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Mayo and Associates, LC <br />I~ <br />'~ <br />1 <br /> <br />indicate that groundwater discharging from TW-10 was in hydraulic communication with <br />recent recharge water. Dischazge from TW-10 does not exhibit seasonal fluctuations <br />indicating that the hydrodynamics of this system aze buffered. This buffering maybe due <br />to a tortuous flow path, which means a longer travel time, or the mixing of modem <br />rechazge water with older water. It is possible that the initial water intercepted by the <br />drill hole was of similaz old age as other waters encountered in the mine. Prior to <br />intercepting the fault, the fault may have been full and rejected recharge may have <br />occurred. <br />In an attempt to determine whether groundwaters discharging from the Roans Canyon <br />Fault, deeper in the mine and away from the cliff face, aze tied to active, modern <br />groundwater systems, a sample of the ]ongwall gob water (3S Seals) in the Deer Creek <br />Mine was collected and analyzed for isotopic composition (Mayo and Associates, 1997c). <br />It is important to note, however, that this water is a composite sample of groundwater <br />dischazging from the fault, other in-mine sources, and a small percentage of Huntington <br />Creek water used as process water in mining operations. The14C age of this sample is <br />12,000 years, with a tritium content of 0.9 TU. The small component of tritium in the <br />water is attributed to creek water use as mine process water. Therefore, it is likely that <br />the groundwater in the Roans Canyon Fault, deep within the mine and away from cliff <br />faces, is of ancient origin and is not related to overlying shallow groundwater systems. <br />Evaluation of Potential Groundwater Inflows 36 <br />Associated with E Seam Mining, <br />West Elk Mine, Somerset, Colorado <br />February 24,2004 <br />