United States
           Environmental Protection
           Agency
           Environmental Monitoring
           and Support Laboratory
           P.O. Box 15027
           Las Vegas IW 89114
EPA-600/7-79-234
October 1979
           Research and Development
&EPA
Assessment of Energy
Resource Development
Impact on Water Quality:

The Belle  Fourche
and Little  Missouri
River Basins

Interagency
Energy-Environment
Research
and Development
Program Report

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                  RESEARCH REPORTING SERIES

Research  reports of the Office of Research and Development. U.S.  Environmental
Protection Agency, have been grouped into nine series. These nine broad categories
were established to facilitate further development and application of  environmental
technology.  Elimination of traditional grouping was consciously planned to foster
technology transfer and a  maximum interface in related fields.  The nine series are:

       1.  Environmental Health Effects  Research
       2.  Environmental Protection Technology
       3.  Ecological Research
       4.  Environmental Monitoring
       5.  Socioeconomic Environmental Studies
       6.  Scientific and Technical Assessment Reports  (STAR)
       7.  Interagency Energy-Environment Research and Development
       8.  "Special" Reports
       9.  Miscellaneous Reports


This  report  has been  assigned  to  the INTERAGENCY ENERGY—ENVIRONMENT
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT series. Reports in this series result  from the effort
funded under the 17-agency Federal Energy/Environment Research and Development
Program. These studies relate to EPA'S mission to protect the public health and welfare
from adverse effects of pollutants associated with energy systems. The goal of the Pro-
gram is to assure the rapid development of domestic energy supplies  in an environ-
mentally-compatible manner by providing the necessary  environmental  data  and
control technology. Investigations include analyses of the transport of energy-related
pollutants and their health and ecological effects; assessments of, and development of,
control technologies for energy systems;  and integrated assessments of a wide range
of energy-related environmental issues.
This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information
Service. Springfield, Virginia 22161

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                                             EPA-600/7-79-234
                                             October  1979
 ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IMPACT
                 ON WATER QUALITY
The Belle Fourche and Little Missouri  River Basins
                  S. M.  Melancon
                Biology  Department
          University of  Nevada,  Las  Vegas
             Las Vegas,  Nevada  89154
                        and
            B. C. Hess and R.  W. Thomas
          Monitoring Operations  Division
  Environmental  Monitoring and Support Laboratory
             Las Vegas,  Nevada  89114
  ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND SUPPORT LABORATORY
        OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
       U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
             LAS VEGAS, NEVADA  89114

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                                 DISCLAIMER
    This report has been reviewed by the Environmental  Monitoring  and  Support
Laboratory, U.S. Environmental  Protection Agency,  and  approved  for
publication.  Mention of trade  names or commercial  products  does not
constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
                                    n

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                                   FOREWORD
     Protection of the environment requires effective regulatory actions that
are based on sound technical  and scientific data.   This information must
include the quantitative description and linking of pollutant sources,
transport mechanisms, interactions, and resulting  effects on man and his
environment.  Because of the complexities involved, assessment of specific
pollutants in the environment requires a total  systems approach that
transcends the media of air,  water, and land.   The Environmental Monitoring
and Support Laboratory-Las Vegas contributes to the formation and enhancement
of a sound monitoring data base for exposure assessment through programs
designed to:

         • develop and optimize systems and strategies for monitoring
           pollutants and their impact on the environment, and

         • demonstrate new monitoring systems and  technologies by applying
           them to fulfill special monitoring needs of the Agency's
           operating programs.

     This report presents an evaluation of surface water quality in the Little
Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins and discusses the impact of energy
development upon water quality and water availability.  The water quality
data collected to date and presented in this report may be considered
baseline in nature and used to evaluate future impacts on water quality.
This report was written for use by Federal, State, and local government
agencies concerned with energy resource development and its impact on western
water quality.  Private industry and individuals concerned with the quality
of western rivers may also find the document useful.  This is one of a series
of reports funded by the Interagency Energy-Environment Research and
Development Program.  For further information contact the Water and Land
Quality Branch, Monitoring Operations Division.
                              George B.  Morgan
                              Director
                              Environmental  Monitoring and Support Laboratory
                              Las Vegas

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                                   SUMMARY
    Development of fossil fuel, uranium, and other energy reserves located  in
the Western United States is considered essential.  These resources are
located primarily in the Northern Great Plains and the Colorado Plateau.
Because of our national dependence upon oil  and gas, conversion of coal to
these liquid and gaseous forms is anticipated.

