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A comparison of TDS values for the New Horizon wells indicates that 3 wells exceeded the 5,000 mg/I limit, 12 wells yield water that could only be used for tolerant plants on permeable soils with careful management practices, and 2 wells yielded water that might have adverse effects on crops and requires careful management practices. Shallow ground water aquifers at New Horizon were unsuitable for irrigation use. Plots of SAR's versus conductivity for each of the wells showed that the ground water fell into one of two categories. It was either a high to very high salinity hazard and a low sodium hazard (12 wells) or a high to very high salinity hazard and a very high sodium hazard (2 wells). Wells yields and aquifer characteristics of the shallow aquifers at the New Horizon Mine were also considered when evaluating potential water uses. Transmissivity values ranged from 77 to 1.1 ft2/day and pumping rates above 1.5 gpm could not be maintained forany significant period of time. Where short term, pumping withdrawal tests (McWhorter's analyses) were performed specific capacities of only 0.1 to 0.6 gpm/ft could only be maintained over short time periods. Aquifer yields were too low for irrigation purposes and only poor to fair for domestic purposes. Assuming yields necessary for livestock water would be similar to domestic needs, the aquifer yield potential for livestock use was also fair to poor. In conclusion, the shallow aquifer chemistry at the New Horizon Mine is unsuitable for domestic and irrigation purposes. Only the New Horizon 1 overburden, the underburden aquifer at both mining areas and the spoils and alluvial aquifers appear to be chemically suitable for use as livestock water. Aquifer yields are too low for irrigation use and can only be considered marginal to poor for domestic or livestock uses. Considering the combined criteria, only certain aquifers (underburden, spoils and alluvium) would be marginally suitable for use as livestock drinking water. REGIONAL SURFACE WATER CHARACTERISTICS The New Horizon 1 and New Horizon 2 mining areas are drained by Tuttle and Calamity Draws, respectively. Both draws are perennial tributaries of the San Miguel River which in turn flows into the Dolores River and finally to the Colorado River. These river systems are explained thoroughly in lorns' et al. (1965) USGS Professional Paper, Water Resources of the Uooer Colorado River Basin -Technical Report. In this report, these river drainages are placed in the Grand Division of Revised 25 Jul 2002 2.04.7-19