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Whirlwind Mine Groundwater Characterization Report <br /> exist in the Salt Wash Top Rim within the new mined areas will be managed in a similar <br /> manner. This volume of water is expected to be small and may not require pumping and <br /> treatment. <br /> In the Packrat Mine, EFR proposes to seal off seepage from the 10 Straight vent shaft and other <br /> water-contributing drill holes that penetrate the Packrat workings or new workings being <br /> developed. This will conserve water in the overlying aquifer sources, and ideally, that water will <br /> resume its normal flow path. <br /> In summary, during mining operations there will be a local depletion of lower Brushy Basin <br /> groundwater in the vicinity of the decline and possibly a minimal depletion of groundwater within <br /> the Salt Wash Top Rim unit. Because current observations show that with exception of PR <br /> Spring, there is no concentrated surface discharge of lower Brushy Basin and Salt Wash Top <br /> Rim groundwater, impact of this depletion is expected to be small, possibly affecting the overall <br /> evapotranspiration in the area near the mine. <br /> Water quality impacts from mining operations are expected to be minimal. During the <br /> dewatering phase, water pumped to the surface will be treated to meet state surface water <br /> standards. The overall mass of solutes introduced to the Lumsden Canyon drainage will <br /> increase for a short time but may not necessarily result in a higher solute concentration due to <br /> the additional overall flow. Discharge from the water treatment plant is not expected to cause <br /> perennial conditions in the stream bed in Lumsden Canyon. Once the initial dewatering phase is <br /> completed, discharge of mine water to the surface is expected to decrease dramatically. <br /> Underground water quality of the Brushy Basin aquifers is not expected to change, as the Salt <br /> Wash aquitard is not under confined pressure and will not flow upward to the Brushy Basin or <br /> the overlying Burro Canyon aquifer. However, any minor amounts of groundwater produced <br /> from the Salt Wash Top Rim unit is expected to be of poor quality because of the mineralized <br /> nature of the ore zone. This water is expected to remain near or within the mining zone and if <br /> necessary, will be pumped to the surface and treated before discharge. <br /> Western Water& Land, Inc. 55 <br />