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• WATER QUALITY COMPARISON <br />Water samples were collected from various spring, streams and <br />wells in and around the permit area. Ten samples were collected <br />and analyzed for common major cations and anions. Table 6 is a <br />listing of the samples by number with a location and name of the <br />sample point. <br />A useful tool for the comparison and grouping of water quality <br />data from various locations is the Piper or trilinear diagram. <br />The data for the 10 water sanples collected at springs, streams <br />and wells in the area are plotted on Figure 4. Analytical results <br />are given in Tables 1, 4 and 5 of previous sections. <br />Two distinct groups are apparent. Samples 1, 6 and 9 are <br />fairly similar in quality being of relatively high total dissolved <br />solids, The dominant ionic species are sodium, calcium and sulfate. <br />• These three samples appear to be characteristic of the water from <br />the Vermejo Formation. Sample 3 was also taken from a spring in <br />the Vermejo but differs from the other three by containing almost <br />exclusively sodium and sulfate. High levels of sulfate are not <br />uncommon in and around coal mining districts. The sulfate con- <br />centration varied in those 4 samples from 980 mg/1 to 856 mg/1 <br />and the pH values were all between 7.80 and 8.09. From those <br />values it does not appear that sulfide oxidation is taking place <br />to any great extent. <br />The second grouping consists of samples 5, 7 and 10. The <br />total dissolved solids range from 490 to 790 mg/1. Those three <br />samples are grouped very closely in Figure 4, Samples 7 and 10 <br />are both from Raton Creek above and below the proposed mine. No <br />apparent differences in quality exist. Sample 5 is from a well <br />close to the bank of Raton Creek. Water in that well is being <br />• <br />FISHER, MAROEN 8 FISHER <br />149 <br />