Laserfiche WebLink
• There are two USGS gauging stations in the area, one on the White River and one on Piceance Creek. <br />Data for both of these stations is given in Appendix B. The White River shows suspended solids <br />ranging from approximately 10 mg/liter to 3300 mg/liter, demonstrating the wide variability of the <br />sediment load in the River depending upon the time of year, spring thaw and summer thundershowers. <br />The pH of the River is fairly constant at 8.5. Total dissolved solids range from 200-500 mg/liter <br />depending upon the flow quantities. Overall, the water could be characterized as relatively low in <br />dissolved solids although the pH is nearing the upper limit of tolerance. During low flow periods, the <br />river height is from 0.5 feet to 2.0 feet. During high flow periods, the height of flow is from 2.5 to 4.0 <br />feet. <br />The USGS Piceance Creek station is immediately before its junction with the White River which is just <br />to the east of the permit area. This data shows that suspended solids range from approximately 20 <br />mg/liter to 3300 mg/liter, demonstrating the same wide variability of the sediment load in the stream as <br />shown for the River, depending upon the time of year, spring thaw and summer thundershowers. The <br />pH of the River is fairly steady from 8.2 to 8.6. Total dissolved solids range from 250-1200 mg/liter <br />• depending upon the flow quantities. Piceance Creek has approximately double the dissolved solids that <br />the White River has at the junction. Overall, the water could be characterized as average in dissolved <br />solids although the pH is nearing the upper limit of tolerance. The Creek wanders in a narrow <br />floodplain which is incised up to 35 feet high until it nears the River, where it opens into a wider <br />floodplain. <br />As seen in the water data in Appendix B of the DRMS 112 Permit, selenium in the White River runs <br />at approximately 1 µg/liter. The CDPHE determined that the level of selenium chronic to aquatic life is <br />4.6 µg/liter. The acute level is 18.4 µg/liter. It is not expected that the pumped water will be much <br />different than the River. <br /> <br />The two principal ways that the gravel pit could affect the water quality of the area downstream are a) <br />through discharge of water from the site which is laden with sediment or b) by fuel leakage from a <br />ruptured tank on site which could leak into the groundwater or be pumped off site into the River. Fuel <br />leakage is mitigated by the secondary containment for each tank which is designed to contain 110% of <br />• the full tank, if a rupture occurs. Also, the SPCC Plan has strict procedures for spill containment <br />White River City Pit, January 09 G-2