    Development of these resources cannot be accomplished without  some
environmental impact.  The potential for serious degradation of air, land,  or
water quality exists.  Pollution may occur during any or all  stages of the
extraction, refining, transportation, conversion, or utilization processes.
Secondary impacts resulting from increased population pressures, water
management, and development of supportive industries are expected.  Potential
contamination of ground-water supplies from in situ coal  conversion
facilities, and nonpoint pollution from sources such as stack emissions,  air-
borne dust, and localized "spills", are of particular concern in the Little
Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins.  With careful  planning and
regulation, such impacts can be minimized and held within tolerable levels.

    The primary objective of this report is to evaluate the existing water
quality monitoring network in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River
Basins and to recommend needed modifications to the present sampling program.
As a basis for these recommendations, known developments, both present and
planned, are discussed and available data examined.  The impact of developers
on both water quality and quantity, particularly related to coal strip mining
activities in the vicinity of Gillette, is defined.

    A monitoring network designed to detect trends in surface water quality
is proposed on the basis of our present knowledge.  Such a network minimizes
the number of observations at the expense of the number of stations in order
to provide statistically valid data.  This network consists of twelve
stations:

    USGS Station^                           Description

    06425720                 Belle Fourche River below Rattlesnake Creek, WY
    06426400                 Donkey Creek near Moorcroft, WY
    06426500                 Belle Fourche River below Moorcroft,  WY
    06428500                 Belle Fourche River at WY-SD State line
    not established          Belle Fourche River above Whitewood Creek, SD
    not established          Whitewood Creek at mouth,  SD
    06437000                 Belle Fourche River near Sturgis, SD
                                     IV

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    USGS Station^                          Description

    06438000                 Belle Fourche River near Elm Springs,  SD
    06334000                 Little Missouri  River  near  Alzada,  MT
    06335500                 Little Missouri  River  at Marmarth,  ND
    06336000                 Little Missouri  River  at Medora,  ND
    06337000                 Little Missouri  River  near  Watford  City,  ND

A similar network for ground-water monitoring needs to be implemented;
however, presently available data are insufficient  to adequately determine
station locations.

    Biological, physical, and chemical  parameters likely to be affected by
energy resources development activities were  determined.  Salinity  and
suspended sediment concentrations are already a problem  in both  study  basins,
and a number of trace elements are found in prohibitively high concentrations
in the Belle Fourche River below the Homestake Mine in South Dakota.
Physical and chemical parameters recommended  as top priority for monitoring
are:

    Total alkalinity                   Total  lead
    Total aluminum                     Dissolved magnesium
    Total arsenic                      Total  manganese
    Bicarbonate                        Total  mercury
    Biological  oxygen demand           Total  molybdenum
      of bottom sediments              Dissolved oxygen
    Total boron                        Total  nickel
    Total cadmium                      Nitrate-nitrite-N
    Total organic carbon in            Pesticides
      bottom sediments                 Petroleum hydrocarbons
    Dissolved calcium                  pH
    Chloride                           Total  phosphorus
    Total chromium                     Dissolved potassium
    Specific conductance               Total  selenium
    Total copper                       Dissolved sodium
    Total cyanide                      Dissolved sulfate
    Flow                               Suspended sediments
    Fluoride                           Temperature
    Total iron                         Total  dissolved solids
                                                                 i.
    biological  monitoring is considered to be presently  the most feasible
method of assessing the impact of the introduction  of an extensive  number of
organic chemicals into the environment such as may  result from in situ coal
conversion activities.  Those biological analyses recommended  as having top
priority for monitoring water quality in the Belle  Fourche and Little
Missouri River Basins include:

