WCRC Minutes

January 8, 2003

 

Intro of members: JB Alexander, Creede; Jim Matush, Creede;; Jeff Graves, Colorado Div. Minerals and Geology; Leigh Ann Vradenburg, Watershed Coordinator; Zeke Ward, Chairman WCRC; Joe Burkett, Creede; Steve Russell, USDA/NRCS; Chuck Barnes, Creede; Laura Coppock, USFWS; Mike Wireman, USEPA; Kelley Thompson, Agro Engineering.

 

Approval of minutes:  JB Alexander said that under Old Business, Underground Data, his comment should read “…we could use table salt and look for it with silver nitrate.”  Joe Burkett suggested that we clarify the contents of the Tailings Pile Report.  The report will hereafter be referred to as the Summary Report for Waste Rock and Tailings Piles Above Creede, to indicate the exclusion of the Emperious Pile.  Under Approval of Minutes, it should read November instead of December.  Motion to approve the revised December minutes was made by JB Alexander; second made by Chuck Barnes.  Motion carried. 

 

Additions/corrections to the agenda:  Steve Russell wanted to give an update on behalf of the re-veg committee- added after Coordinator’s Report.  Zeke Ward and Leigh Ann Vradenburg wanted to add a discussion of the budget under New Business, Item C.

 

In-Kind:  Forms were provided in hard copy for volunteers to track time and other expenses.  Leigh Ann encouraged monthly submission of these forms so that records could be kept current.  

 

Coordinator’s report: 

 

Leigh Ann informed the committee that she had spoken with Chris Rowe of the Colorado Watershed Network, and that the WCRC would not be able to use RiverWatch assistance as match for grants such as 319.  This was due to the fact that the donation had already been accounted for.

 

Leigh Ann asked Zeke if he could attend a discussion at the Capitol on January 15 regarding the check-off for watersheds on this year’s Colorado Income Tax Forms.  She did not know the specifics of the meeting, but would contact Chris Rowe to find out.

 

Leigh Ann attended a brief training course offered by FEMA.  This course worked with ArcView and FEMA’s new HAZUS software for earthquakes, floods, and fires.  The HAZUS software was for communities to use in evaluating the risk of disaster, their ability to deal with it, and the damage it would cause.  Leigh Ann learned of new mapping and database options that she will investigate for the committee.  She will also talk to Les Cahill with Mineral County regarding their interest in this information.  Steve Russell mentioned that another source of GIS information was Pete McGee.

 

Steve Russell summarized the efforts of re-veg committee last year by saying that the primary experimental variable was water, and that we just did not have it available to complete the field trials.  The re-veg committee will reconvene in the next month or two to discuss plans for 2003.  Steve also said that funding through the Cost Share programs for the NRCS was anticipated to increase this year, and that availability would be watershed based.  Therefore, in the Rio Grande basin, there might be some money to do work in the Willow Creek floodplain.

 

Old business:

 

Wells:  Leigh Ann informed the committee that we had received data from SDC Labs for our well sampling in November.  She made available graphical presentations of the November 2001, April 2002, and November 2002 data.  The Army Corps data has not been sent to us yet, but when it is available, Leigh Ann will incorporate it into the draft well report that she produced last summer.  Mike Wireman suggested that we continue to measure water levels in the wells, probably in April and in June or July.  This would not require funding for analyses, but would provide data for water table maps.  Chuck Barnes asked if the Committee would know of a reason that the City wells would experience a spike in pH.  Leigh Ann noted that she had also heard about this from the City’s maintenance supervisor.  Mike Wireman thought that if the spike were short-lived and conditions returned to normal afterwards, then there could have been some form of meter error or possibly that the wells had been tampered with.

 

New Business

 

Surface water report:  Leigh Ann informed the Committee that she had prepared a draft of the Surface Water Report and was ready for TAC review.  Mike Wireman said the Committee is ready to proceed with reviews and editing of the draft reports in order to prepare finalized copies this spring.  Leigh Ann emphasized that she needed comments on all reports from all interested parties.  Laura Coppock noted that she would have the Biological Report review by the February meeting.  Mike Wireman said that he would read all of the reports and review all but the Biological Report.  Mike said that everyone should try to have comments in by the end of March.  Leigh Ann will call the Army Corps to find out when their data will be available so that it can be incorporated into the Well Report.  Leigh Ann asked how she could find out who to ask and expect reviews from.  Laura said to send the Biological Report to Barb Horne (CDOW) and John Alves (CDOW).  Zeke told Leigh Ann to send out an email to all TAC members with two questions: 1) Which reports, if any, would you be willing to review, and 2) Can you recommend anyone else that would like to review?  The email should also note that reviews would be needed by the end of March, and that if there is no response, the Committee will assume that the individual will not/ cannot review the report(s) at this time.

 

Underground report/ update:  Mike Wireman said that he was pleased with the tremendous underground progress that the Committee had made in the last year.  The current conclusions are that most of the water enters the Wooster somewhere in the vicinity of where the Amethyst shaft comes in, though we have not yet been able to confirm that exact location.  The upcoming objectives of the underground work will be to do more safety work.  The CDMG will then draw up cost estimates for dewatering the Wooster up and down tunnel from where the Amethyst comes in.  This will allow precise location and sampling of inflows.  Issues involved in dewatering include permitting and the possible necessity of sludge machines and a retention pond.  Zeke indicate that some of the volunteers needed to be re-certified, and the others needed the initial 40-hour certification.  Jeff Graves said that he would look into upcoming classes or the option of someone coming to teach a class.  Zeke noted that there might be several geology students at Adams State College that would be interested.  Zeke said that Ken Wyley had acquired parts and was constructing a motorized rail car to use in the mine.

 

Plans for the new year/ budget:  Zeke said that the first goal would be to finalize the summary characterization reports.  Leigh Ann noted that we are wrapping up the first 104(b)(3) grant and the Alpha Corsair historic grant.  We will hopefully be doing the reclamation work under the 2002 319 grant and the Forest Service Cost Share Agreement that was postponed due to funding diversions to the fire effort.  JB indicated that the City would like to see the reclamation plans for the Midwest because they were going to be taking over management of that property.  Leigh Ann briefly described that the plan at the Midwest was to excavate some of the waste rock/tailings and place them on a pre-existing terrace behind one of the buildings.  The placement area would be graded and re-vegetated to minimize erosion.  Activities would not disturb the historic structures or the overall appearance of the site.  Leigh Ann said that she would give JB a copy of the 2002 319 Project Implementation Plan to give to the City.

 

Zeke noted that other plans for 2003 would be to revamp the website to update information and improve public access to information.  Kelley Thompson will help Leigh Ann accomplish this task.  Leigh Ann also noted the necessity of updated software and computer capabilities for mapping and report production.  She will investigate hardware needs, options, and price comparisons.  Motion for Leigh Ann to develop a plan for purchasing a new computer to be approved by Zeke made by Chuck Barnes; second made by Joe Burkett.  Motion carried.  Steve recommended visiting the Dell website.

 

Final Items:

 

Leigh Ann said that she had burned CD copies as discussed in December.  She presented copies of the Agro Engineering Final Report and Aerial Photos to Chuck Barnes for the Creede Historical Society and to Laura Coppock for the USFWS.

 

The next meeting will be February 5, 2003.

 

Meeting Adjourned 3:40 PM

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Leigh Ann Vradenburg