Laserfiche WebLink
3.0 tVATER QUALITY <br />3.1 Existing Data <br />The USGS had conducted some sampling prior to this study. The <br />results of these efforts are shown in Appendix .l. In these <br />and other samples from the immediate vicinity, several trace <br />elements (Antimony, Cadmium, and Selenium) were present in <br />concentrations below detection limits and were therefore <br />deleted from the analysis schedule used for samples collected <br />for the project. <br />~ 3.2 Sampling Results <br />The results of the sampling analysis conducted for the project <br />are shown on Table 5. Water quality constituents are broadly <br />classified as suspended solids and dissolved solids. The <br />amount of suspended solids measured as suspended sediment usually <br />varies directly with streamflow, since increases in flow are <br />usually associated with increases in surface runoff from rain- <br />fall or snowmelt, which carry soil and other material into <br />the stream. Since ground water seepage carries little sus- <br />,.' pended matter, suspended sediment concentrations are usually <br />lowest during periods of below-average flow. Fluctuations in <br />dissolved solids concentrations correspond inversely to • <br />changes in streamflow because concentration levels are depen- <br />dent on the volume of flow and the duration of mineral contact <br />with water. Dissolved solids concentration levels peak during <br />low flow periods, when ground water seepage constitutes a <br />major portion of streamflow. Because ground water moves <br />slowly through the soil and rock, allowing longer contact than <br />with surface water, more minerals are dissolved. The samples <br />were analyzed for general characteristics, major cations and <br />anions, nutrients, and trace elements. General characteristics <br />describe commonly recognized traits, such as temperature, pH, <br />etc. Major cations and ions are the most prevalent consti- <br />tuents, generally constituting 90~ of all dissolved matter in <br />a stream. Nutrients are the constituents necessary to sustain <br />plant life. Trace elements are those constituents present in <br />very low levels, at which many of these elements are toxic. <br />The samples were taken during annual flow, just after snowmelt. <br />The low suspend-sediment content indicates the flow at all <br />the sites is from seepage instead of surface runoff. The <br />absence of ammonia and sulfide and the positive Eh indicates <br />an oxidizing environment, which means that the water has been <br />in the ground a short time only. <br />The general character of the water is seen on the Stiff dia- <br />grams (Figure 7) which show the balance and distribution of <br />u <br />