Hydrologic-information needs for oil-shale development, northwestern Colorado. [Contains glossary]

Technical Report · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5680781

Taylor, O J ^[1]

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1. comp.

The Piceance basin of northwestern Colorado contains large reserves of oil shale. Expected development of oil shale will affect the regional hydrologic systems because most oil-shale mines will require drainage; industrial requirements for water may be large; and oil-shale mines, wastes, and retorts may affect the quantity and quality of surface water and ground water. In addition, the oil-shale industry may discharge particles and gases to the atmosphere that could alter the quality of high-altitude lakes and surface-water reservoirs. Hydrologic data need to be collected in order to plan for oil-shale development and to estimate the effects of development. Test-well drilling and aquifer testing are needed to provide a better understanding of the local and regional flow system, to furnish additional data for a model that simulates mine drainage, and to explore for water supplies in aquifers of Paleozoic and Mesozoic age. Much of the ground water in the bedrock aquifers discharges through springs, and a systematic study of the springs will help to predict the effects of mine drainage on spring discharge and quality. Surface runoff, dissolved and suspended loads in streams, and the aquatic environment in streams would be highly susceptible to the disruptions in the land surface and will require additional study in order to estimate the effects of development. A water-quality assessment is proposed for the White River basin because it is a possible source of water and a region likely to be affected by development. The effects of emissions to the atmosphere from oil-shale plants require study because these emissions may affect the quality of water in lakes downwind. Spoil piles of retorted oil shale may be very large and require study to anticipate any problems caused by leaching and erosion. Processing wastes resulting from in-situ retorts and other waste materials need to be studied in greater detail. 71 refs., 30 figs., 5 tabs.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Lakewood, CO (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5680781
• Report Number(s): USGS/WRI-82-4076; ON: TI85901306
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040200* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Reserves
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041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects
AQUIFERS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLORADO
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GASEOUS WASTES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
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HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
INDUSTRY
INFORMATION
LIQUID WASTES
MINE DRAINING
MINERAL RESOURCES
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NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALE INDUSTRY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PICEANCE CREEK BASIN
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
RESOURCES
RETORTING
SURFACE WATERS
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WASTE WATER
WASTES
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WATER QUALITY