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Despite these seasonal fluctuations and despite the fact that <br />this site is located downgradient of mining, the quality of <br />water at this site has remained essentially unchanged with <br />respect to all of the reported parameters including TDS (see <br />Table 3) since monitoring began in October 1979. Comparison of the <br />1980-81 data, to the 1985-86 data presented in Table 8 substantiates <br />this conclusion. Table 9 which compares October 1979 data with <br />that of October 1985 data also substantiates this conclusion. In <br />fact, even though flow was substantially lower in 1985, 618 gpm in <br />1985 versus 1346 gpm in 1979, TDS concentration was actually <br />slightly lower in 1985 than in 1979. <br />With respect to Colorado Department of Health (DOH) receiving <br />stream standards (DOH, 1983), Tuttle Draw lies within Stream <br />Segment 12 of Region 10 of the San Miguel River (see Table 10). <br />Stream Segment 12 is defined as follows: <br />All tributaries to the San Miguel River from a point <br />immediately below the confluence of Leopard Creek to <br />• the Dolores River with the exceptions listed in <br />Segments 9, 10 and 11. <br />The listed exceptions do not apply to Tuttle Draw. As a <br />result, the numeric standards which apply to this segment are <br />those which only pertain to the physical and biological <br />parameters. Specifically, these standards are dissolved oxygen <br />(DO), pH and fecal ccliform with limits of 5.0 mg/l, 6.5-9.0 <br />units, and 2000/100 ml, respectively. Fecal coliform and DO <br />are not analyzed as part of the approved monitoring program and <br />pH values have always ranged between 7.4 and 8.2 far the period <br />of record. <br />Besides receiving stream standards, the DOHS has recently <br />drafted a set of water quality standards for the purpose of <br />protecting ground water quality with respect to agricultural <br />use (DOH, 1986; Table 11). Although these ground water standards <br />have not yet been approved by the DOH, they v.~ill be used in this <br />29 <br />