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• There appears to be some seasonality to the overburden water chemistry at the Nucla East <br />mining area. In comparing spring versus fall chemistry, alkalinity, bicarbonate, <br />chloride, potassium, sodium, sulfate and TDS levels tend to decrease in the fall. In <br />comparing fall versus winter chemistry, alkalinity, bicarbonate, chloride, potassium and <br />sodium levels increase and pH decreases in the winter. In comparing summer versus winter <br />chemistry, alkalinity, bicarbonate, chloride and sodium levels increase and calcium levels <br />decrease in the winter. <br />In addition to chemical seasonality, there are some overburden chemical'. trends during the <br />irrigation season with time. Well CW-N18 shows a decrease in calcium and an increase in <br />sodium, bicarbonate, sulfate and TDS levels. <br />A summary of the ranges in concentration for trace elements measured in the overburden <br />wells is presented in Table 7-8. Well GW-N18 water exceeds the CWOCC agricultural <br />standards for fluoride and manganese and the water at Wells CW-N15 and CW-N21 exceed the <br />manganese standard. In comparison to livestock drinking water standards (Table 7-9), Well <br />GW-N15 water exceeds the magnesium, sulfate and TDS standards and Well GW-N18 water <br />exceeds the fluoride standard. Well CW-N 21 water is suitable for use as livestock <br />• drinking water and water at well GW-N18P1 is suitable for both agricultural and livestock <br />use. Measurable trace element concentrations in the overburden aquifer include aluminum, <br />arsenic, boron. cadmium, cobalt, fluoride, iron, lithium, manganese, nitrate, selenium, <br />vanadium, silver and zinc. The highest concentrations of cadmium, nitrate, selenium and <br />silver were measured in the overburden aquifer at the Nucla East mining area. <br />Three wells (GW-N14, GW-N 17P1 and GW-N20) monitor the Dakota coal aquifer water quality in <br />the Nucla East mining area. Statistical summaries of the water analyses performed on <br />water sampled from these wells are presented in Tables 7-21 through 7-23. Trilinear <br />diagrams representing analyses performed during periods of irrigation and no irrigation <br />are presented in Appendix 7-3. The intlividual water quality analyses for the Dakota coal <br />aquifer wells in the Nucla East mining area are presented in Appendix 7-4. The well <br />locations are shown on Exhibit 7-1. <br /> The three Dakota coal monitoring wells exhibit twa water types during periods of <br /> irrigation. Wells GW-N 14 and GW-N30 have magnesium calcium sulfate water types and Well <br /> GW-N17P1 has a sodium sulfate water type. During the non-irrigation periods, Well CW-N20 <br />. changes to a calcium magnesium sulfate water type. The only significant TDS change when <br />7-61 Revised 04/11/88 <br />