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bankruptcy protection. Eventually, the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board revoked the <br /> operating permit, and forfeited the reclamation bond. Under the provisions of the Act, the <br /> Division of Minerals and Geology is accomplishing reclamation of the Coal Basin Mine. <br /> During coal mining operations, Dutch Creek was routed south of the mine facilities area in order <br /> to accommodate construction and operation of the coal washing facilities and other industrial <br /> activities related to the mining operation. A portion of this diversion is an approximately 300 feet <br /> long concrete flume. This 12 feet by 4 feet rectangular flume conveys Dutch Creek across coal <br /> refuse materials to its confluence with Coal Creek. Dutch Creek cascades about 40 feet over the <br /> vertical edge of the flume to Coal Creek. <br /> Due to damage sustained to the base of the flume, the mine operators placed a nine feet diameter <br /> culvert into the flume in order to span gaps in the bottom of the flume. This design quickly <br /> proved to be ineffective. The Division under took emergency repairs to the flume in 1995, <br /> including removal of the culvert. Although the flume is currently functional, its' structural <br /> integrity is questionable. Long term stability of the structure is not anticipated. <br /> In order to alleviate the long term structural stability problems which the flume will experience, <br /> designs for a permanent Dutch Creek diversion were drafted. These plans include the excavation <br /> of a new channel and demolition of the existing flume structure. <br /> Construction of the channel will involve excavation of approximately 27,000 cubic yards of <br /> material from the channel foot print. Some of the excavated material will be used as fill adjacent <br /> to portions of the channel. The remainder of the excavated material will be used to fill the <br /> existing flume, and as fill for exposed coal refuse at other areas of the mine site. None of this <br /> material will be used as fill within an existing stream channel. <br /> The channel itself is designed as a channel within a channel. The inner channel will accommodate <br /> flows of Dutch Creek throughout most of the year. The outer channel will accommodate higher <br /> flows which periodically occur within Coal Basin. As noted in the attached paper, the channel is <br /> designed to aggrade and degrade as flow conditions dictate. <br /> The mine operating permit document states that the average annual flow of Dutch Creek at its <br /> confluence with the Coal Creek is 6.1 cfs. This estimate is based upon a ten year average of <br /> measurements of base flow and spring runoff flows. These measurements were made between <br /> October, 1960 and September, 1970. Dutch Creek is known to transport large volumes of <br /> sediment varying in size from silt to boulder. <br /> It may also be useful to note that the majority of the new channel will be constructed on lands <br /> now managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Representatives of the Forest Service have agreed that <br /> construction of the new channel is in the best interest of the public, and serves to help stabilize <br /> this area. <br /> 2 <br />