HYDRO23893

• Permit No: C1981033
• IBM Index Class Name: Hydrology
• Doc Date: 4/12/2005
• Doc Name: Edwards Mine Portal Discharge ‎(Memo)‎
• From: Jim Stark
• To: Joe Dudash
• Permit Index Doc Type: Correspondence
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
OLORADO
I V I S I O N O F
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INTEROFFICE Governor
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FROM: Jim Stark
SUBJECT: Edwazds Mine Portal Dischazge
DATE: 12 Apri12005
The Division has received the second round of results from the Edwards Mine Portal
spring and the Gunnison River upstream and downstream. In September 2004 the
Division did afull-suite analysis of the spring and the results showed the water as being
basically benign. One item of interest was the possible high-molecular weight organic
acids. It was postulated that this might be humic acids. In January 2005 the Division
performed further testing in an attempt to further characterize the water. This included
sampling the North Fork of the Gunnison River both upstream and downstream to
determine what, if any, impacts the dischazge was having on the receiving stream. Below
is a narrative of the results. Please refer to the attached charts labeled Edward Mine
Portal Discharge -Laboratory Results and Water Quality Standards for the North Fork of
the Gunnison River, Segment 2.
First, the samples taken in January 2005 have basically the same concentrations of metals
as those taken in September 2004 (refer to the above mentioned charts for more details).
Although there aze some minor differences, these can be attributed to seasonal changes
and/or laboratory uncertainty. Again, the samples taken in January 2005 have no really
high values for any of the analytes tested.
Although the spring originates as groundwater, the Division has determined that, since
the water ultimately flows into the Gunnison River, surface water standards should be
used. The standards used come from the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE) Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) Regulation No. 35
-Classification and Numeric Standards for Gunnison and Lower Dolores River Basins.
It was determined that the appropriate stream segment is segment 2 -Mainstream of
North Fork of the Gunnison River from the confluence of Muddy Creek and Coal Creek
to the Black Bridge. The applicable standards aze listed on pages 2-7 of Regulation 35.
Office of Office of Colorado
Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey