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IX. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS • The capacity of different interburden samples to imbibe water is first discussed as it is related to Coloc•;yo mine lithology and different coal seams. Next, appraisal is made of the effects water leaching has on soluble salts contained in the soil and rock interburden associated caith X seam coal. Afterwards, experimental data are related to different sources of water quality data for nearby streams and the Yampa River that embrace the Colowyo environs. Sub- sequently, a judgment is rendered concerning potentially harmful or toxic substances in different strata and whether or not one can expect significant amounts of soluble salts to be leached from the interburden by precipitation, ground and/or surface waters. For the most part, data reported here are relevant to drill hole no. 3-56-G13 (G-59) and deal mainly with the strata above X seam and the floor beloca X seam. A second part caill be • issued, at a later date, cahich treats interburden leaching tests from the X seam doc~mcaard to the floor of F seam. In Section V, Sampling Tech~liques and Sample Preparation, an explanation is given on the manner in which the interburden was partitioned into 38 samples for testing, and cahy G-59 cans redrilled for missing core in November 1976. Later, caeights and residual moisture of each samplecaere measured 'and recorded; these appear in Table II. It is most apparent from a perusal of the data in Table II that the residual moisture in tlce stored cores was very loca, as rer_eived. Recently drilled samples contained considerably more moisture. Results of sub- sequent tests for water saturation percentage (Table III) shoca some segments of the interburden, when finely ground or crushed to dust, can retain considerable amounts of canter (to Ue specific, 40 to 61% moisture) before becoming saturated with water. •