         Macroinvertebrates - Counts and identifications, biomass
         Periphyton - Biomass, growth rate, identification, and  relative
                      abundance determinations
         Fish - Identification and enumeration, toxic substances in tissue

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         Macrophytes - Species identification and community association
         Zooplankton (lentic only) - Identification and count
         Phytoplankton (lentic only) - Chlorophyll a, identification, and
                                       enumeration
         Microorganisms - Total fecal coliform

    In order to obtain sufficient data for trend analyses, collection of
physical/chemical parameters on a weekly basis at the Little Missouri station
at Watford City and the Belle Fourche station at Elm Springs is recommended.
If resources permit, the Belle Fourche station near Moorcroft should also be
sampled weekly.  All other priority stations should collect physical/chemical
data on a monthly basis to provide spatial distribution data.  Sediment
samples should be collected on a monthly basis, and biological  samples on a
seasonal or semiannual basis (except for monthly bacteriological  analyses).
Semiannual water samples for organic analyses are recommended.

    In both the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins, water
availability will be the major factor limiting future development of energy
resources.  An inventory of all water right allocations in these basins, as
well as mean annual consumptive use of surface waters, is recommended.  Such
an inventory would provide comprehensive data for the four States affected by
the river drainages and provide a basis for future decisions in water right
assignments.  Establishment of enforceable minimum instream flow requirements
in both basins is also recommended in light of the anticipated impact to
fisheries and recreation activities during low water years as a result of
increasing energy development.
                                     vi

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                                  CONTENTS
Foreword	i^
Summary	JY
Figures	V111
Tables	i*
   1.  Introduction 	    1
   2.  Conclusions  	    3
   3.  Recommendations	    5
   4.  Study Area	    7
         Geography	    7
         Water resources	18
         Water uses	22
         Fish and wildlife resources	23
         Mineral  resources  	   26
   5.  Energy Resource Development  	   30
         Active development	30
         Proposed development 	   39
         Transportation of energy resources 	   41
   6.  Other Sources of Pollution 	   46
         Erosion	46
         Mine drainage	47
         Urban runoff	48
   7.  Water Requirements 	   49
         Water rights 	   49
         Water availability	50
         Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River withdrawals	53
         Importation of water 	   62
         Water availability versus demand 	   62
   8.  Water Quality	64
         Sources of data  	   64
         Summary of physical and chemical data	64
         Impact of development on surface water 	   64
         Impact of development on ground water	83
   9.  Assessment of Energy Resource Development  	   89
         Impact on water quantity 	   89
         Impact on water quality  	   90
  10.  Recommended Water Quality Monitoring Parameters  	   92
         Physical and chemical parameters 	   92
         Biological parameters  	  100
  11.  Assessment of Existing Monitoring Network  	  109
References	114
Appendices
  A.  Conversion factors	120
  B.  Chemical and physical  data	122
  C.  Parameters exceeding water quality criteria 	  155

                                    vii

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                                  FIGURES

Number                                                                Page

  1   Location of the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche
        River Basins 	   8

  2   The geologic structure of the Little Missouri  and Belle
        Fourche River Basins 	   11

  3   Generalized surface outcrops of the geologic formations  in
        the Little Missouri-Belle Fourche study area 	   14

  4   Federal, State, and other land areas in and around the
        Belle Fourche and Little Missouri River Basins 	   17

  5   Map of mineral resources in the Black Hills area of
        Wyoming and South Dakota 	   28

  6   Location of oil fields around the Little Missouri River
        Basin, North Dakota  	   31

  7   Location of the East Gillette Mine and 14 other operating,
        proposed, or anticipated coal mines involving Federal
        coal leases in Campbell County, Wyoming  	   33

  8   Unit coal energy to be transported from the Western
        United States by the year 2000 	   42

  9   High Btu gas liquid (crude oil, shale oil, coal  syncrude)
        pipelines proposed by the year 2000 for the Western
        United States  	   44

