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that can only be used for tolerant plants on permeable soils with careful management <br /> practices, and 2 wells yield water that may have adverse effects on crops and requires <br /> careful management practices. Figure 7-20 further supports that fact that the shallow <br /> ground water aquifers at Nucla are unsuitable for irrigation use. Plots of SAR's versus <br /> conductivity for each of the wells shows that the ground water falls into one of two <br /> categories. It is either a high to very high salinity hazard and a low sodium hazard (12 <br /> wells) or a high to very high salinity hazard and a very high sodium hazard (2 wells). <br /> Wells yields and aquifer characteristics of the shallow aquifers at the Nucla Mine were <br /> also considered when evaluating potential water uses. Tables 7-5 and 7-6 in the aquifer <br /> characteristics section, which summarize the aquifer characteristics in both the Nucla and <br /> Nucla East mining areas should be referred to. Transmissivity values ranged from 77 to <br /> 1 .1 ft2/day and pumping rates above 1.5 gpm could not be maintained for any significant <br /> period of time. Where short term, pumping withdrawal tests (McWhorter's analyses) have <br /> been performed specific capacities of only 0.1 to 0.6 gpm/ft could only be maintained over <br /> short time periods. Applying this aquifer yield and characteristic information to Table <br /> 7-36, developed by the Bureau of Reclamation (1977), indicates that the aquifer yields are <br /> too low for irrigation purposes and only poor to fair for domestic purposes. Assuming <br /> yields necessary for livestock water would be similar to domestic needs, the aquifer yield <br /> potential for livestock use is also fair to poor. <br /> In conclusion, the shallow aquifer chemistry at the Nucla Mine is unsuitable for domestic <br /> and irrigation purposes. Only the Nucla overburden, the underburden aquifer at both <br /> mining areas and the spoils and alluvial aquifers appear to be chemically suitable for use <br /> as livestock water. Aquifer yields are too low for irrigation use and can only be <br /> considered marginal to• poor for domestic or livestock uses. Considering the combined <br /> criteria, only certain aquifers (underburden, spoils and alluvium) would be marginally <br /> suitable for use as livestock drinking water. <br /> Regional Surface Water Characteristics <br /> The Nucla Mine and Nucla East mining area are drained by Tuttle and Calamity Draws, <br /> respectively. Both draws are perennial tributaries of the San Miguel River which in turn <br /> flows into the Dolores River and finally to the Colorado River. These river systems are <br /> explained thoroughly in lorns' et al . (1965) USCS Professional Paper, Water Resources of <br /> the Upper Colorado River Basin - Technical Report. <br /> 7-99 Reviesd 04/11/88 <br />