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The Yampa River alluvium and the Williams Fork River alluvium both contain <br />alluvial ground water. These alluvial water-bearing units may store and <br />release water used by the overlying vegetation, and may sustain a component <br />of baseflow to the associated river systems. These alluvial units may <br />provide recharge to rock aquifers and also are recharged by rock aquifers <br />within the ground water study area. <br />Empire Energy Corporation analyzed the quantity and quality of ground water <br />in the alluvium of the Yampa River and Williams Fork River. Previous <br />Williams Fork alluvium tests conducted for Empire Energy were suspect and <br />Empire Energy Corporation reran the tests. The result„ of the rerun tests <br />are contained in Appendix III-3A. Given the relativel~r thin saturated <br />thickness (five to six feet) and low well yields (less than one gpm), these <br />wells were slug tested and analyzed by the Bower and Rice Method, 1976. <br />Low transmissivity values of between 38 to 130 gpm/ft and low permeability <br />values of between 5.5 and 24 gpd/f t= were obtained for the Williams Fork <br />alluvium. Slug testa and pumping tests were run on the Sig Bottom <br />alluvium. Transmiesivity values and permeability valueee obtained for the <br />Big Bottom alluvium were low; tranemiesivities ranged between 57 and <br />3,100 gpd/ft and averaged 900 gpd/ft; permeabilities ranged between 12 and <br />440 gpd/f t1 and averaged 120 gpd/ft~. These tests indicate that the <br />alluvial bodies of the Williams Fork and Yampa Rivers a.re poor aquifers in <br />the general area. <br />Alluvial water quality ie variable, depending on the underlying rock and <br />source of alluvial material. Ground water from the Yampa River alluvium is <br />primarily sodium sulfate type. Dissolved solids average 4,586 mg/1 with a <br />maximum measure of 8,810 mg/1. Ground water for the Williams Fork alluvium <br />is primarily of the sodium bicarbonate type. Total dissolved solids <br />average 1,009 milligrams per liter (mg/1) with a maximum measured value of <br />1,510 mg/1. Maximum primary and secondary drinking water standards are <br />exceeded in both aquifers for many parameters including barium, cadmium, <br />chloride, chromium, pH, sulfate, sad selenium. In addi~tibn, average <br />concentration values for chloride, total dissolved soli~9s, iron, lead, <br />manganese, and sulfate exceed EPA primary and secondary standards. <br />There are six springs within the permit and adjacent areas of the Hagle <br />Mines. The North Spring, also referred to ae the Lippard No. 1, originates <br />at the head of a small drainage near its junction with old Highway 13 along <br />the base of a thin Pleistocene or .Quaternary gravel that caps many terraces <br />in the area. The East Spring flows from the base of a highway fill and <br />appears to be a man-made situation. Approximately one mile south of the <br />No. 5 Mine portal, the South Spring is located on a hillside west of the <br />Williams Fork River. Water issues from a sandstone lene~ within the Iles <br />Formation. A small seep is found at the No. 9 Mine £acE,-up. This spring <br />flows only in the spring and dries up in the sun¢ner. TYie Haxton Spring <br />originates in a weathered, brown-gray, very fine-grainer! sandstone. A pipe <br />has been set in the ground at the spring, but no flow ha.s been observed. <br />In total, flow from the springs is less than 20 gpm. The springs that were <br />surveyed do not appear to be discharge zones for any of the regional <br />bedrock aquifers and are not considered significant. <br />In addition to the springs discussed above, a seep has been observed <br />issuing from the base of the old Williams Fork Strip Pit No. 1. Water <br />percolates through the regraded spoils of the~Williams Fork Strip Pit No. 1 <br />and drains into the Williams Fork River. Mean flow is 58 gpm, ranging from <br />4 to 198 gpm. This appears to be created by old mining 3isturbances by <br />filling a local drainage with mine spoils. Discharges from the springs and <br />strip pit have relatively poor quality. <br />19 <br />