 10   Electricity expected to be transported from the Western
        United States by the year 2000 	   45

 11   Mean monthly variations in streamflow in the Belle
        Fourche River in Wyoming 	   51

 12   Proposed alternatives for the importation of water to
        the Gillette, Wyoming, coal mine development area	63

 13   Location of U.S.  Geological  Survey water quality sampling
        stations in the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri River
        Basins	66
                                  vi ii

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                                   TABLES

Number

   1   Summary of Total  Projected  Annual Energy  Production Levels
         from Advanced Sources   	   2

   2   Climatic Data for the Belle Fourche  River Basin   	   9

   3   Generalized Geological Strati graphic Sequence in  the Little
         Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins  	  13

   4   Major and Minor Population  Centers in  the Little  Missouri and
         Belle Fourche River Basins,  1970 Census  	  15

   5   Estimated Area in Major  Land Use Categories for the Little
         Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins  	  19

   6   Existing Reservoirs and  Lakes in the Belle  Fourche-
         Little Missouri Study  Area 	  20

   7   Proposed Reservoirs on the  Little Missouri  River  	  21

   8   Ground-Water Formations  Known to Occur in the Little
         Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins,  Northeastern
         Wyoming	21

   9   Percentage of Total Water Withdrawals  and Water Consumed
         in the Little Missouri-Belle Fourche River Study Area
         That are Associated With  Various Beneficial Uses, 1965  ....  24

  10   Fish Species Known to Occur in the Little Missouri and
         Belle Fourche River Basins 	  25

  11   Types of Mineral  Resources  in the Belle Fourche-Little
         Missouri River Basins  Study Area  	  26

  12   Mineral Resources Other  Than Coal Located in the  Black
         Hills Area of Wyoming  and South Dakota	27

  13   Total Oil Production for Counties in the  Little Missouri
         River Basin, North Dakota, 1976	30

  14   Mining Plan for the Belle Ayr Mine,  Belle Fourche River
         Basin	34
                                     IX

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Number                                                                Page

  15   Proposed Gasification-Liquefaction Plants in  or near  the
         Belle Fourche-Little Missouri  River Basin Study  Area  	  40

  16   Anticipated Water Requirements for Energy Facilities  in
         the Little Missouri-Belle Fourche Study Area in  the
         Year 2000	41

  17   Major Potential Elemental Pollutants Associated With  Coal
         Mining Activities in the Little Missouri and Belle
         Fourche River Basins   	  47

  18   Estimated Annual Water Yield, Consumptive Use, and
         Evaporative Loss of Surface Waters in the Belle  Fourche
         and Little Missouri River Basins, Wyoming,  1948-68  	  52

  19   Summary of Average Annual Water Use in the Little  Missouri
         River Basin, South Dakota  	  53

  20   Water Use for Coal-Related Activities  	  54

  21   Approximate Area and Annual Water Use for Irrigation  in the
         Belle Fourche and Little Missouri River Basins 	  56

  22   Major Existing Reservoirs Used Primarily for  Irrigation
         Purposes in the Little Missouri-Belle Fourche Study
23
24
25
26
27
Domestic and Municipal Waste Treatment Facilities in the
Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins 	 ,
Industrial Dischargers in the Little Missouri and Belle
Fourche River Basins 	
Projected Average Annual Livestock Water Use in the
Western Dakota Subbasin 	 ,
U.S. Geological Survey Water Quality Sampling Stations in
the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins . . . . .
Distribution of Major Cations and Anions at Selected
. . 58
. . 59
. . 61
, . 65

         Stations in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche
         River Basins, 1972 and 1977	68

  28   Water Quality in Donkey Creek, Wyoming, below Wyodak
         and near Rozet, June 1975	70

  29   Water Quality Criteria Recommended by the National
         Academy of Sciences	71

  30   Sawyer's Classification of Water According to Hardness
         Content	72

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Number                                                                 Pa9e

  31   Total  Dissolved Solids Hazard for Irrigation  Water 	  73

  32   Total  Dissolved Solids Hazard for Water Used  by Livestock.  ...  74

  33   Maximum Total  Dissolved Solids Concentrations of Surface
         Waters Recommended for Use as Sources for Industrial
         Water Supplies	75

