Laserfiche WebLink
During March and April of 1985, 500 feet of the Middle Fork of <br /> the Purgatoire River was diverted to the north to create additional <br /> room for the coal stockpile at the New Elk Preparation Plant. As the <br /> diversion was cut through an existing refuse disposal area, two <br /> alluvial wells have been established to monitor water elevation and <br /> chemical parameters. Monitoring began in April of 1985 with the data <br /> presented in Tables 2-3 and 2-4 of Appendix 1 for stations PAW-3 and <br /> PAW-4, respectively. The wells were cased with 18 inch galvanized CMP <br /> and completed in the cobble and gravel fill of the channel. Total <br /> depth of PAW-3 is approximately 20 feet from the top of the casing. <br /> Total depth of PAW-4 is approximately 15 feet from the top of the <br /> casing. Static water level in both wells corresponds closely with <br /> static water level in the Purgatoire River. Water quality monitoring <br /> shows water in these wells to be a mixed calcium/sodium-bicarbonate <br /> type water similar to the well monitored at PAW-2 (Table 2-9) . <br /> Wells PAW-5 and PAW-6 were established to monitor the Golden <br /> Eagle Mine. Data collected during 1989 are presented in Tables 2-5 <br /> and 2-6. Analyses of all water chemistry parameters at PAW-5 were <br /> similar to those of PAW-1 indicating negligable effects of the New Elk <br /> Mine on the Purgatoire alluvium. Table 2-9 presents the range and <br /> mean for all parameters measured during the previous five years of <br /> monitoring. The major differences observed in the two stations was <br /> that the water in PAW-5 is a calcium-bicarbonate type while that of <br /> PAW-6 is more a sodium-bicarbonate type. PAW-6 had a higher ionic <br /> concentration and higher levels of pH, conductivity, TDS, TSS, TCS, <br /> sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate and fluoride. These elevated <br /> levels indicate that mine discharge to Ciruela Canyon is being <br /> detected at PAW-6. Water quality at PAW-6 has been stable over the <br /> five year monitoring period. <br /> Alluvial well PAW-7 was installed on September 1, 1988 down- <br /> gradient of Pond 005. Data collected is presented in Table 2-7 of <br /> Appendix 1. Water levels were between 6 and 7 feet below the surface <br /> -18- <br />