GENERAL52614

• Permit No: C1981044
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 4/24/1987
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision & Findings of Compliance for PR1
• Permit Index Doc Type: Findings
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

12,000 mg/1. Ground water for the Williams Fork alluvium is primarily of the
sodium bicarbonate type with significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, and-_
sulfate. Total dissolved solids average 1,116 mg/i with a maximum measured
value of 1,890 mg/l. The water from both alluvial aquifers, on average,
exceeds primary and secondary drinking standards for dissolved iron,
manganese, and sulfate together with total dissolved solids. The Yampa River
alluvium also contains excessive chloride. At times, water in both alluvial
aquifers may also exceed primary and secondary standards for chromium, lead,
and nitrate.
Empire Energy Corporation has provided data on the three most significant
springs and seeps in the permit and adjacent area. These are the Northern or
Lippard No. 1 Spring, the Haxton Spring, and the Williams Fork Strip Pit No. 1
discharge, Both the North and Haxton Spring yield a magnesium-calcium-sulfate
type water. Total dissolved solids range from 355 to 1,565 for the North
Spring and from 3,360 to 4,140 for Haxton Spring. Water discharged from the
William Fork Stip Pit spoil is of a sodium bicarbonate type with total
dissolved solids values ranging from 820 to 1,510 mg/1.
The flows from all local springs and seeps show some seasonal variation with
higher flows recorded during annual snow melt and low flows during the winter
and early spring. During 1985, flow from the North Spring averaged 10 gpm
while that from the Williams Fork Strip Pit averaged 23 gpm. The maximum
observed flow from Haxton Spring in 1985 was 2.3 gpm, however, a measured flow
was only recorded twice during the year. No significant local use is made of
the water from these springs and seeps.
Surface Water
The area of the Eagle No. 5 and No. 9, and the Trapper Mines is drained by the
Yampa River, and the Williams Fork River, both perennial rivers which join
within the permit boundary. The Williams Fork River is a major tributary to
the Yampa. It flows in a northerly direction in the permit boundary to the
confluence with the Yampa River. The Yampa River flows in a southwesterly
direction across the permit boundary.
F1 ow in the Yampa River depends primarily on snowmelt from the winter snowpack
on the high mountain slopes surrounding the drainage basin, The lower
intermittent and ephemeral drainages produce only a small part of
the total water yield of the basin (Colorado Water Conservation Board, 1969).
Hydrographs of flows from the Yampa River drainage basin demonstrates that
about 64~ of the flow occurs in May and June with up to 84~ occurring from
April to July at selected gaging stations within the drainage basin (Steele,
et al, 1979), Minimum flows generally occur from August througp,February.
Irons, et al. (1965) reported that summertime flows in streams of the basin
from July through October generally include a large component of ground water
discharge.
Extremes recorded at the Maybell gaging station are a maximum flow of 17,900
cfs on May 19, 1917 and a minimum of 2.0 cfs on.Juiy i7-19, 1934. Annual
variation in yield may also be great. Historical annual yield has varied from
345,000 acre-feet in 1977 to 2,135,000 acre-feet for the Yampa River in 1917.
Average annual yield amounts to T,i16,000 acre-feet.
_P7_