Water chemistry of Northern Great Plains strip mine and livestock water impoundments

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Water Resour. Bull.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1985.tb00162.x· OSTI ID:6001250

Anderson, M T; Hawkes, C L

The water from 34 strip mine and 9 livestock water impoundments on the Northern Great Plains was analyzed. In all areas the water was classified as slightly brackish or saline. The dominant ion sequence for the study ponds was Na>Ca>Mg>K and SO/sub 4/>HCO/sub 3/>CO/sub 3/>Cl, which differs from most freshwater by the transposition of Na and SO/sub 4/. Even though mean concentrations of total filterable residue were consistently greater in strip mine ponds, statistically significant differences were not found at the p less than or equal to 0.05 level between strip ponds and livestock ponds. The macronutrients of nitrogen and phosphorus found in the ponds were neither limiting to primary productivity nor excessive for fresh water. Many ponds contain turbid water. Turbidity restricts light penetration and limits photosynthesis besides making the ponds visually unattractive. The source of water for the pond, whether surface runoff or groundwater, seems to have important bearing on turbidity. The most appropriate use of these strip mine ponds is for waterfowl, warm-water fisheries, and other wildlife associated with prairie wetlands. However, even these uses are jeopardized by detrimental concentrations of trace elements in the water.

• Research Organization: Dept. of Agriculture, Grants Pass, OR
• OSTI ID: 6001250
• Journal Information: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States) Vol. 21:3; ISSN WARBA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID CARBONATES
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ANIMALS
ANIONS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BENTONITE
BIRDS
CALCIUM
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CLAYS
COAL MINES
DATA
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISHERIES
FOWL
FRESH WATER
GREAT PLAINS
GROUND WATER
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INHIBITION
IONS
MAGNESIUM
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MINES
MINING
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
NUTRIENTS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORUS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
POLLUTION
PONDS
POTASSIUM
RADIATIONS
RESIDUES
RUNOFF
SALINITY
SODIUM
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE MINING
SURFACE WATERS
SYNTHESIS
TRACE AMOUNTS
TURBIDITY
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
USES
VERTEBRATES
VISIBLE RADIATION
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER POLLUTION
WATER QUALITY
WETLANDS
WILD ANIMALS