Fredric P. Thomas, County Sanitarian, issued the following report in regards to the fish kill in the Dolores River near Rico last week to officials of Dolores and Montezuma Counties.
"At about 8 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, 1974, the mining operation at the Rico-Argentine Mine Company experienced a 'blowout' in their leaching process.
This 'blowout' dumped 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of sodium cyanide solution into the Dolores River. The result was the killing of fish in the Dolores River for about 15 miles downstream.
At about 5 p.m., the municipalities of Dolores and Cortez received word of the fish kill and shut off their intake works. Members of the Colorado State Health Department took samples of the water and after a look at the situation, Mr. Hinman advised the cities of Cortez and Dolores that it was safe to open their intake works. The water companies opened their intakes at noon on Monday.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jahnke of the Rico-Argentine Company advised Mr. Hinman that he would immediately take the following actions: 1. Raise the west berm by 3 feet. 2. Raise the north berm by 2 feet. 3. Strip the stockpile leach bed to a depth below that of the blowout and replace with new material. 4. Improve, reroute and deepen the river channel to move it away from the toe of the berm and rip-rap the face of the berm 6 inches above the existing water level to prevent erosion by flood waters. 5. Pay for the immediate restocking of the Dolores River over the affected area."
A Sunday picnic was held at the home of Melvn Hicks with the following people attending: Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Hamilton and boys, Mr. and Mrs. Art Hamilton, Bill Hamilton, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Hall and Kendall, Mr. and Mrs. Cleo Hicks, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Gilmour, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Newman of Banning, California, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Hamilton and children and Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Hamilton.
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Quintana and family and Tommy and Isabel Lopez all went camping above Rico.
Sharon Dufur returned to Boulder to begin the fall session at CU.
Mildred Millard, who recently had surgery, is now home.
The Harry R. Boyds, accompanied by Mrs. Leola Hyde and Olga McCord, went to Farmington Wednesday, then on to Durango to spend the evening eating, the occasion being Mrs. Hyde's birthday.
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Watkins went to Denver last Thursday to pick up t eir boys who had been spending some time with their cousins Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Nelson.
Jean and Bill Fischer went to Denver this week.
A going-away picnic was held at Emerson campground Wednesday evening in honor of the Ron Orr and Earl Carver families who will both be leaving for other cities this weekend.
