_INSPECTION - C1981008 (5) - Laserfiche WebLink

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October 23, 2012 C-1981-008/New Horizon Mine MLT • Pond 008: This pond is located on the Burbidge property, and has been approved for retention as a permanent feature. Burbridge "topped off' the pond before the irrigation ditch was shut off for the season, but no discharge has occurred. • Pond 009: This pond was completely dry. • Pond 011: The western half of this pond was covered with a shallow pool of water(Photo 4). I asked Mr. Gubka if the mine had directed any pit water to this pond; he said no, that the water seeps in from the Enstrom property located across BB27 Road to the west. • Pond 012: Repairs identified during the Division's August 14, 2012 inspection have been made to the riprapped channel inlet in the southwest corner of the pond (Photo 5). The pond was completely dry during this inspection. • Pond 013: This pond continues to receive overflow from the elevated water tank, which is filled by the pit dewatering pump. Water was also being pumped into the pond directly from Tuttle Draw. The pond discharges on a nearly continual basis. • Pond 015: A small volume of water was ponded here (Photo 6). As described in Attachment 2.05.3(3)-22, the water dissipates by infiltration and/or evaporation. GENERAL MINE PLAN COMPLANCE: • The mine's shovel was active at the northern end of the pit on property owned by WFC. The shovel was loading overburden into trucks, which then hauled the material to the pit on the Morgan property and dumped it as backfill. • Mr. Gubka said that the Bench 2 overburden was weathered sufficiently at the current location that the shovel could free-dig the material and that blasting had not been needed. REVEGETATION—Rule 4.15 Vegetative Cover; Timing: • Two cuttings of hay were achieved from all of the Irrigated Pasture reclamation east of 2700 Road. • The IP Reference Area was mowed twice, to simulate the hay cutting. • No livestock were observed grazing on the IP reclamation or the reference area. • In previous winters, Burbridge's cattle have been released to graze across all of the IP areas east of 2700 Road, between 5th Road and BB Road. Mr. Gubka said that Burbridge has had to sell many of his cows because of the scarcity and high price of hay. He also said that this year, a number of the individual landowners have expressed a desire to graze their own cattle on their reclaimed areas. • Two horses and a few head of cattle were fenced into the Pond 008 area on Burbridge's property (Photo 7). • We inspected the site of the former topsoil stockpiles that were used in the reclamation of the BB Road Detour. The piles were located on the Benson-East property, south of Tuttle Draw and east of 2700 Road. The ground surface is somewhat rocky, and Four-wing saltbush is becoming well established (Photo 8). No noxious weeds were observed. Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 3 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 2 Page 4 of 10