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. . . 2 each layer sampled. Core porosity data is a useful indicator of general water-yielding potential, but primarily is useful in verifying the correlation between the core and the geophysical logs. Specific yield is a measure of the volume of water the aquifer yields from storage as the aquifer is dewatered. As previously indicated, specific yield is a critical component in the administration of Colorado water law in the Denver Basin. If the core hole is converted to a water well as planned, USGS personnel will conduct an aquifer test on the well to determine the transmissivity of the aquifer as a whole. During the aquifer test water-quality samples will be collected for laboratory analyses of standard cations and anions, trace metals, and selected organic compounds. The analyses will be a first indication of the potability and chemical composition of the ground water in this deep central part of the Denver Basin. The USGS Core Library at the Denver Federal Center is a National repository for core from wells drilled throughout the United States. Core Library personnel have agreed to the Library storage of the core, and will provide public assess for inspection and sampling of the core during long- term storage. Costs for the hydrologic analyses, aquifer testing, and water-quality sampling are as follows: . USGS Salaries Anticipated salary costs incurred in project coordination, core handling, aquifer testing, and water-quality sampling are $14,000. With availability of USGS matching funds in the Federal 1999 fiscal year, $4,000 in matching funds may be available to partly offset costs on this project. Salary costs to the Denver Museum of Natural History (DMNH) thus are $10,000. Water-Qualitv Analvses The costs for sampling and chemical analyses of water from the core-hole well are estimated to be $2,000. The total cost to DMNH for USGS activities is $12,000. Core Analvses Laboratory analyses of 50 core samples are estimated to cost about $30,000 through commercial laboratories. If the analyses could be conducted by a local university this level of funding might allow for analyses of additional samples, or for the analyses of additional characteristics (grain size distribution, for example). The availability of qualified university laboratories and personnel is unknown at this time, so core analyses costs to DMNH are estimated to be $30,000. Total cost to DMNH for hydrologic evaluation of the core and core well are $42,000. It is my understanding that your NSF proposal does not include adequate funds to support this proposed expansion in your scope of work. However, because of the unique opportunity your project offers to obtain important hydrologic information for the Denver Basin aquifers, I urge you to continue to explore other sources of funding possibly through the Colorado Water .