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<br />---,f <br /> <br />... ...., <br /> <br />, ..~~-...., <br /> <br />8-16-96 4:55PMj 970 385 6539 -> <br />-... Dim .........u: "it&,: <br /> <br />303 866 4474; <br /> <br />#21/22 <br /> <br />SENT BY: BOR-WCAOS SOj <br /> <br />SWQBINMED Swnmary <br />August 12, 1996 <br />Page 19 <br /> <br />come from areas that have been lsched fur some time. In 1h81leaching has already ~ed, even <br />these levels seriously undmltima1es the amount of selenium which would be released from newly <br />illig.ted soils. <br /> <br />"SeleIJium lXIncentrations found in waler, soil, and biological tilllllllaDl.plu ~1I8dcd in lbe Project <br />IIlIlll ofllle La Plata River Basin are low to moderate. Occa~iona1 seleaiwn concentration~ are lit a <br />level of concem, but generally these concentrations are well below the IlIlIiC6 found in lIfeas the <br />Department of the Interior'. N81ionallrriptiOll Water Quality Program has determined need <br />remediation. A few lands blve been eliminated flom fUture consideration due to slightly higher <br />selenium potential" Note how the doeument ignorel the New Mexico water quality standards and <br />instead compares the high levels to levels umt by the Department of the Interior I'D trigger <br />remediation. The selenium levels meu\lRld in llNundwater in the La Plata Ptoject area during 1994- <br />95 wore used as III indicatiOll offu.ture irriptiOll retum tlows and ranged as high as 116 Sl-clL, As <br />mentioned Ilbove, groundwater and irrigation retUrn flows entering the river between lacbon Lake <br />and FarmiD&fml averap S21"i'L and rqe 1I5 hiah aa 243 ~g/L (dissolved or total?). These kvds <br />lire oJ tp'eal concern. <br /> <br />"[T]here arc about 6,000 acre-feet of exilling return flows in the La Plata River Basin, This is <br />projectecl1o in=- by about II factor oD v.ith the Project, Ba.o;ed on estimatc~ of soluble soil Se..., <br />the Se load. from the La Plata Basin would also increase by a factor of about 3 witb the Project." <br />(Page 8.1S4) From infOnnation provided in tIw Assessment it would appear that tho return tlo~ <br />will have higher levetg of mercury IUd selenium (deemed insignificant by tho Bureau of <br />Reclamation), resultiDi in significantly hiaha-thlll-predicted loadins and bi&her concentrations. <br /> <br />Southern Ute Reservoir <br /> <br />The Southern Ute Reservoir, to be <:oIlStnK:ted partially in New Mexico. is predicted 10 be eutrophic <br />immediately upon closure, resulting from nulrient lOidin&I reccived from iJrigllliUIl retllrn f!uws. <br />"Periodic OVBrgrowth by aquatic plants and 1l8al bloom, as well as oxygen depletions, are likely if <br />ennclunen1 becomes a problem." "IrKe elements from ~ 1.8 PI.m River Mnulllhe retAined hll <br />ftlMVmr cr!dim~nt~ nthR' tnAn ca\1,lliini a to,3icitv prob1.ftn in reservoir wateR, Most trace elements <br />that enter the reservoir would be in suspension rather than in solution. Basccl on lntpC'Ited water <br />hardness and alkaline conditions (pH 7.3 to 8,4), trace elements should settle into reservoir <br />sediments." [Emphasis added] "Temporary tlushe8 of trace element'! would be probeble. but would <br />\Wt cause problems due to high alkalinity and bordncss conditions. The... conditinns would =use <br />lraCe elementl. trl ~Ie !2\11 and become hinlne:kally IInavRil.hle .. (Emphasis added] Compare the <br />Wlderlined lltatements above to 1he information ill the next three paragrapba. <br /> <br />"The Southern Ute Reservoir has II relatively stTOng potential I'D bioacc:umulaw Hg in fish. I1g levels <br />in inflow waters would probably be above Itream standards based on \mown levels in the La Plata <br /> <br />21/ <br />('13 <br />