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mine shop area; and Surface Veter Site SV-52-2, located approximately 0.1 mile downstream <br />of where NPDES 003 discharges into Grassy Creek. • <br />Surface Vater Site SY-S2-1. This site monitors the upper reaches of Grassy Creek which <br />are undisturbed by mining of the Seneca 11 Mine. Review of the hydrograph of monthly flow <br />readings shows lower than normal flows for this year. <br />Review of Table 17 shows the water at this site to be a CaNg-504X[03 type. The 1994 <br />average TDS value of 744 mg/l falls within the historic range. <br />NPDES Discharge Point 003. Mydrographs presented in Appendix E show Chat flow has <br />increased at [his site since September 18, 1984, when operation of the truck wash <br />facilities began. Pater is siphoned from the Yadge Impoundment (NPDES 002) into a holding <br />pond. Overflow from the holding pond is diverted into the shop ditch which flows into <br />NPDES 003. Pater is pumped from the holding pond to the wash rack, drains into a settling <br />pond, and then into the same shop ditch. This operation has increased the flow at NPDES <br />003 while decreasing the flow at NPDES 002. Two other events that affected the long-term <br />hydrograph include the diversion away from NPDES 003 of runoff from a fly ash pit operated <br />by Colorado-Ute Electric Association in October, 1980, and the diversion away from NPDES • <br />003 of runoff contained in the Northwest Diversion Ditch (see the Seneca II Permit <br />Application, Exhibit 7.7, Surface Pater Hydrology Map and also the 1982 Seneca II AHR) in <br />April, 1982. Finally, discharge volumes at the 003 site have been affected by the <br />reduction in diameter of the discharge culvert (36 inches to 6 inches) which occurred on <br />July 19, 1988. No comparison of this years' flows to prior years is presented since the <br />operation of the truck wash system tends to greatly influence the flow conditions at Pond <br />003. <br />Review of Table 15 shows a dramatic shift in water quality after 1984. Prior to the truck <br />wash operation, the annual average TDS of the flows at RPDES 003 ranged from 1225 to 1578 <br />mg/l. After the truck wash operation began, the annual average TDS range increased from <br />2491 to 3094 mg/l, with this year's TDS being the highest. The water remains generally a <br />MgCa-504 type, although the percentage of sulfates have increased and bicarbonates have <br />decreased since [he beginning of the truck wash operation. This water is of similar <br />quality to chat found at NPDES 002. <br />Surface Pater Site SV-52-2. This site is the furthest downstream surface water site in • <br />the Little Grassy and Grassy Creek drainages prior to exiting the permit area. Therefore, <br />14 <br />