REP47560

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 5/1/1989
• Doc Name: ANNUAL HYDROLOGY REPORT MT GUNNISON NO 1 MINE WATER YEAR 1988
• Permit Index Doc Type: HYDROLOGY REPORT
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

•
C~
Hybologlc Monltortng Acrlvlrla
TABLE 1 Summary of Surface Water
Monitoring Program at the
Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Mine
Station Flow Water Quality
Sylvester Gulch Continuous 3 times per year
USGS/WECC Gaging
Station Continuous 3 times per year
East Fork Minnesota
Creek Flume Continuous 3 times per year
Lower Dry Fork Flume Continuous 3 time per year
Upper Dry Fork Flume Continuous 3 lima per year
Lick Creek Flume Continuous 3 times per year
Nonh Fork Upper -• 3 Times pu year
North Fork Lower -- 3 timm per year
USGS North Fork
gaging sution
near Somerset Continuous --
Gauging records for 1988 were generally
complete. The lone exception was the Upper Dry
Fork ^ume. Because of the effects of beaver
activity on this flume in recent years, approval
was given by the U.S. Forest Service in late 1987
to move the Upper Dry Fork flume to its original
location approximately x-mile downstream. The
flume was relocated in July 1988. Consequently,
^ow data are available only from 8 July through
the end of the 1988 water year.
presented in Appendix B and Appendix C, respec-
tively.
Under the revised hydrology monitoring
program, seasonal measurements (three times per
year) of pH, conductivity, temperature, total
dissolved solids, total suspended solids, total iron,
and total manganese were taken at each of
WECC's five gauging stations as well as the
USGS/WECC station on Minnesota Creek and
the Upper and Lower Nonh Fork surface water
quality monitoring locations. Measured field
parameters and the results of laboratory analyses
are presented for all eight locations in Appen-
dix D.
SPRING WATER
MONITORING
Seven springs were monitored during the 1988
water year. Under the 1987 reduction of hydrology
monitoring revision, monitoring of nine springs in
the Minnesota Creek and North Fork of the
Gunnison River drainage basins was discontinued
until the summer before mining impacts can be
expected. Also, sampling frequency Cor the seven
springs was reduced from quarterly to three times
per year. These changes are summarized on
Table 2. Monitored springs locations are shown
on Exhibit I. All known springs in the lease area
are shown on Exhibit 2.8.1.B. (1"=2000') which is
contained in Volume 3 of the M and R Plan.
Stilling wells at the five WECC gauges began
freezing in late November. By the end of Decem-
ber all were frozen. Thawing began in mid March
and by early April all stilling wells were open.
Debris buildup in the flumes was minimal during
1988 and no data were lost due to debris.
In addition to the five WECC monitoring
locations, flow data are available from USGS
monitoring locations on Minnesota Creek down-
stream of Dry Creek and on the North Fork of
the Gunnison River near Somerset, Colorado
(approximately w-mile upstream of the mine site).
Because the USGS gauging stations are heated,
they were unaffected by freezing temperatures.
Data for the 1988 water year for these sites are
In accordance with U.S. Forest Service
(USES) stipulations, a map of USES water r~
sources has been included as Exhibit III. Some of
the USES water resources are springs. No changes
in the USES Water Resources Map are necessary
for 1989 as no new rights were filed Cor or new
aces made in 1988 in the lease area.
Under the revised hydrology monitoring
program, seasonal measurements (three times per
year) of pH, conductivity, temperature, total
dissolved solids, total suspended solids, total iron,
and total manganese were taken at each of the
seven springs. Measured flows, field parameters,
and the results of laboratory analyses conducted
for each spring are presented in Appendix 1~ Bar