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<br />The gaging station l(cated bt St2~~bcal Springs, Colorado, 65 miles
<br />upstream from Craig, Indicates thbt d'.:r ing Lw fl,w periods the flow at
<br />this station and MaybE'll is abeut n'2 SbmC' 0 For this r,,8son the flow data
<br />from Maybell, alth;mgh 40 ~iles b",L.w Crai~, Vl"S cnsidered as representa-
<br />tive of the flow at Craig f{,r critical fLw p~ri:'ds 0
<br />
<br />Pollution of the Yampa River by indu;o,tridl 8 ,urces is minimal. The
<br />uranium processing ~ill located at Yctjb21j haS n. t bsen in operation for
<br />more than '8 year " and futurE: c>p\;::ratlc:n S~2r-:tS rel1"'.:,t",;. 0 Ther.2 is a possi-
<br />bility of leaching some sc,lutL:. .=,.alt and rudiL'b.ctiv2 ma.t.erials from a
<br />tailings pile which remained after produclicn was t~r~lnated. There is
<br />evidence that wind eresion is rcsp"nsiblCc fr~r tre.nsporting 80me of this
<br />material to areas where it can be washEd intc thE lamp.:;., 0 However, pre-
<br />venting this problem is the respcnsibiUty"f the industry and providing
<br />dilution flow has not been considered.
<br />
<br />Total Dissolved Solids poilut I,m of tl'.", tampa River Basin was found
<br />to be limited to a natural leaching dssocibt<,d 'with rJn~,ff. No major
<br />mineral springs were located in O"r near thi I-rc'j2ct area.
<br />
<br />The domestic waste situarc,iu1 in th'2 WhIt" Riv,o'r Basin is nearly the
<br />same as the Yampa Basin. Meeker, wLth <. PGPulatiNl of 1,650, treats two-
<br />thirds of its waste in a reCently ci)nstrlJct~d 'I12chc.nical aeration plant,
<br />while slightly ov.er 500 residents still "s,' s,pt t.c tanks which discharge
<br />into the ground. The plant at Rang'?lv ,,'hieh s,'rv;,s 1,200 persons consists
<br />of an Imhoff tank. In prc'ject ITJg tlli:'. BOD l"ad InE; ,',f adequately treated
<br />waste from M.eeker fur the year L065, It was found that the White River
<br />must be abl" to assimilate 270 p<,'unds ,:,f .ROD daily, I'o accommodate this
<br />waste under critical conditions, I.e., at d wat-r t,"mp'.:rature of 200C
<br />and a minimum of 5 mg/l DO, it is nec:essary t,_, maintain a flow of 4 cfs
<br />in the river. The U. s. b:eologieal SLrvey stdtL-,n at Meeker provides
<br />60 years of flow records and in this peric'd the 'eioi'IOum fl,.:lw was 112 cfs.
<br />
<br />Industrial pollution cof the Whiu- River is pnIT1arHy Lmited to
<br />that which is a result Ccf oil pr:,duction at Rangell'. However, all the
<br />oil produced is exportEcd as crude "il and ref Lned "lsewhere and only
<br />drilling and pumping activities r'c-llain. Th. assi',ilative capacity of
<br />the river is great enc)ugh Ie, handle all preser,t (lr pre,jected adequately
<br />treated organic waste contributed by thb lndustry.
<br />
<br />Future indus tr ial poIlut iun of : i"" Wl'i t., Ri v~r is largely dependent
<br />upon the dev(.loprr,ent <:'f thE shah ,',ll industry. P1Cbo.nCE' Creek Basin,
<br />which is a few miles WlSst c,f Meeker" c"nt.ains tbc r ie\;('st and most access-
<br />ible deposits of oil shal" and as do r,sult of th",sc rLch deposits near
<br />the Yellow Jacket Proj(ct, t"co fUt'od~ "f R"cla~Ld :.on nas received many
<br />inquiries concerning tile pcssibil ity A ()btahipg water for developing
<br />an oil shale industry in the, Ficeanc-e Cr02k Basin, I.t seems highly prob-
<br />able that mining operatlons, retorting. bnd preduct refining will take
<br />place within the White R.iv~r Easi".. It is iT'pc,ssit-L to determine the
<br />extent to Which the shale oil industry will pr,,:)d"~c..: \-.1.s,5t8~ but it should
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