Laserfiche WebLink
• Lumsden Creek to sample water. Numerous visits were made to the monitoring stations, but water <br />flow was not recorded in the creek except for those areas immediately downstream of the springs. <br />WestWater Engineering, Inc. studied the stream biology in 1997 and indicated that Lumsden Creek <br />does not support aquatic life due to limited flow in the stream. <br />The only know samples of the creek were collected by the BLM in 1996 and 1997 at the mouth of <br />Lumsden Canyon (see Map G-1) about 1.5 miles from the Dolores River (Fowler, 2001). A sample <br />station consisting of containers buried in the streambed with a series of surface intakes was installed in <br />1996. Two samples were collected of stormwater in 1996 when creek flow was believed to be about 5 <br />cubic feet per second (cfs). The analytical results showed that radium-226 and uranium were present (2 <br />pCi/L and 0.025 mg/L, respectively) in the water but at levels below regulatory standards. The sampler <br />failed to collect water in 1997; however, three grab samples of creek water were collected during <br />minor storm events when the creek flow was reported to be intermittent. These samples, collected <br />during low flow conditions, contained noticeably higher levels of radium-226 (5.2 to 6.0 pCi/L) and <br />uranium (0.185 to 0.448 mg/L). The data for all five sampling events is presented in Table E-3. <br />• <br />Although there is very little water sampling data for the creek, inferences can be made regarding the <br />creek's water quality based on the sampling and analytical data collected for the creek and associated <br />springs. Waters from both the DP Spring and Lumsden Spring flow within the creek for a short <br />distance before infiltrating into the creek bed. In both cases, the water quality degrades somewhat (i.e., <br />radionuclide and metal levels increase) due to contact with historic mine waste (BLM, 1993 and <br />Fowler, 2001). The most significant impact to the creek is the Dutchman waste dump. A large portion <br />of this dump was placed in the upper west tributary of Lumsden Creek in the area just below DP <br />Spring. Over the years, storm events have carried this material down the creek. <br />C~ <br />Whirlwind Mine 07 (rev. April 08) G-20 <br />