  34   Parameters Exceeding EPA or National  Academy  of Sciences
         Water Quality Criteria, 1970-78, at U.S.  Geological
         Survey Stations in the Little Missouri and  Belle
         Fourche River Basins 	  77

  35   Recommended Revisions of 1975 NPDES Permit  Limitations  for
         Trace Element Discharges from the Homestake Mine 	  78

  36   U.S. Environmental  Protection Agency Drinking Water
         Regulations for Selected Radionuclides 	  80

  37   A Partial Listing of Ground-Water Sources in  Northeastern
         Wyoming	84

  38   Chemical Characteristics of a Number of Ground-Water
         Aquifers in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche
         River Basins, Wyoming and South Dakota 	  86

  39   Availability and Quality of Ground Water by Basin and
         Time-Rock Unit in Northeastern Wyoming 	  87

  40   Priority I, Must Monitor Parameters for the Assessment
         of Energy Development Impact on Water Quality in the
         Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins 	  94

  41   Priority II, Parameters of Major Interest for the
         Assessment of Energy Development Impact on  Water
         Quality in the Little Missouri and Belle  Fourche
         River Basins 	  97

  42   Priority III, Parameters of Minor Interest  That Will
         Provide Little Useful Data for the Assessment of Energy
         Development Impact on Water Quality in the  Little
         Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins  	  98

  43   Priority I Biological Parameters Recommended  for
         Monitoring Water Quality in the Little Missouri and
         Belle Fourche River Basins 	 103

  44   Priority II Biological Parameters Recommended for
         Monitoring Water Quality in the Little Missouri and
         Belle Fourche River Bastns 	 106


                                     xi

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Number                                                                Page

  45   Selected Parameters Monitored by the U.S. Geological
         Survey in the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri  River
         Basins and their Average Annual Frequency of
         Measurement	Ill

  46   U.S. Geological Survey Stations Recommended to Have the
         Highest Sampling Priority in the Little Missouri-Belle
         Fourche Study Area for Monitoring Energy Development 	  113

 B-l   Dissolved Solids, Sum of Constituents, 1971-78, at U.S.
         Geological Survey Sampling Stations in the Little
         Missouri River Basin 	  123

 B-2   Conductivity,  1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin 	  124

 B-3   Dissolved Calcium, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin 	  125

 B-4   Dissolved Sodium, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological  Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin	126

 B-5   Dissolved Magnesium, 1971-78, at U. S. Geological  Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin 	  127

 B-6   Dissolved Potassium, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin 	  128

 B-7   Bicarbonate  Ion, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin 	  129

 B-8   Sulfate, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey Sampling
         Stations in  the Little Missouri River Basin   	  130

 B-9   Chloride, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey Sampling
         Stations in  the Little Missouri River Basin   	  131

B-10   Dissolved Silica, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological  Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin	132

B-ll   Total Hardness, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin 	  133

B-12   Temperature, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin 	  134

B-13   pH, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey Sampling
         Stations in  the Little Missouri River Basin   	  135

B-14   Total Alkalinity, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological  Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Little Missouri River Basin	136

                                    xii

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Number                                                                Page

B-15   Dissolved Solids, Sum of Constituents,  1971-78, at U.S.
         Geological  Survey Sampling  Stations in the Belle
         Fourche River Basin  	 137

B-16   Conductivity, 1971-78, at U.S.  Geological  Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin  	 138

B-17   Dissolved Calcium, 1971-78, at  U.S.  Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin  	 139

B-18   Dissolved Sodium 1971-78, at  U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin  	 140

B-19   Dissolved Magnesium, 1971-78, at  U.S. Geological
         Survey Sampling Stations in the Belle Fourche River
         Basin	141

B-20   Dissolved Potassium, 1971-78, at  U.  S.  Geological
         Survey Sampling Stations in the Belle Fourche River
         Basin	142

B-21   Bicarbonate Ion, 1971-78, at  U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin	143

