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-zz- <br />The faults in the Hayden Syncline may provide a vehicle for ground water <br />communication between overlying and underlying aquifers and also between <br />aquifers and the overlying surface streams. The faulting produces increased <br />fractures within and between aquifers (secondary porosity). These more porous <br />fault zones with their higher permeabilities can control both vertical and <br />horizontal movement of ground water between and within aquifers. In areas <br />where hydrostatic heads are higher in the underlying aquifers than the <br />overlying surface elevation or the hydrostatic heads in overlying aquifers, <br />the vertical movement of water through the fault system would be upward and <br />discharge to the surface system or recharge overlying aquifers. <br />The lenticular and interbedded sandstones associated with the coal bearing <br />zones develop only localized discontinuous aquifers. Movement of ground water <br />within these sandstones is usually localized, with the flows of water from the <br />recharge to the discharge area occurring within a short distance. Some <br />limited regional movement of ground water may occur if there is <br />intercommunication between the sandstones. <br />The recharge, discharge and movement of ground water within the alluvial <br />aquifers are controlled by: 1) the gradient of the rock channel into which <br />the alluvium has been deposited, 2) the width of the alluvial deposit, 3) the <br />thickness of the alluvial deposit, 4) the permeability of the alluvial <br />deposit, 5) the recharge or discharge of underlying rock strata, and 6) the <br />flow characteristics of the associated stream. The alluvial ground water <br />aquifers are closely related to their associated streams. The alluvial <br />aquifers receive a majority of their recharge from the stream and sustain <br />baseflows in the streams through their discharge. <br />Recharge to aquifers occurs primarily in the spring and early summer when <br />snowmelt and surface water runoff is abundant, and when transpiration by <br />vegetation and evaporation is at a minimum. Recharge to rock aquifers is <br />limited by the permeability of rock strata and the limited recharge area <br />exposed to surface water (e.g. most sandstones are cliff formers). Overlying <br />clayey and silty soils, and shale and siltstone rock strata also limit <br />vertical recharge of underlying sandstone and coal aquifers. <br />Discharges from bedrock strata are primarily through springs to the surface <br />system. The flow characteristics of the springs are related to 1) the lateral <br />extents and thicknesses of the associated aquifers, 2) the distance between <br />the springs and the aquifer recharge areas, and 3} the permeabilities and <br />ground water storage characteristics of the associated aquifers. Springs <br />issuing from laterally discontinuous, thin sandstones (lenticular and <br />interbedded sandstones} which occur close to the aquifer outcrops often flow <br />intermittently and their flows tend to fluctuate seasonally. Springs issuing <br />from regionally extensive, thick sandstones or coals flow perennially and <br />their flows do not significantly fluctuate with time. <br />