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Whirlwind Mine Groundwater Characterization Report <br /> 5.1 Data Quality <br /> In the study of natural hydrologic systems, it is common for water chemistry from the same <br /> source to vary with time. This is due to natural variation in mineral dissolution rates, flow paths <br /> to the source, flow or flux rates (concentration and dilution), and other meteoric variables. In <br /> addition, from an analytical aspect, laboratory instrumentation error contributes to varying <br /> results. Seasonality can impact water chemistry because of the migration of meteoric water into <br /> and out of the geologic formations at varying rates related to climate fluctuations. It is desirable <br /> to collect data at a given source multiple times and over different seasons to understand the <br /> "complete" range in water chemistry at that source. For sources not impacted by the land <br /> activity proposed, this determined range is considered natural background. <br /> The data collected over the years at the different sources were not part of a broader background <br /> study because some sites were only sampled once and others such as the EFR annual <br /> sampling program were collected mostly during the same month, with exception of the <br /> additional sample collected in November 2021. <br /> No data validation or verification for laboratory results was conducted for this report. <br /> 5.2 Water Chemistry Signatures <br /> The chemical signature or fingerprint of a natural water is a unique characteristic that can be <br /> used to identify the origin of a particular water source. The chemical signature reflects the <br /> water's history, i.e., its origin and its flow path. <br /> Table 6 shows the key water sources evaluated for this report, and their general water type. <br /> Note that for sites with multiple sampling dates, this table shows the results of a representative <br /> sample for the sample population. Figure 8 is a trilinear (Piper plot) of these same results. The <br /> Piper plot graphically illustrates the different water chemistries based on proportions of common <br /> ion concentrations in milliequivalents. The Piper plot can quickly indicate a unique water <br /> chemistry or a chemistry that may (or may not) be the result of mixing of two or more water <br /> sources. The middle diamond portion of the plot reflects water type. <br /> Western Water& Land, Inc. 26 <br />