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• the site. Generally, a single spring site is actually a composite of several seeps that <br /> saturate the uppermost ground surface to the extent where the total discharge may produce <br />a single flow. Most springs are ephemeral and display a seasonal tendency to go dry in <br />the late summer or fall and during long periods of no significant precipitation. Site 57 <br />in Sage Creek and Sites 55 and 523 in Hubberson Gulch were dry in September, 1989. Spring <br />flow and seepage are greatest during the late spring in response to infiltration and <br />discharge of snow melt water. Annual average discharge for all springs and seeps is less <br />than 1.5 gpm (see Table 7-22). <br />Spring Water Geochemistry. A general introduction to spring water geochemistry can be <br />gained through the information presented in Table 7-23. Since the geochemistry of spring <br />Site S25 is rather unique with its high concentrations of major ions, the values for <br />selected ion concentrations were omitted from computation of the statistical mean in order <br />to obtain a more representative value for the majority of springs. Seneca 11-W spring <br />waters average close to neutral in pH (7.77) and range from 7.20 to 8.60 which <br />characterizes the water as slightly alkaline. The level of TDS averages 1344 mg/1, <br />although it ranges from fresh water (<1000 mg/1) to brackish water ()1000 mg/1) in <br />• quality. An average hardness value of 1001 mg/1 (CaC03) characterizes the spring waters <br />as extremely hard water. Waters are also high in 504 (657 mg/1 average) and alkalinity <br />(413 mg/7 average). Concentrations of trace elements show average levels of total Fe and <br />total Mn to be 3.15 mg/1 and 0.28 mg/1, respectively. Suspended solids average 106 mg/1. <br />Graphical illustrations of spring water quality and chemistry on a site-by-site basis are <br />presented through trilinear and schoeller diagrams contained in Appendix 7-7. <br />Sage Creek drainage spring waters had the lowest average TDS content (630 mg/1) and Dry <br />Creek drainage spring water had the highest average TDS content (6800 mg/1 ). Dry Creek <br />Spring 525 has an anamolous water chemistry with extremely high TDS (28,500 mg/1) that <br />significantly raises the overall average TDS value for this drainage. Without the <br />chemistry of 525, Dry Creek spring water statistics are similar to Sage Creek and <br />Hubberson Gulch spring water chemistries. Site 525 geochemistry is unique and will be <br />discussed later. <br />The water type among spring waters of the three drainage basins at the Seneca II-W Mine is <br />primarily a Mg-504 type water. Site 51 (Sage Creek drainage) is characterized as having a <br />• MgCa-HC03504 water type. Spring sites in Hubberson Gulch have variable water types: 55 <br />water is characterized as a Mg-HC03 type; 57 water ranges from a Ca-HC03 type (1983) to a <br />6q <br />