B-22   Sulfate, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological  Survey Sampling
         Stations in the Belle Fourche River Basin   	 144

B-23   Chloride, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey Sampling
         Stations in the Belle Fourche River Basin   	 145

B-24   Dissolved Silica, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin  	 146

B-25   Total Hardness, 1971-78, at U.S.  Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin  	 147

B-26   Total Iron, 1972-78, at U.S.  Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin  	 148

B-27   Total Manganese, 1971-78, at  U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin	149

B-28   Temperature, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin  	 150

B-29   Dissolved Oxygen, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle  Fourche River Basin  	 151

B-30   pH, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological Survey  Sampling
         Stations in the Belle Fourche River Basin   	 152


                                    xiii

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Number                                                                 Page

B-31   Total Alkalinity, 1971-78, at U.S. Geological  Survey
         Sampling Stations in the Belle Fourche River Basin 	 153

B-32   Suspended Sediments, 1971-78, at Selected U.S.
         Geological Survey Sampling Stations in the Little
         Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins  	 154

C-l    Parameters Exceeding Water Quality Criteria in the
         Belle Fourche and Little Missouri River Basins and
         The Total Number of Observed Violations  	 155
                                    xiv

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                             1. INTRODUCTION


    This report is part of a multiagency study involving the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S.  Geological  Survey (USGS),
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and  the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), under various interagency
agreements.  The primary objective of this report  series is  to evaluate the
existing water quality monitoring network in each  study basin and  to
recommend needed modifications to the present sampling  program design.  As  a
basis for monitoring strategies recommended  in this report,  known  energy
developments, both present and planned, are  defined and available  baseline
data in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins are examined. For
assessment of these monitoring strategies, the impact of ongoing and
anticipated energy development on both water quality and quantity  in the
western energy basins is considered.  Preliminary  recommendations  of key
water quality parameters for surveillance of energy development impact are
proposed.  Future documents will present more detailed  analyses of potential
impacts from various energy technologies, sampling methodologies and
frequency requirements, and site alternatives in light  of updated  information
regarding water right allocations.

    Throughout the 1950's, the United States was effectively energy
self-sufficient, satisfying its needs with abundant reserves of domestic
fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, and hydroelectric power.  However, energy
consumption has been increasing during the past ten years at an annual rate
of 4 to 5 percent, a per capita rate of consumption eight times that of the
rest of the world (Federal Energy Administration 1974).  The Federal Energy
Administration (1974) in the "Project Independence" report states  that:

       • By 1973, imports of crude oil and petroleum products
         accounted for 35 percent of total domestic consumption.

       • Domestic coal production has not increased since 1943.

       • Exploration for coal peaked in 1956, and  domestic
         production of crude oil has been declining since 1970.

       • Since 1968, natural gas consumption in the continental
         United States has been greater than discovery.

    The United States now relies on oil for  46 percent  of its energy needs,
while coal, our most abundant domestic fossil fuel, serves only 18 percent  of
our total needs  (Federal Energy Administration 1974).   In light of the fact
that we have only a few years remaining of proven  oil and gas reserves, and
to reduce our vulnerable dependency upon foreign oil, the Federal  government

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is promoting the development of untapped national  energy resources in
anticipation of upcoming energy requirements.  Included among these resources
are the abundant western energy reserves.  Over half of the Nation's coal
reserves are located in the Western United States, as well  as effectively all
the uranium, oil shale, and geothermal reserves.  The projected national
annual production levels for some recently expanding energy sources through
the year 2000 are presented in Table 1.


