000 feet) it is likely the berm separating the west and east lakes was not designed to withstand a flood event <br />of this magnitude. <br />As stated above, the City of Greeley owns the majority of the ditch shares and the gas line exposed during the flood. <br />According to Mrs. Davis, the city is in the process of purchasing the property and is analyzing how they intend to improve <br />the ditches' headgate and channel, as well as supporting the exposed gas line. These decisions will impact the final <br />configuration of the site, and therefore the required technical revision. Given this, the Division will modify the original <br />problem cited during the March 31, 2010 inspection and allow the Operator additional time to submit the technical <br />revision. <br />The technical revision will still be required to update the final configuration of the site, as well as address how the slope <br />and berm failures will be addressed. Flood control structures such as spillways and/or culverts may need to be installed to <br />prevent future slopeiberm failures. These measures would need to be described in a narrative included with the technical <br />revision. <br />Page 2 of 6