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1.0 SD,•~:AJCY <br />~ • Tnis report presents water quality data to}:en it the Orchard Vz_11e}• 1•'4ne Study <br />Area for the period April to October, 1973 ~,~th se.^:e data available Scr November. <br />Data and interpretations presented update inSornation given in the Final ft.~.port <br />covering the 1976-77 period and the Ser..i-lr~nual Y:ater q,~ality Update Ropori covering <br />the period October, 1977 -April, 19"78. <br />Field data ~:as ccllected aYproximately weevily on basic water quality para- <br />meters of pY., dissolved ox-,~gen, temperature, conducti«ty and laboratory analysis <br />was Cade for iron, manganese and total suspended solids (TSS}. Bimonthly sa•~ples <br />analyzed for fecal co1i1`or-i count from Stevens L-hlcn for spr;.ng and early- su.T_Ter <br />and fror.~ the ?north Fork Sor the entire period. Collections from the lower Ni-u•.e- <br />sofa Creek were Cade begin.•iing in the latter part o° the sar.plin;, period. <br />Analysis of results and field observations indicate no concern for ti:ater <br />quality para.=eters of p!'., D0, to?Denature, cc::ducti~~t,~, TSS, total iron. arm <br />• total manganese in the ;;orth Fork as they relate to r_ning cperations of the <br />Orchard Valley N~re. High levels of fecal coliforms observed in July, August and <br />September appeared to o ~ginate in the orchazv near the coal lcadout area and <br />is believed to be related to fruit pickers car..piag there. <br />Levels of total iron, TSS, and other trace materials originating from the <br />mine site area r,.ay be high duri*tg sprang rwZCfS, but are expected to be controlled <br />through Sour sedi:~entatioa datrs in Westmoreland Canyon, except du:-ing storms <br />greater than 10--year~24 h rn:r events and perhaps during heavy snow melt-ofS periods. <br />Tnere is evidence cf high values of some parameters originating upstream of <br />the control area on the tlorth Fork, and there is evidence of significant increases <br />in conductivity r,~thin the study area that does not appear to be related to arm <br />R;nzng actir~ties. "Slugs" of high conducti~~ty water, a persistent triteness, and <br />• data snoring high levels of iron and other parameters indicate pcllution sources <br />originating upstream of the influence of the Orchard Valley mine. <br />1-2 <br />