Incident Objectives

• Control discharge from adit during both low and high flows.
• Control stormwater runoff and limit the erosion of mine waste.

Operations Objectives

• Create Safe Access: Create safe access for personnel and equipment by improving County Road 273 as it climbs and traverses the waste pile.
• Establish Rough Grade: Establish rough grade across the mine waste pile to support construction of erosion control features.
• Manage Upper Stormwater: Construct unlined and rocked channels to collect and convey stormwater off the waste pile.
• Construct Upper Adit Channel: Construct three lined and rocked settling ponds + connecting channels + road crossing to convey mine drainage from the adit to the other side of County Road 273. Includes a stout, armored berm at the adit to divert high flows away from the center of the waste pile.
• Develop Borrow Area: Improve old mine road from County Road 273 to debris flow deposit on USFS land for safe transit of a 20 cubic yard off-road haul truck. Create a safe turn around and loading station.
• Establish Final Grade: Establish final grade across the waste pile to support capping of waste material. Includes a large, rocked structure to divert natural debris flows from above the Site away from the primary stormwater drainage channel.
• Cap Mine Waste: Use material from a nearby natural debris flow deposit on USFS land to cap the mine waste pile. Avoid capping near historic structures and debris.
• Manage Lower Stormwater: Construct a rocked channel between the existing repository and the existing reclaimed area along Saints John Creek.
• Construct Lower Adit Channel: Construct a rocked but unlined channel to convey mine adit drainage from County Road 273 past the existing repository to the extent practical. Includes a series of berms at the base of the slope.
• Restoration and Revegetation: Reseed all capped areas and transplant trees to the extent practical. Reclaim the borrow area and the haul road leading to it. Perform final road maintenance on County Road 273 and Saints John Road.

August 25-28, 2025

Restoration

• Secured the gate leading up to the site from Saints John Road.
• Completed minor improvements to the drainage system along Saints John Road in the vicinity of the switchbacks.
• Demobilized personnel and equipment; the last of the equipment was demobilized on August 28.

August 18-24, 2025

Restoration and Revegetation

• Continued to transplant trees in capped areas, as well as areas disturbed during operations.
• Reclaimed the borrow source area, including re-constructing natural drainages and restoring the access road that leads to the borrow source area.
• Addressed punch-list items, including rock placements, seeding, distributing tree debris, and raking out track marks.

August 11-17, 2025

Establish Final Grade

• Continued touching up the grade on various slopes of the waste pile to accept cap material.
• Regraded the existing “parking area” so that the area drains west and south as opposed to down County Road 273.

Cap Mine Waste

• Hauled borrow material and continue capping mine waste including areas around historic structures and the slopes on either side of the adit discharge below CR 273.
• Rocked the slope east of the new adit drainage at the crossing of CR 273.

Manage Lower Stormwater

• Continued to construct the rocked stormwater channel between the DRMS repository and the DRMS reclamation area along Saints John Creek.

Restoration and Revegetation

• Reclaimed the area around the Lower Stormwater Channel including the ramp from the valley floor which was constructed for equipment access.
• Transplanted hundreds trees in capped areas, as well as areas disturbed during operations.

August 4-10, 2025

Establish Final Grade

• Continued touching up the grade on various slopes of the waste pile to accept cap material.
• Regraded the existing “parking area” so that the area drains west and south as opposed to down County Road 273.

Cap Mine Waste

• Hauled borrow material from the debris flow on USFS land and continued capping the mine waste pile including areas around historic structures, the former "parking area" and the slopes on either side of the lower adit discharge channel below CR 273.
• Started to rock the slope east of the upper adit drainage along County Road 273.
• Rocked the interior drainage channel at the base of the waste pile along County Road 273 as the road climbs to the top of the waste pile.

Construct Lower Adit Channel

• Pumped water from the lowest pond of the new Upper Adit Drainage Channel around the work area for the Lower Adit Discharge Channel below County Road 273.
• Constructed berms at the bottom of the slope below CR273 to direct the adit discharge past the existing DRMS repository.
• Rocked the existing Lower Adit Drainage Channel up the slope to CR 273.

Restoration and Revegetation

• Began to transplant pine saplings on the capped waste pile starting at the top of the pile and working down slope.

July 28 - August 3, 2025

Construct Upper Adit Channel

• Completed construction of a stout, armored berm outside the adit to direct high flows away from the center of the pile.

Establish Final Grade

• Continued preparing various slopes on the waste pile to accept capping material.

Cap Mine Waste

• Continued to cap the main part of the waste pile with material from a nearby debris flow deposit.

Manage Lower Stormwater

• Began construction of a rocked stormwater channel between the existing repository at the base of the waste pile and the existing reclaimed area along Saints John Creek.

July 21-27, 2025

Construct Upper Adit Channel

• Continued construction of a stout, armored berm outside the adit to direct high flows away from the center of the pile.

