Snake River sampling stepped up

Feds, state agencies to test for metals, study fish populations

On a larger scale, Summit Water Quality/Quantity expert Lane Wyatt and Trout Unlimited’s Elizabeth Russell will use the information to fill in the gaps in a proposed watershed plan for the Snake River Basin.

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070703/NEWS/70703002

SUMMIT COUNTY — An ambitious round of water sampling this summer in the Snake River Basin will help lay the groundwork for a comprehensive watershed plan. One key goal is treating polluted drainage from the abandoned Pennsylvania Mine, near Peru Creek, where toxic zinc, cadmium and other dissolved metals are leaching into the water. Combined with pollution from other sources and naturally occurring minerals in the drainage, concentrations of metals in the Snake are so high that fish can’t survive.

The sampling this summer includes EPA tests, as well as more work by state health and water quality officials, while the U.S. Forest Service will take a close look at the status of aquatic insects, the macro invertebrates that form the base of the food chain. Among the agencies doing tests is the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which has been sampling the Snake and its tributaries for three years as part of a larger assessment of the environmental effects of historical mining in Central Colorado. The USGS has sampled at six sites, including the relatively untainted North Fork of the Snake (flowing down from Loveland Pass), Peru Creek above and below the Pennsylvania Mine, Deer Creek and Sts. John Creek (above Montezuma) and the Snake River in Keystone.

In an e-mail to the Snake River Task Force, USGS researcher Stan Church explained that preliminary results confirms a previous study by biologist Andrew Todd, showing fish will not survive in the contaminated stream segments. Zinc is directly toxic to trout and also affects the aquatic bugs that form the base of the food chain.

Church said the USGS is compiling a paper on their work and emphasized the preliminary nature of the results, but wanted to give the task force a heads up so that nobody is surprised when the results are published, perhaps by the end of the summer.

Some of the tests scheduled this summer include EPA water sampling and Forest Service macroinvertebrate research next week. The Colorado Division of Wildlife will do some fish population studies later in the month, while state environmental experts will test mine waste piles and do some low-flow sampling in August.

As concentrations of metals vary widely with flows in the streams, the EPA will return to do yet another round of low-flow sampling in late September, repeating some of the early July tests. A full sampling report is expected sometime this coming winter. Using the data, state experts will set new water quality standards for some of the affected Snake River segments, with public comment on those proposed changes to take place in June and July 2008.

On a larger scale, Summit Water Quality/Quantity expert Lane Wyatt and Trout Unlimited’s Elizabeth Russell will use the information to fill in the gaps in a proposed watershed plan for the Snake River Basin.

Wyatt and Russell said previously that a treatment facility for the toxic water from the Pennsylvania Mine could be under construction as soon as 2008, barring any unforeseen pitfalls.

For more Snake River info, check out the task force web site at http://instaar.colorado.edu/SRWTF/.

EPA awards Trout Unlimited for Good Samaritan clean-up of American Fork site

Award cites trail-blazing effort, significant environmental benefit (Denver, Colo., June 29, 2007) -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials will present the EPA Environmental Achievement Award to Russ Schnitzer at the EPA Region 8 Headquarters in Denver on Monday.

Carol Rushin, EPA Assistant Regional Administrator, will present the award to Russ Schnitzer, formally Trout Unlimited's Field Director for Abandoned Mines, now of The Nature Conservancy.

Assistant Regional Administrator Rushin said, "Russ is one of several individuals who took extraordinary steps to clean up a polluting, abandoned mine site, helping to save a watershed and in the process blaze a trail for other good samaritans to follow."

The effort being recognized constitutes a national, precedent-setting accomplishment, requiring dedication and persistence in overcoming liability and technical environmental barriers, she noted.

Carol Russell, Region 8 Tribal Water Quality Team Leader, formerly the Region's Mining Coordinator, said, "In completing this effort and other efforts relevant to the Hard Rock Mining initiative, Trout Unlimited has been a model for other organizations."

