Ground-water movement and effects of coal strip mining on water quality of high-wall lakes and aquifers in the Macon-Huntsville area, north-central Missouri

Book · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6682463

Hall, D C; Davis, R E

Glacial drift and Pennsylvanian bedrock were mixed together forming spoil during pre-reclamation strip mining for coal in north-central Missouri. This restructuring of the land increases the porosity of the material, and increased aqueous concentrations of many dissolved constituents. Median sodium and bicarbonate concentrations were slightly greater, calcium 5 times greater, magnesium 6 times greater, manganese 15 times greater, iron 19 times greater, and sulfate 24 times greater in water from spoil than in water from glacial drift. Median potassium concentrations were slightly greater, and chloride concentrations were two times greater in water from glacial drift than in water from spoil. Water types in glacial drift and bedrock were mostly sodium bicarbonate and calcium bicarbonate; in spoil and lakes in the spoil, the water types were mostly calcium sulfate. median pH values in water from spoil were 6.6, as compared to 7.4 in water from glacial drift and 9.0 in water from bedrock. Neutralization of acid by carbonate rocks causes the moderate pH values in water from spoil; a carbonate system closed to the atmosphere may result in alkaline pH values in bedrock. Transmissivities generally are greatest for spoil, and decrease in the following order: alluvium, glacial drift, and bedrock. Recharge to spoil is from precipitation, lateral flow from glacial drift, and lateral and vertical flow from bedrock. The rate of recharge to the aquifers is unknown, but probably is small. Groundwater discharge from the glacial drift, bedrock, and spoil is to alluvium. 23 refs., 19 figs., 25 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6682463
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACID CARBONATES
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
AQUIFERS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
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ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION VII
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HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
LAKES
MAGNESIUM
MANGANESE
METALS
MINING
MISSOURI
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
SODIUM
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE MINING
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
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WATER
WATER QUALITY