Establish Final Grade

• Constructed a large rock structure on the west side of the waste pile to divert natural debris flows from above the Site away from the primary stormwater channel.
• Continued to touch up the grade on various slopes on both the east and west side of the waste pile to accept cap material.

Cap Mine Waste

• Began to cap the main part of the waste pile with material from a nearby debris flow deposit.
• Capping started at the top of the pile near the adit and continued down the west side.

July 14-20, 2025

Construct Upper Adit Channel

• Collected and stockpiled rock from nearby debris flow deposit for future use.
• Continued construction of a stout, armored berm outside the adit to direct high flows away from the center of the pile.
• Finished construction of three interconnected ponds which were lined and rocked to serve as a new channel for the adit discharge.
• Established a temporary diversion across County Road (CR) 273 for the existing adit discharge.
• Constructed an 8-feet deep by 12-feet wide lined and rocked water crossing to carry the adit discharge across County Road 273.
• Redirected the existing adit discharge into the new settling ponds, drainage channel and road crossing.

Develop Borrow Area

• Improved an old mine road from CR273 up to a debris flow deposit on USFS land for safe passage of a 20-yard off-road haul truck.
• Created a turnaround for this haul truck on the left approaching the debris flow deposit.

July 7-13, 2025

Construct Upper Adit Channel

• Collected and stockpiled rock from across the waste pile and nearby debris flow deposit for future use.
• Continued construction of a stout, armored berm outside the adit to direct high flows away from the center of the pile.
• Started construction of a new lined and rocked adit discharge drainage channel consisting of three interconnected settling ponds.
• Completed construction of the first settling pond nearest the adit and started construction of a second pond downstream.

June 30 - July 6, 2025

Manage Upper Stormwater

• Collected and stockpiled rock from across the waste pile for future use.
• Started collecting and stockpiling rock from a nearby debris flow deposit on USFS land.
• Constructed a rocked settling pool at the entrance to the primary stormwater drainage channel constructed above County Road 273.
• Placed additional rock along this primary stormwater drainage channel.

Construct Upper Adit Channel

• Reshaped the east side of waste pile in preparation for a new adit discharge channel.

June 23-29, 2025

An EPA On-Scene Coordinator and 7 Environmental Restoration LLC contractors re-mobilized to the Site on June 23, 2025 after the Winter pause in construction. Five pieces of heavy equipment (dozer, big excavator, small excavator, skid steer, haul truck) were delivered to Montezuma, CO and driven up to the Site.

Manage Upper Stormwater

• Collected and stockpiled rock from across the waste pile for future use.
• Improved and rocked the primary stormwater channel which was excavated above County Road 273 in Fall 2024.

Construct Upper Adit Channel

• Continued construction of a stout, armored berm outside the adit to direct high flows away from the center of the pile.

September 23-29, 2024

Establish Rough Grade

• Finished regrading the west side of the waste pile  to accommodate future construction of erosion control features.
• Finished regrading the east side of the waste pile to accommodate future construction of new adit discharge channel.
• Used boulders to block motorized vehicle access to the waste pile.

Manage Upper Stormwater

• Collected and stockpiled rock from across the waste pile for future use.
• Installed straw waddles across the regraded waste pile to temporarily manage spring snowmelt.

Construct Upper Adit Channel

• Continued construction of a stout, armored berm outside the adit to direct high flows away from the center of the pile.

September 16-22, 2024

Establish Rough Grade

• Continued to regrade the west side of the waste pile.
• Began to regrade the east side of the pile for future construction of a new adit drainage channel.
• Reconfigured a historic run-on control ditch along the south perimeter of the pile to catch stormwater from above the Site and better manage natural debris flows.

Manage Upper Stormwater

• Collected and stockpiled rock from across the waste pile for future use.
• Installed a 6-feet deep by 12-feet wide rock water crossing to carry stormwater and snow melt across County Road 273.
• Constructed a rocked settling pool immediately upgradient of this new crossing.
• Excavated an open stormwater drainage channel above this pool to drain the west side of the pile. 
• Constructed a berm along the pile's west perimeter to push runoff towards this stormwater channel.
• Installed straw waddles in this open channel to capture sediment until it can be rocked in 2025.

Construct Upper Adit Channel

• Began construction of a stout, armored berm outside the adit to direct high flows away from the center of the pile.

September 11-15, 2024

An EPA On-Scene Coordinator and 9 Environmental Restoration LLC contractors mobilized to the Site on September 11, 2024. Four pieces of heavy equipment (dozer, big excavator, small excavator, skid steer) were delivered to Montezuma, CO and driven up to the Site.

Create Safe Access

• Stabilized the section of County Road 273 which climbs up and across the waste pile.
• Widened the road on the waste pile for safe passage of trucks and equipment.
• Installed drainage controls along the road on the waste pile.

Establish Rough Grade

• Began to regrade the west side of the waste pile to support future erosion controls.

Manage Upper Stormwater

• Collected and stockpiled rock from across the waste pile for future use.