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LYTLE WATER SOLUTIONS, LLC <br />Ground Water Flow and Transport Model Description <br />MODFLOW is a three-dimensional numerical ground water flow model that, when <br />coupled with MT3DMS, can provide an analysis of ground water flow and the fate and <br />transport of constituents in that ground water flow. Since there is a question concerning <br />fluoride concentrations in the West Pit ground water and its potential effect downgradient <br />of the proposed irrigation pivots on the Salazar Ranch, a methodology to make these <br />predictions was necessary. The MODFLOW model was chosen because the State <br />Engineer's Office has recently completed the Rio Grande Decision Support System <br />(RGDSS), which includes the RGDSS ground water flow model constructed using <br />MODFLOW. Therefore, many of the parameters for the model were obtained from an <br />existing regional model. <br />Since fluoride is the only constituent in the West Pit water that is predicted to reach the <br />local ground water table at a concentration above background as a result of using West <br />Pit water for irrigation at the Salazar Ranch, the MODFLOW and MT3DMS modeling <br />focused on predicting ground water and mass flow of fluoride toward the southern <br />property boundary well SLM-2. Since continued irrigation of the Salazar Ranch <br />irrigation pivots with West Pit water will not adversely affect any current or reasonably <br />foreseeable future use of ground water between the pivots and the SLM-2 well (since <br />Battle Mountain Resources, Inc. controls use through this reach), fluoride concentrations <br />were predicted at the SLM-2 well, based on the steady-state location and amount of <br />fluoride entering the aquifer from proposed irrigation practices. <br />The process for this evaluation was to develop a conceptual model of ground water flow, <br />including aquifer parameters and boundary conditions which provide a representative <br />simulation of actual ground water flow conditions beneath the Salazar Ranch, specifically <br />between the points of irrigation at the pivots and the SLM-2 well. This process also <br />included the development of a conceptual model for solute transport related to model <br />640 PLAZA DRIVE, SUITE 1 70 PHONE: 303-350-4090 <br />HIOHLANC9 RANCH, CD 50129 FAX: 303-350.4095 <br />WWW.LYTLEWATER.CCM <br />E-MAIL: LWH@LYTLEWATER.COM