Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />Causes and Impacts of Salinity <br /> <br />, . <br /> <br />StUdies conducted on mining spoils in northwestern Colorado indicate that the resulting salinil)' of <br />spoil-derived walers ranges from apprm:imately 3.000 mglL to 3,900 mg/L (Parker, et al.. 1983: <br />\tc\\.'horter. et al.. 1979; and U,S. Department of the Interior, 1985\. The variability in <br />concentration depends on water residence lime and the chemical and physical properties of the <br />SpOIl. <br /> <br />I ) <br />0" <br />-, <br />~ <br /> <br />Saline water is also a byproduct of oil and gas production in the Colorado River Basin. II is not <br />uncommon (0 produce several times the amount of saline waters as oil. Oil and gas operators in <br />Colorado produced approximately :!5,OOO.000 barrds of saline water during December 1985. The <br />salimty of production waters \'aries greatly from location 10 location and is dependent upon the <br />producing fonnation Common disposallechniques include evaporation. injection. and discharge to <br />local drainages. <br /> <br />The future development of the oil shale resources in Colorado. Utah. and Wyoming has the <br />potential to increase salt loading to the Colorado River. Salt increases can be attributed (0 the <br />consumptive use of good qualilY water. mine dewatering. and, if surface retorting is used. the <br />leaching of !>poil materials similar to that of surface coal mining. <br /> <br />Reclamation and others are attempting to identify abandoned exploration wells that are leaking and <br />develop plans [0 control the leaks. The Meeker Dome Salinity Control Unil identified and plugged <br />several abandoned wells along the White River to prevent a sail dome (a geologic formation) from <br />dlschargmg saline water into the river. <br /> <br />Erosion <br /> <br />Several researchers have shown that erosion of saline shales and dissolution of efflorescence <br />lsurface salts) increase salinilY during thunderstonns (Rile)'. et aJ.. 198:!; Uime., Corp.. 1982; and <br />Ponce. 1975), Low elevation snowmelt on saline geologic fonnations may also contribute <br />significantly [0 salinity. Analyses of the Green River near the Green River. Utah. station indicate <br />{hat sallMY remains unusually high during peak nows associated .....ith snowmelt runoff events. <br /> <br />Reclamation studies on the ~1cElmo Creek Salinity Control Unit found that appro,'.;imately <br />3~ percent of the total salt load could be related to runoff events. Other studies by Reclamation <br />show thaI ~I percent of the Price River sail load and I~ percent of the San Rafael River salt load <br />are related to natural runoff events. <br /> <br />Studies conducted on ~1ancos Shale in the Upper Colorado River Basin have demonstrated a <br />pl1sili\'e relationship between sediment yield and salt production lSchumm, et al . 1986). Sediment <br />yield increases as a resull of either upland erosion or streambank and gully erosion. Upland <br />erosion is annbuted to rill and inter-rill tlow. Sail and sediment yields are dependent upon storm <br />reTlod. landform type. and the soluble mineral content of the geologic fonnation. <br /> <br />15 <br /> <br />