2017-07-13_REVISION - M1977522

• Permit No: M1977522
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 7/13/2017
• Doc Name: Objection to SL01
• From: DWR
• To: DRMS
• Type & Sequence: SL1
• Email Name: ECS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

AVCOLORADO
Division of Water Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 821
Denver, CO 80203
Response to Reclamation Permit Release Request Consideration
DATE: July 13, 2017
TO: Eric C. Scott, Environmental Protection Specialist ([e-mail])
CC: Division 1 Office, District 3 Water Commissioner
FROM: Sarah Brucker, P.E.d1/
RE: Star Water Resource (formerly Feit Pit), File No. M-1977-522 - SL01
Applicant/Operator: L.G. Everist, Inc., 303-287-4656
Section 26, Twp 6 North, Rng 66 West, 61h P.M., Weld County
COMMENTS: The applicant has submitted a request for full reclamation responsibility release for the 81.27
acres remaining in the permit area (9.36 acres were previously released).
L.G. Everist completed mining at the site in 2014. The slurry wall liner for the Everist Star Reservoir on the
western portion of the site was approved by this office as meeting the design standard in a letter dated
December 16, 2014 and the lined portion of the site is now classified as a lined reservoir. (A subsequent
approval letter dated March 6, 2015 was issued to correct the WDID for the structure.) According to a field
inspection conducted by your office on August 3, 2016, the exposed ground water lake on the eastern portion
of the site has been backfilled to reduce the exposed ground water area to the pre-1981 area (6.1 acres). The
Star Water Resource (formerly the Feit Pit) is included in the L.G. Everist Combined Substitute Water Supply
Plan (WDID 0202618), most recently approved February 10, 2016 for operation through December 31, 2017.
The submitted May 2017 accounting for the L.G. Everist Combined Substitute Water Supply Plan continues to
show depletions associated with the exposure of 2.20 acres of ground water in the East Cell beyond the 6.1
acres of pre-1981 area. If this area has been backfilled, then the applicant should submit revised accounting
showing the actual depletions at the site and actual replacements made. The Star Water Resource must
continue to be included in a substitute water supply plan and should not be granted a full reclamation release
until all lagged depletions to the stream system from operations at the site have been replaced.
Based on the above, this office objects to the requested full reclamation responsibility release. The applicant
may contact the State Engineer's Office with any questions.
1313 Sherman Street, Room 821, Denver, CO 80203 P 303.866.3581 www.water.state.CO.us `