"They have demonstrated the significance of this environmental issue so critical to the West and how important it is for others to step forward as Good Samaritans to clean up abandoned mine sites," she said, noting, "these awardees are representatives of an army of watershed protection and restoration volunteers."

The Forest Service and Trout Unlimited implemented a series of cleanup activities at the site, which is located on both private and public land and lies between Provo and Salt Lake City in the Utah Lake watershed, Utah. The mine site is adjacent to the American Fork River which now, thanks to the cleanup, can support the rare, native cutthroat trout in a 10-mile stretch downstream of the mine.

In 2003, the Forest Service performed a clean-up, removing tailings and restoring public lands. In 2005, Trout Unlimited, a Good Samaritan, working with Snowbird Ski Resort, the owner of adjacent private property, and Tiffany & Co. Foundation, spearheaded the cleanup of 33,000 cubic yards of waste rock and tailings with elevated levels of heavy metals at abandoned mines on private property. These wastes are now safely encapsulated in a permanent repository constructed near the Pacific Mine on Snowbird Ski Resort's property. Tiffany & Co. Foundation provided financial support for the project. Additional funding was obtained through Congressional appropriations, and NRCS managed the federal grants to perform the cleanup.

The American Fork site is one of more than 500,000 orphaned mine sites throughout the West. These sites profoundly impact the affected land and water resources downstream. At many orphan mine sites and processing areas, disturbed rock and waste piles contain high levels of sulfides and heavy metals. These piles, when exposed to air and water, undergo physical and chemical reactions that create acid drainage. As this drainage runs through mineral-rich rock, it often picks up other metals --such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and zinc -- in solution or in suspension as sediment. When this runoff enters local streams and rivers, it can severely degrade water quality, damage or destroy insect, plant and animal life.

The Good Samaritan Initiative is an Agency-wide initiative to accelerate restoration of watersheds and fisheries threatened by abandoned hard rock mine runoff by encouraging voluntary cleanups by parties that do not own the property and are not responsible for the property's environmental conditions.

EPA recently announced its release of Good Samaritan administrative tools for helping interested stakeholders to clean up abandoned mine sites. These tools are intended to facilitate many more Good Samaritan cleanups.

When releasing the Good Samaritan Tools, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said, "President Bush is clearing legal roadblocks that for too long have prevented the cleanup of our nation's watersheds. Through EPA's administrative action, we are reducing the threat of litigation from voluntary hardrock mine cleanups and allowing America's Good Samaritans to finally get their shovels into the dirt."

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/8beba1896692bb31852572a000655942/26b44e3f31057b99852572f20060be92!OpenDocument

http://www.epa.gov/water/goodsamaritan/

http://www.coloradoconfidential.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2204

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/e87e8bc7fd0c11f1852572a000650c05/fce61d72c91cc8d1852572f2006a7448!OpenDocument

Award winners from other locations associated with the American Fork project have previously received awards and will receive further awards in the near future.

EPA Region 8 presents awards in four categories to individuals and groups external to the regional office. This award recognizes significant achievements in protection of public health or the environment, or in advancing the Agency's current strategic goals. Among the criteria is an outstanding contribution to environmental protection through a single action, or by an ongoing action over an appreciable period of time.

Inmates help reclaim tailings dump

"The local chapter could see sediment was a concern in Four Mile Creek, a wild brown trout fishery, so we were able to come up with a small grant of $2,500 to help with restoration downstream or revegetation, plus we can provide volunteers to do some of the work," said Elizabeth Russell of Trout Unlimited.

http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1182600925/22

By TRACY HARMON THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

VICTOR - A nuisance legacy of yesteryear's gold mining heyday is being neutralized this summer in an effort to save a watershed that has dumped silt into Four Mile Creek and eventually the Arkansas River.

A huge pile of tailings, mostly fine sand, was piled up in Millsap Gulch two miles south of Victor between 1893 and the 1930s, coming predominately from the Independence Mine which was one of Victor's deepest gold mines. The massive mound of tailings was supposed to be rendered harmless by two earthen dams that would hold them in place, but the dams failed 15 years ago.

