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Specific Conductivity/Total Dissolved Solids <br />Specific conductivity (Figure 23) and total dissolved solids (TDS) (Figure 24) values <br />for the three alluvial wells have remained fairly constant over the majority of the period of <br />record. While specific conductivity and TDS values at sites TR-3 and TR-4 are consistent <br />with values obtained during the baseline studies, these parameters and several others have <br />elevated rapidly and remained elevated at TR-1.5 since 1995. The source of the elevated <br />values is not readily identifiable. A few factors which may have contributed to the elevated <br />values were mentioned in the 1996 Report (i.e., inundation of the area in late spring of 1995 <br />and the laying of telephone cable immediately upstream of the area during the summer of <br />1995). If the elevated values resulted from those activities, the values should have returned to <br />'' more historic levels during the 1996-2006 monitoring periods. However, the values have <br />remained elevated. It appears that the alluvium in this area is reflecting upstream alluvial <br />' water containing high levels of TDS, possibly from an old abandoned underground mine up <br />the Little Trout Creek drainage (Exhibit 3.1-1). This conclusion is based partially on the <br />' similarity of the water quality between TR-1.5 and WR-1. <br />Specific conductivity and TDS in Well WR-1 have progressed from an elevated state <br />each spring to a lower state in the fall for the past several years. This phenomenon was caused <br />by infiltration of snowmelt water leaching various minerals within the unsaturated zone of <br />reclaimed spoil. As the enriched flow was released over the course of the summer, the <br />conductivity values lessened to that of the stagnant saturated zone. The mounded aquifer <br />' exhibits a more diluted state each spring with a return to steady-state as the summer <br />progresses. <br />Specific conductivity and TDS concentrations exhibited the same trends in 2006 as <br />found during previous years of monitoring. Specific conductivity and TDS analyzed values <br />are provided in tabular format in Appendix B. <br />35 <br />