Laserfiche WebLink
Water from the well in Bond Creek has not shown TDS levels elevated much <br />beyond their historic values, neaz 5000 mg/1. <br />When Seneca Coal Company can demonstrate that the reclaimed lands meet the <br />phase II bond release criteria, the sediment ponds, excepting the Wadge., Pond 003, <br />and PeCoCo Impoundments, which are approved permanent impoundments, will be <br />removed from the site. At that time, it is assumed that the majority of baseflow to <br />Cow Camp, Bond and Grassy Creeks will be contributed by spoil aquifer discharges <br />to the surface system. <br />In the Grassy Creek Drainage, the quantity and quality of the flows will be similaz to <br />present conditions. All of the spoil spring discharges issuing into the Grassy Creek <br />drainage will pass through the Wadge Impoundment, a permanent structure. <br />Dilution and mixing within the impoundment will diminish the concentration of <br />dissolved solids discharged to the alluvial system. As mining continues in this <br />drainage, some increase in dissolved constituents is expected. Data collected at <br />NPDES sites 002 and 003, which discharge disturbed area drainage into Grassy <br />Creek, indicate that there has been m increase in TDS, based on monthly average <br />concentration (June through September) on a yearly basis for the years 1982 through <br />1996. It should be noted, however, that the rate of increase, based on monthly <br />average TDS concentration on a yeazly basis, appeazs to have stabilized during this <br />period. Therefore, it is not expected that the quality of the effluent will further <br />degrade the alluvial water quality in the Grassy Creek Drainage. <br />In the Cow Camp and Bond Creek drainages, Wadge spoils aquifer discharges will <br />contribute flow to these tributary creeks and eventually to Fish Creek. During the <br />months of June and July, Cow Camp Creek and Bond Creek sustain flow their entire <br />length to Fish Creek. During this period, each creek contributes water to the <br />associated alluvial aquifers. The spoils spring discharges aze sufficiently diluted by <br />snowmelt runoff to preclude degradation to the quality of the alluvial aquifers in <br />these drainages. (See the Surface Water section of this Probable Hydrologic <br />Consequences statement for further discussion regarding surface water impacts.) <br />Information supplied by Seneca Coal Company indicates that at their confluences <br />with Fish Creek, Cow Camp Creek and Bond Creek do not support flow during the <br />months of August and September. It is assumed that during this period of time, Cow <br />Camp and Bond Creek flow for at~~ut 2 miles beyond the disturbed azea boundary <br />before becoming ephemeral. At the point where the streams become ephemeral, it is <br />assumed, for purposes of this discussion, that the flow in each drainage is 0.2 cfs <br />with a TDS concentration of 2500 mg/1. <br />33 <br />