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Specific Conductivity/Total Dissolved Solids <br />Specific conductivity (Figure 23) and total dissolved solids (Figure 24) values for the three alluvial wells have <br />remained fairly constant over the majority of the period of record. While Conductivity and TDS values at sites TR-3 and TR- <br />4 are consistent with values obtained during [he baseline studies, these parameters and several others have elevated rapidly <br />and remained elevated at TR-1.5 since 1995. The source of [he elevated values is not readily identifiable. A few factors <br />which may have contributed to [he elevated values were mentioned in the 1996 Report (i.e., inundation of the area in late <br />spring of 1995 and the laying of telephone cable immediately upstream of [he area during the summer of 1995). [f the <br />elevated values resulted from those activities, the values should have returned to more historic levels during the 1996-2003 <br />monitoring periods. However, the values have remained elevated. It appears that the alluvium in this area is reflecting <br />upstream alluvial water containing high levels of TDS, possibly from an old abandoned underground mine up the Little Trout <br />Creek drainage. This conclusion is based partially on the similarity of the water quality between TR-1.5 and WR-1. <br />Conductivity and TDS in Well WR-1 have progressed from an elevated state each spring to a lower state in the fall <br />for [he past several years. This phenomenon was caused by infiltration of snowmelt water leaching various minerals within the <br />unsaturated zone of reclaimed spoil. As the enriched flow was released over [he course of the summer, the conductivity <br />values lessened to that of the stagnant saturated zone. The mounded aquifer exhibits a more diluted state each spring with a <br />return [o steady-state as the summer progresses. <br />Calcium/Magnesium/Sodium <br />Calcium (Figure 25) is the major cation found in all of the wells with concentrations of sodium (Figure 26) and <br />magnesium (Figure 27) occurring in lesser quantities. The sodium concentration at TR-1.5 in May 2001 was 179 ppm. This <br />value is inconsistent with the historical sodium concentrations and the levels after May 2001. Therefore, either sample <br />contamination or laboratory error is suspected. TR-I.5 generally contained the lowest concentrations of cations with a slight <br />increase occurring downstream a[ TR-3 and TR-4 for the majority of the record. However, elevated levels of these <br />parameters at TR-1.5 began to occur in 1995 consistent with the elevated Conductivity and TDS levels previously mentioned. <br />Elevated levels of sodium concentration occurred at TR-4 during the 2004 sampling period compared with those of the last <br />decade. However, the sodium concentration levels remain within historical levels Found in Trout Creek. <br />30 <br />