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R. G. OTTO & ASSOCIATES <br />~~4i <br />The three major water quality descriptors (conductivity, pH and <br />sulfate concentration) also failed to indicate any change is <br />stream quality across the waste rock piles. Conductivity varied <br />seasonally from a low of 81 uMH05 during high flow (Map) to a high <br />of 191-204 uMHOS is the fall, low flow period (Table 3). These <br />seasonal differences have implications relative to the sources of <br />the water !lowing in the stream at different times of pear. Low <br />conductivity surface runoff (especially snow-melt) makes up the <br />majority of the input to the stream during the spriaq, high flow <br />period. The increased conductivities that occur during the dry, <br />late summer months sap zellect a greater proportional contribution <br />~;~ of ground water to the stream at that time. However, cross-waste <br />~' pile differences within individual sampling periods (the focus of <br />this study) provided ao indication o! imyacts due to runoff <br />(spriaq) os seepage into the ground water (late summer). <br />Dilfereaces in conductivity within sampling periods ranged from <br />zero to only 13 uMHOS, well within the expected natural variation <br />associated with short-term, fluctuations is stream quality. <br />The pH and sulfate concentrations were also very consistent when <br />neasused across the wasbe rock piles within seasons (Table 3). The <br />pH varied seasonally from 7.6 to 8.2 with the maximum cross-pile <br />difference being 0.1 units. This difference is within the limits <br />of measurement error. <br />31 <br />