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ABSTRACT <br />This completion report is a handbook that operators <br />• <br />of metal mines can use to understand how the various sub- <br />stances originate in mine water and what can be done to <br />eliminate or control their occurrence. The introductory <br />chapters review the chemical weathering reactions of rock- <br />forming, and ore minerals, and the environmental standards <br />that apply to drinking water and mining and milling effluents. <br />Then there is a discussion of how various physical factors <br />such as ore petrology, groundwater hydrology, and type of <br />ore occurrence can affect the quality of mine drainages. <br />This chapter is based on extensive investigations of <br />mine drainages within the Front Range of Colorado. A plan <br />for analysis of mine waters that emphasizes understanding <br />the chemical nature of the water is established. Finally <br />suggestions for water maintenance are made based on the <br />chemistry of the water and the analysis schedules. An <br />appendix is a manual of common methods of analysis which <br />emphasizes how to conduct successful tests in the environ- <br />ment of a mining operation. <br />i <br />0