HYDRO29779

• Permit No: C1981033
• IBM Index Class Name: Hydrology
• Doc Date: 2/23/2005
• Doc Name: Edwards Mine Portal Spring-Analysis Results and Plan ‎(Memo)‎
• From: Jim Stark
• To: Joe Dudash
• Permit Index Doc Type: Correspondence
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
OLORADO
IVISION OF
IIN SRALS
EOLOGY
C LAMgTION•MINING
SAFETY•SCIENCE

INTEROFFICE Bill Owens
Governor
MEMORANDUM Russell George
Executive Director
Ronald W. Camny
TO: Joe Dudash Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
FROM: Jim Star
SUBJECT: Edwards Mine Portal Spring -Analysis Results and Plan
DATE: 23 February 2005
The Division has received all of the laboratory results for the water samples taken from
the Edwards Mine Portal spring at the Bear No. 3 Mine on 13 September 2004. The
analyses included both inorganic and organic testing in an attempt to determine what is
causing the brown coloration in the water. The following is a brief summary of the test
results (attached), a theory regarding the water color and a plan for further testing to
either verify or refute the theory.
The water from the portal spring flows through a ditch and into a treatment pond, which
is associated with NPDES outfall 001. The standards referenced in this memo are
specifically for discharges from outfall 001 and not for the portal spring, but they are
good for illustrative purposes (there will be some degree of dilution in the pond which
would essentially decrease the raw concentrations of constituants coming out of the portal
spring).
The short answer regarding the inorganic results is that there is nothing "extraordinary'
with regards to the spring water. The water quality is, overall, good and, besides maybe
the iron, which is still within acceptable ranges, and the sodium, for which there are no
limits established, there is nothing of real interest or concern with the water, inorganically
speaking.
The pH is 7.5, which falls within the acceptable range of 6.5-9.0. The iron concentration
of 4.1 mg/L is still below the daily maximum allowable concentration of b.0 mglL. The
chloride concentration of 41 mg/L and the sulfate concentration of 51 mg/L are good and
show no problems as far as acid mine drainage is concerned. The calcium carbonate
concentration is 100 mg/L and the total magnesium concentration is 44 mg/L. These
levels are also well within acceptable levels and give a total hardness concentration of
280 mg/L is actually low for many of Colorado's rivers. The sodium concentration is a
Office of Office of Colorado
Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey