June Mine Restoration Notes

Elizabeth RussellColorado Mine Restoration Coordinator

Snake River/Penn Mine:  Things finally seem to be moving along.  The EPA and State (CDPHE) are spending $250K on site treatment design and more characterization this summer.  Now that the model AOC has been released by the EPA, we can move forward on a draft of that document for the Penn Mine.  We are helping to form a foundation that will be responsible for the long term O & M at the site so that TU can get a notice of completion once the treatment system is constructed.  I’ll spend a bunch of time this summer helping with recon and sampling.

Colorado Gulch, Leadville:  Good news here!  The BLM gave us $25,000  for our bioreactor and we also received an EPA grant of $57,000 (Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Innovative Technologies grant).  So far we have raised $115,000 cash and spent $13,000 so far on the bench scale test.  With the EPA’s AOC released, I will be helping Colorado Mountain College and the EPA come to an agreement at the site (the college will do the long-term O & M and be responsible for construction – we are just raising the money).  It looks like we can begin next spring if the legal work is done.  I’m still waiting to here on another $30,000 in grants.  We will likely have to raise some more money, but we don’t know yet because the design work isn’t done.  This will be the West’s first Good Sam mine cleanup project that treats water so it’s really exciting and important.

Millsap Tailings:  TU is just a VERY small part of this project.  We contributed $2500 of the $650,000.  The reclamation began last week and is expected to last 1-2 months.  I’m helping the local TU chapter on getting some good press.

Red River Mines, New Mexico:  It looks like TU will help with the clean up of 1-5 small mine sites on private land in the Red River watershed.  This is great news for TU’s mining work since we will be entering into a new state.  Also, we will partner with Amigos Bravos and the Santa Fe TU chapter.  I’m currently waiting for the final engineering designs and cost estimates from the Forest Service.  I just have to figure out how to raise the money we’ll need.  I’ve already talked with an attorney at EPA Region 6 and they are excited to have a Good Sam cleanup in that region.

The BFC Flagship Project

On May 15, 2007 a presentation was made to the Department of Wildlife Fishing is Fun Committee for a $169,330 grant on the $235,030 project to restore one-half mile of Middle Boulder Creek nine miles from the City of Boulder and four miles from Nederland. The presentation can be seen on our website.

Fishing Is Fun program funds come from federal excise taxes collected on the purchase of fishing equipment, boats, motor boat and vehicle fuels. Those funds are subsequently distributed back to the states for sportfish programs.

According to the DOW, projects totaling more than $20 million have been selected through the Fishing Is Fun program to receive grants ranging from $1,000 to $400,000. The 250 FIF projects in nearly every county in Colorado have increased annual angler recreation days by an estimated 1,800,000 days.

The Project committee headed by Roger Svendsen has expended a considerable amount of time on bringing this project forward. The partnership with the City of Boulder, Boulder County Parks and Open Space, and the Colorado Department of Transportation has been of significant help.

We believe our chances for approval in June with a 2008 start date are excellent.

In our recent membership survey there was a fair amount of input concerning the BFC commitment to improving local fisheries. For those of you who are concerned about this issue and want to make a difference on both Middle and South Boulder Creek I’d suggest you get in touch with me to translate that concern into action.

Remember that getting DOW approval is only part of the way – there are significant funds that will need to be raised.

I think that the same Chapter that made the Boulder Creek Path happen, can step up to the challenge and get the community at large behind this phase of improving Boulder Creek.

Paul Prentiss

CHAPTER, NTU HELP MILLSAP TAILINGS PROJECT MOVE FORWARD

A major reclamation project lead by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety will begin in May at the Millsap Tailings, located outside of Victor, Colorado.  The Cheyenne Mountain TU chapter, as well as national TU’s Colorado Mine Restoration Coordinator, Elizabeth Russell, helped in the effort to raise money for the $750,000 project.  The chapter hopes the effort will improve trout habitat in Four Mile Creek.  This is a showcase project that brings together a diverse group of state, federal and local agencies, land owners, water rights holders, and non profit organizations to address one of the most prolific problems in the West. 

The Millsap Tailings ponds were created in the 1940s to hold slurried material from a nearby gold processing plant.  The original dams that were constructed to hold the tailings were breached several decades ago and the tailings are continually eroding downstream during storm events, in some cases reaching over 10 miles from their original location.  The site contains 60 to 80 foot highwalls and covers 65 acres.  A jar of water collected below the tailings in Millsap Creek during a storm usually contains 20-30 percent sediment load.  This siltation has caused wild trout habitat to become significantly degraded in Four Mile Creek downstream, and has eliminated the possibility of Millsap Creek being a fishery.  During heavy rain events, this sediment also reaches the Arkansas River.  The goal of this project is to stop the massive erosion, reestablish native vegetation on the restored acres, and ultimately improve and protect the downstream wild trout habitat.  Once finished, the reclaimed land will also be able to support grazing and provide for wildlife habitat.

Collegiate Peaks Anglers Presidents Report

Number of Members    Active members 235

Best of 2006  

Projects

• Cottonwood creek stream rehab project Fishing is Fun project
• Colorado Gulch Artificial wetlands project (EAS)
• Maxwell Creek Barrier construction (EAS)
• South Hayden Creek habitat improvement (EAS)

Education

• 240 students – The Chapter has conducted yearly kids fishing derbies – under age 13 -- in Salida and Buena Vista.  We've done that for at least 15 years
• 230 students – We have conducted youth education activities for students – 4th, 5th and high school --  in BV, Salida, Leadville, & Cotopaxi We teach about trout, do water quality, bug ID, and fly casting and fly tying instruction.
• 80 students -- For the last 15 + years, we have worked every year with local 6th graders helping them learn about the needs of trout.  We do hands-on testing of water quality and bug identification for about 50-80 students each year.
• 27 students -- Fly casting, bug identification, and fly tying classes through BV & Salida Recreation departments.

 Notable Lessons Learned, Struggles, Disappointments or Failures

Out of our 235 members 110 members volunteered for at least one activity during the year.

Colorado Sportsmen's Caucus Meeting

For your information. Hope you might be able to attend. Both Rod Van Velson and I had the opportunity to meet with Ari Zavaras and discuss the current program between Corrections and DOW using inmate labor to do stream improvement in South Park. Eight miles have been completed. Rod's idea is to see the State (source of money undetermined, but a numbers of options exist) purchase $600,000 plus of equipment, which would be under the control of Corrections at Buena Vista. Inmates would be responsible for maintaining the equipment (learning a job skill) and operation of the equipment (heavy equipment certification) and the public gets vastly improved streams and fisheries. In addition to streams, other work could include projects on State Wildlife Areas, Parks and National Forests. The target Counties would initially be Park, Chaffee and Lake.

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Co Chairs

Senator Lois Tochtrop

and

Representative John Soper

invite you to

The Colorado Sportsmen’s Caucus Meeting

§        Thursday April 19 at noon

§        Senate Committee Room 356

§        Colorado State Capitol

Bring your lunch and settle in for a presentation by Rod VanVelson and Eddie Kochman on corrections inmates entering a DOW program to give them job skills and work experience AND (hopefully) a brief presentation by Gary Nichols, Park CO Tourism Director, on his landowner/fisherman pilot program.

Senator Lois Tochtrop: SenLoisTochtrop@aol.com (303) 866-4863

Representative John Soper: johnsoper235@comcast.net  (303) 866-2931