TABLE 1.  SUMMARY OF TOTAL PROJECTED ANNUAL ENERGY PRODUCTION LEVELS
          FROM ADVANCED SOURCES (1015joules per year) (modified from
          Hughes et al. 1974)
              1970     1975     1980     1985     1990     1995     2000
Source
Solar
Geothermal
Oil Shale
Solid Wastes
0
1.8
0
0
0
14
0
10
0
72
610
55
400
180
2,000
300
2,500
360
2,700
950
A nr i
^»
it.
3 ,tUi l
3,000
ir\000
1,400
4,000
10,000
     Total     1.8       24      737    2,880    6,510   11,120    27,400

U.S. Demand 70,000   83,000   98,000  120,000  140,000  170,000   200,000

Percent of
  U.S. demand
  filled by
  above
  sources    3x10-3  3x10-2      0.8      2        5       6         13
    In the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins, energy resource
development will primarily be increased by strip mining of coal  with
construction of associated transportation facilities.  Development of uranium
reserves, oil and gas fields, and other resources will  occur to  a much lesser
extent, as will construction of onsite coal-fired electrical generation
facilities if increased water supplies become available.  It is  difficult to
assess the extent and severity of degradation in environmental  quality that
can be expected from this development.  However, one of the biggest impacts
will undoubtedly result from competition for water resources created by
growing demands of municipal, industrial, agricultural, and reclamation
projects.  Energy development, which requires large amounts of water during
extraction, transport, and conversion of resources to a usable form, can
potentially result in serious degradation of water quality in the basins.

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                            2.   CONCLUSIONS


1.  Water availability in the study  area  will be the major factor limiting
future growth and development patterns, including development  of energy
resources.  Surface discharge in both  river  systems, particularly in the
Little Missouri Basin, is highly variable and cannot be  relied upon to
provide year-round flow for anticipated consumptive use  without creation of
additional storage facilities.   Interbasin transport of  water  from sources
such as the Yellowstone River,  as well as expanded use of regional
ground-water resources, are mechanisms expected to assume increasing
importance in meeting projected industrial demands in the Little Missouri and
Belle Fourche River Basins.

2.  Water quality throughout the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River
Basins is variable and strongly influenced by episodic high runoff and
volumes of ground water found in the base flow of intermittent tributaries.
Salinity and suspended sediment concentrations are already a problem in both
basins, and a number of trace elements are found in prohibitively high
concentrations in the Belle Fourche  River below the Homestake  Mine in South
Dakota.  Existing water quality, particularly around the mining activities at
Gillette, Wyoming, can be expected to  deteriorate further as availability of
water is reduced with increasing regional  development.   The water quality
parameters most likely affected by increased activities  in the basins are
salinity, elemental toxic substances,  suspended sediments, and nutrients.
Exposed pollutants from surface mines  are expected to move primarily in
conjunction with local storm events.

3.  Irrigation is, and will continue to be,  the major consumer of surface
water in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins.   Regional, high
salinity levels already restrict the variety of crops grown in the area, and
increasing salinity, particularly in conjunction with reductions in flow,
could have a major impact on this important  user.

4.  The Belle Fourche and Little Missouri River Basins will be impacted by a
variety of energy resource developments,  especially associated with coal
strip mining in the Gillette, Wyoming, area. Water borne point source
discharge of pollutants from these development sites should be localized and
should not pose a problem to overall water quality in the basins if discharge
limitations are strictly enforced.  Rather^  nonpoint pollution from such
sources as stack emissions, air borne dust,  and subsurface drainage will be
the major contributors.  Runoff of effluents released from evaporation ponds
to ground water or through overflow  during storms poses  an additional water
quality threat, and regular monitoring for potential violations from energy
development operation sites should be required.

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5.  Although point source discharges from traditional  energy developments are
not likely to pose surface water quality problems, the potential  for direct
contamination of ground-water supplies from in situ coal  conversion
activities is substantial.  Organic pollutants from this  source are of
particular concern because of both the lack of available  data regarding the
nature and quantity of such pollutants and the high costs associated with
organic analyses.

6.  Secondary development pollution impacts are likely to become a major
contributing problem to water quality in the Little Missouri and Belle
Fourche River Basins.  In particular, increases in IDS and sediment levels
from urban runoff, hydrologic modifications, and erosion  resulting from
construction of additional transportation systems are expected.

7.  In addition to the long-term trends, an increased number of pollution
"episodes" (spills, etc.) are expected as a result of the increased transport
of energy products in the area and the likelihood of flood runoffs from waste
disposal, cooling systems, or mining sites.  These brief, but massive, events
could cause both short- and long-term effects that would  be disasterous to
both the ecology and the economy of the area.

