2012-02-02_HYDROLOGY - M1977439 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Cc \T ENE N 1876 Richard T. Raines, P.H. 10 (Richard Water Resource Manager Tri- Districts 4424 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80521 DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES February 2, 2012 RE: Partners Home Office Substitute W ter Supply Plan (WDID 0302556) Home Office Pit, DRMS Permit No- 1977 -439 (WDID 0303005) Section 33- Township 8N and Section 3- Towship 7N, Range 69W, 6 P Water Division 1, Water District 3, Larimer County Approval period: January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013 Contact Information for Mr. Raines: (970) 218 -2738; rrainesscwtp.orq Office of the St ngineer 1313 Sherman Street, Suite 818 • Denver, CO 80203 • Phone: 303 - 866 -3581 • Fax: 303 - 866 -3589 www.water.state.co.us Dear Mr. Raines: We have reviewed your letter dated November 15, 2011, requesting renewal of the above referenced substitute water supply plan ( "SWSP ") to cover depletions for five previously mined gravel pits (ponds) within the Home Office Pit that are owned and operated by the Tri- Districts and the City of Greeley ( "Partners" or "Applicant ") in accordance with § 37 -90- 137(11), C.R.S. The Home Office Pit is operated by Lafarge and is included in the Lafarge Upper Poudre Combined SWSP (WDID 0302517) most recently approved in a letter dated May 11, 2011. This SWSP splits out the five ponds owned by the Partners and removes these ponds from Lafarge's SWSP. John W. Hickenlooper Governor Mike King Executive Director Dick Wolfe, P.E. Director /State Engineer M. RECEIVED DEB 0 2 2012 Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety SWSP Operation The Partners own five unlined ponds within the Home Office Pit (Treiber A, Treiber B, Lamb A, Lamb B, & Lamb C — as shown in Figure 1). The Partners will assume augmentation responsibilities for the evaporative depletions from these ponds starting January 1, 2012. The only depletions to occur during this SWSP approval period are from evaporation. No dewatering is provided or sought under this plan. Pursuant to § 37- 90- 137(11)(b), C.R.S. and 2009CW49 a gravel pit operator or property owner does not need to replace depletions that occur due to evaporation from ground water exposed prior to January 1, 1981 as a result of open mining of sand and gravel, regardless of whether mining continued after December 31, 1980. The applicant has stated, and previous SWSPs approved by our office has recognized the pond Lamb A (22.1 acres of groundwater) as being exposed prior to 1981 ("pre-81") and not requiring replacement of evaporative depletions. In accordance with the letter dated April 30, 2010 (copy attached) from the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety ( "DRMS "), all sand and gravel mining operators must comply with the requirements of the Colorado Reclamation Act and the Mineral Rules and Regulations for the protection of water resources. To prevent long term injurious stream depletions that result from mining related exposure of ground water, future operations will include constructing slurry walls around each of the five ponds to construct water storage reservoirs. The Partners have a pending applicatio for a conditional water right for these future ate E