Reconnaissance evaluation of water resources for hydraulic coal mining, Grand Hogback coal field, Garfield and Rio Blanco Counties, Colorado

Technical Report · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6230536

Alley, W M; Britton, L J; Boyd, E L

Surface-water and ground-water data were compiled for the parts of the Colorado River and the White River basins in and adjacent to the Grand Hogback coal field. The data were evaluated to aasses the quantity and quality of water resources available for use in hydraulic coal mining. Based on discharge records, surface-water supplies should be adequate to meet the demands for hydraulic mining of 1 million tons of coal per year with a recycled water system. On some of the smaller streams storage of water may be required for use during low-flow periods to meet minimum-flow requirements for downstream reaches. Other potential sources of water include Rifle Gap Reservoir, Harvey Gap Reservoir, and ground water from valley-fill deposits along major streams and rivers. The surface and ground water should be of adequate quality for use in hydraulic mining, with the possible exceptions of suspended-sediment concentrations that periodically may be as much as 18,800 milligrams per liter in streams in the Rifle Creek drainage, and dissolved-solids concentrations that are greater than 20,000 milligrams per liter in some aquifers. Data are insufficient to assess the potential impact of hydraulic coal mining on downstream water quality.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Lakewood, CO (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6230536
• Report Number(s): USGS-OFR-78-885; ON: DE83902120
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COAL MINING
COLORADO
DATA
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EVALUATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION VIII
HYDRAULIC MINING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
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NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RECYCLING
RESOURCES
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SURFACE WATERS
UNDERGROUND MINING
USA
VARIATIONS
WATER
WATER QUALITY
WATER RESERVOIRS
WATER RESOURCES