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Analysis results for surface water quality samples aze presented in Table 10, Surface Water Data. Fluctuations in <br />• some surface water quality parameters are directly related to variations in flow rates. As streamflows increase, <br />concentrations of suspended constituents such as total suspended solids or total iron increase. Increases in streamflow <br />tend to decrease the concentrations of dissolved constituents due to dilution. <br />Baseline water quality for Foidel Creek is represented by pre-1982 data from former USGS Station 09243800 (Table <br />0, Surface Water Data), now referred to as site 800. Water quality characteristics on Foidel Creek upstream of the <br />mine aze represented by data from former USGS Station 09243800 and CYCC Site 14. Baseline Foidel Creek water <br />quality in the vicinity of the Foidel Creek Mine is typically a calcium sulfate-bicarbonate type with relatively high <br />concentrations of magnesium, moderate salinity, and high levels of calcium cazbonate hardness. Typical surface <br />water chemistry for Foidel Creek downstream of the permit aze is illustrated by the Trilineaz Diagram Plot for former <br />USGS Station 09243900 included as Figure 6-a, Surface Water Quality Seasonal Variations. <br />This plot shows a slight shift in the water chemistry towazd a calcium sulfate type water between the baseline <br />sampling in 1979 and the operational sampling in 1985. TDS levels also show an increase as illustrated in Figure 6-b <br />(Surface Water Quality Seasonal Variations, Foidel Creek at former USGS Station 09243800). The trend first <br />appeared in 1979 but also appears to have stabilized by 1983 prior to initiation of mining at the Foidel Creek Mine. <br />Baseline TDS concentrations downstream of the mine typically range from about 400 mg/I during high flows to levels <br />as high as 3000 mgf I during low flows. <br />Water quality seasonal plots on Foidel Creek upstream of the permit area at former USGS Station 09243800 in Figure <br />6-c show slightly lower TDS levels as compared with the downstream station. The seasonal trends in TDS show <br />relatively low concentrations from 400 to 700 mg/I during the snowmelt runoff months of April, May and June and <br />higher concentrations approaching or exceeding 1000 mg/1 during low flow periods for the remainder of the year. <br />• These trends are best illustrated in the average monthly TDS plot for Station 09243800 provided in Figure 6-d. Total <br />suspended solids usually exceeds 300 mg/1 during high flow periods and average about 50 mg/1 during low flow <br />periods. Trace metal concentrations only tend to be significant during low flow periods. Typically, total recoverable <br />iron and total recoverable manganese baseline concentrations during low flow periods average .55 mg/I and .26 mg/I, <br />respectively. <br />Foidel Creek has also been monitored downstream of the mine at gauging Station 2005 and at sampling point Site 8. <br />Relatively poor water quality, intermittent stream flows and low flow volumes limit utilization of surface water <br />resources of the Foidel Creek drainage in the permit and adjacent areas. <br />Water quality characteristics of Middle Creek are represented by data from USGS Station 09243700 located just <br />upstream of the Foidel Creek confluence. The seasonal water quality plots provided in Figure 6~ show no trends in <br />the plotted water quality characteristics over the 1977 to 1985 monitoring period. TDS levels vary from about 250 <br />mg/1 during the high flow snowmelt period in April and May to about 600 mg/I during low flow periods for the <br />remainder of the year. <br />Baseline water quality characteristics on Fish Creek aze best represented by the data from Site 26 (Station 1002). <br />Through 1985 the only activity associated with the Foidel Creek Mine which occurred in the Fish Creek basin was <br />coal loading at the Fish Creek Tipple. Since this activity is downstream of the mine is represented by the pre-1983 <br />data from Station 1003 and Site 28. Water quality characteristics on Fish Creek upstream of the mine are represented <br />by data from Station 1002. Site 16 9subsequently replaced by site 16A in 2000) is also near the upstream permit <br />boundary (Map 13, Twentymile Park Hydrology). <br />r 1 <br />U <br />PR 03-06 2.04-34 05/07/03 <br />