Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Mayo and Associates <br />III IIIIIIIIIIIII III <br />999 <br />Consultants in Hydrogeology <br />710 East 100 North • Lindon, Utah 84042 • (801) 796-0211 • (801) 785-2387 (Fax) <br />February 20, 1998 <br />Ms. Susan McCan~ n <br />Mr. David Berry <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />Office of Mined Land Reclamation <br />1313 Sherman Street, Rm 215 <br />Denver, CO 80202 <br />RE: Supplement to `Comparison of West Elk Mine fault-discharge water with <br />discharge water from the Edwards Mine portal, Somerset Colorado'. <br />The purpose of this memorandum is to compare the discharge temperature data of the <br />West Elk Mine (WEIv>) fault-discharge water with discharge water from the Edwards <br />Mine portal spring. <br />Groundwaters issuing from WEM BEM and 14 SEHG faults and water issuing from the <br />Edwards Mine portal spring have elevated temperatures relative to mean annual air <br />temperature and may be considered thermal. Based on a recently completed study, the <br />source of elevated temperatures of WEM's fault waters is the elevated geothermal <br />gradient of the region. <br />The critical issue here is whether the elevated temperature of fault discharge waters is <br />evidence of hydraulic communication between water stored in the NW Panels sealed <br />sump and thermal water discharging from the Edward Mine portal spring. <br />NW Panels Sealed Sump <br />The NW Panels sealed sump has received appreciable quantities of water from both the <br />BEM and 14 SEHG faults, as well as a minor amount of cooler temperature operations <br />water and colluvial inflows. Maximum recorded discharge temperatures of BEM and 14 <br />SEHG fault waters were 89°F and 84°F, respectively. However, most measured <br />RECEIVED <br />MAR 0 5 ~ggg <br />Division of Minerals 8 Geology <br />