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• <br /> <br />ExxonMobil Global Services <br />Colony Shale Oil Project <br />ESR Reclamation Studies <br />Weighing Lysimeter Performance 1990-2003 <br />Project No. 353 <br />Page 24 <br />3) The "A" Treatment with a mature native species reclamation cover (1994 - YE2003) <br />appears to be capable of capturing and consuming the spring melt only about 20% of the time, and <br />then only in relatively dry years (no percolate in years 2002 and 2003 out of 10 years with mature <br />plant covey 1994-YE2003). <br />4) The `4nixed zone" (6-inch thick layer immediately under the topsoil, and composed of 2 <br />parts native topsoil and 1 part un-leached ESR combusted shale) clearly began participating in the <br />seasonal moisture changes starting about 1997, and by 1999 was exhibiting seasonal moisture changes <br />greater than the overlying topsoil. It is hypothesized that this phenomenon is the result of natural <br />leaching of the saline components in the combusted shale, or hydration of the minerals in the <br />combusted shale, as a result of percolation of spring melt water that has passed through the topsoil, <br />and that this process eventually makes that zone into a nornplastic "loam" soil palatable to the native <br />reclamation species. Those plants in turn extend their roots into this layer and begin to draw stored <br />spring-melt moisture from this layer. <br />Assessment of Modeling and Technology Tools <br />5) The modified Jensen-Haile model proposed by Wymore in 1974 presents reasonable <br />estimates of the evapo-transpiration component of the water balance, and is easily adapted to actual <br />site meteorological data input. <br />6) EPA's HELP model presents reasonable estimates of evapo-transpiration enroute to its <br />ultimate goal of estimating of percolation quantities, but due to its statistical structure, is somewhat <br />cumbersome to adapt to actual site input data. This can, however be done, and the model could also <br />be calibrated to better reflect actual observed runoff amounts. <br />7) TDR (time domain reflectometry) can definitely be used to economically obtainreal-time <br />• measurement of moisture migration at whatever frequency is desired, even in saline soils such as ESR <br />LACHEL FELICE & Associates <br />