The sedimentary rock in the quarry is considered waste and was removed to reach the good granitic rock underneath. The wasted rock is used for temporary, non-critical work in various places on site to build roads, berms, etc.
Daily blasts in the quarry keep production on schedule. At peak production, the quarry supplies about 62,000 tons of material per day, making it one of the largest mining operations in Colorado. Once material is blasted, it is inspected and graded by on-site geologists and then delivered either directly to the main dam, the aggregate processing plant or occasionally wasted if poor rock conditions are observed. Each load that comes out of the quarry is carefully planned to go exactly where it is needed and is processed to the correct specification.
Having both the quarry and the temporary aggregate processing facility on site minimizes the impact to the community and keeps truck traffic in the area to a minimum. Additionally, the removal of more than 300 vertical feet of material from the quarry will ultimately provide approximately 3,800 acre-feet of additional water storage in the finished reservoir.