Now every time there is a heavy downpour of rain, significant amounts of the silt are washing onto the Bob and Helen Shoemaker ranch about 10 miles south of the gulch. From there it spills into Four Mile Creek, which later dumps into the Arkansas River and ends up in Pueblo Reservoir.

"This is terrible stuff. The silt kills vegetation and the bug life and although I own the water right, I can't use any of that water for irrigating the alfalfa fields," Shoemaker said. "This year was really bad for quite a while, so I am just tickled they will be saving all this water in here."

When it is not raining, the tailings move through the air on wind currents. The wind and water have carved huge gullies into the tailings pile, some of which are 70 feet deep.

The barren tailings are surrounded by a lush landscape of grasses, wild irises, sweet peas, aspen and pine trees. The tailings site resembles a miniature Badlands where precious few plants take root.

"It is unbelievable what the erosion has done. This is a massive project," said Dan Grenard, a U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) geologist who has been the adhesive force in getting partners together to tackle the problem.

The partners in the restoration of the tailings site number more than 20. Al Amundson of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety's Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program is overseeing a four-month project that should correct the problem by summer's end.

Amundson said a total of 270,000 cubic yards of tailings will be moved to fill in the gullies and the pile will be shaped with a gentle slope that will have a 5-percent grade. After considering more than 50 designs, Amundson said he settled on one that he was able to tweak to provide the "most durable" and low-cost solution.

The rerouted tailings will be covered with 50,000 yards of clay overburden material then topped with bio-solids and revegetated so grasses and, eventually the native aspen trees, will return to the gulch and soak up the rain water.

"The design will allow the tailings pile to shed water laterally as quick as it can into a diversion ditch on each side," Amundson said.

In case of massive amounts of rainfall, a sediment pond will capture excess runoff.

Getting the problem solved has been five years in the making. The tailings are not acidic so the harm to the instream habitat is small.

"It's not like it is killing any critters," said Dave Gilbert, a BLM fisheries biologist. "More money is available and directed to solving acidic problems."

"It has been difficult funding-wise. This project is kind of like an orphan," Grenard said.

Because of the lack of funding available, the project managers decided to ask for help from the Colorado Department of Corrections Vocational Heavy Construction Technology Program based at the Buena Vista Correctional Facility.

"The project is a $1.3 million project but we only have $750,000 to work with - $600,000 from the state and $150,000 from the BLM - so you can see where the inmates come in," Grenard said.

Under the direction of Tom Bowen, inmates are learning how to operate a wide variety of heavy equipment, as well as learning character development traits like good behavior and work ethics. In turn, the inmates earn 60-cents a day, but more importantly, are learning a skill that "when they are released from prison they can make very good money," Bowen said.

Each day, the crew of 20 inmates puts in 10 hours - three of them on travel to and from the site and seven on the ground moving tailings at Millsap Gulch. Every three days, each inmate is assigned a new piece of equipment so each has experience on a variety of machinery.

From Buena Vista, the inmates will be placed into heavy equipment jobs while assigned to a halfway house. They are under contract to save 10 percent of their income for a year and a half after release so they "have a safety net in life and will have something to live on if there are problems," Bowen said.

For years the program boasted a minimal 10-12 percent recidivism rate, but Bowen has seen a small increase of inmates returning to prison after release in recent years because the inmates struggle with drug addiction problems, he said.

"The recidivism rate is still way better than the 30-40 percent state average," Bowen said. "We are teaching them - and hopefully they are going to continue - a new way of life."

Another partner helping with the project is Trout Unlimited, a group of avid anglers.

"The local chapter could see sediment was a concern in Four Mile Creek, a wild brown trout fishery, so we were able to come up with a small grant of $2,500 to help with restoration downstream or revegetation, plus we can provide volunteers to do some of the work," said Elizabeth Russell of Trout Unlimited.

"For me, to knock this out is a joy," Grenard said.

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.

-----------------------------------------

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