8.  Surface water quality stations presently operated by  the U.S. Geological
Survey are generally well situated to monitor energy resource development
impact.  However, they are not maintained regularly enough to permit
meaningful data evaluations, nor are a number of water quality parameters
collected that are considered necessary for monitoring energy activities in
the basins.  Twelve USGS sampling stations have been selected throughout the
basins examined in this report, as having the highest sampling priority, for
energy monitoring efforts.  Priorities have also been established for
selection of water quality parameters necessary to monitor impacts from
energy development in these rivers.

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                          3.   RECOMMENDATIONS


1.  An expansion in the number of parameters regularly monitored to assess
the impact of energy development on surface water  quality  in the Belle
Fourche and Little Missouri River Basins  is recommended.   In particular, most
trace elements and nutrients,  which are presently  collected only irregularly,
should be incorporated into a  more standardized  sampling program.
Pesticides, oils and greases,  and organics such  as phenols are  other
parameters that should be made part of a  regular,  if occasional, monitoring
effort.  Increased use of biological  monitoring  as a tool  for measurement of
long-term water quality trends is recommended.

2.  The following U.S. Geological Survey  stations  are recommended to  have the
highest sampling priority in  the Belle Fourche and Little  Missouri River
Basins for monitoring energy  development  impact  on surface waters:

         Belle Fourche River  below Rattlesnake Creek, WY
         Donkey Creek near Moorcroft, WY
         Belle Fourche River  below Moorcroft, WY
         Belle Fourche River  at WY-SD State line
         Belle Fourche River  near Sturgis, SD
         Belle Fourche River  near Elm Springs, SD
         Little Missouri River near Alzada, MT
         Little Missouri River at Marmarth, ND
         Little Missouri River at Medora, ND
         Little Missouri River near Watford City,  ND

It is recommended that the present surface water monitoring network be
restructured.  The Little Missouri station at Watford City, North Dakota, and
the Belle Fourche station at  Elm Springs, South  Dakota,  should  be sampled
weekly in order to permit meaningful  trend analyses.  If resources permit, an
additional station on the Belle Fourche River near Moorcroft, Wyoming,  should
also be sampled weekly.  Stations should  be added  on Whitewood  Creek  and the
Belle Fourche River above Whitewood Creek.  These  two new  sites, as well as
the seven other priority stations throughout the study area, should be
monitored on a monthly basis  to provide spatial  distribution data.

3.  The following water quality parameters are  recommended for  sampling at
the 12 priority stations to  permit an assessment of energy resource
development impact in the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri Basins:

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Total alkalinity
Total aluminum
Total arsenic
Bicarbonate
Biological oxygen demand
  of bottom sediments
Total boron
Total cadmium
Total organic carbon
  in bottom sediments
Dissolved calcium
Chloride
Total chromi urn
Specific conductance
Total copper
Total cyanide
Flow
Fluoride
Total iron
Total lead
Dissolved magnesium
Total manganese
Total mercury
Total molybdenum
Dissolved oxygen
Total nickel
Nitrate-nitrite-N
Pesticides
Petroleum hydrocarbons
PH
Total phosphorus
Dissolved potassium
Total selenium
Dissolved sodium
Dissolved sulfate
Suspended sediments
Temperature
Total di ssol.ved
  solids
4.  A ground-water monitoring  network should be established in the region,
particularly around the Gillette, Wyoming, area and at in situ coal
conversion and uranium leaching operations just outside the study area
boundaries.  Sampling of this  network should be on a semiannual or quarterly
basis.

5.  Continued research involving periodic, intense field surveys to determine
the nature and extent of pollution discharges from developing coal
gasification and conversion  sites is recommended, especially for those in
situ project areas that will create many potentially harmful organic
compounds.  The exact nature and degree of escape of these compounds is
presently unknown.

6.  An inventory of all water  right allocations, including average annual
consumptive use of surface waters, is recommended for the Little Missouri and
Belle Fourche River Basins.  Such an inventory would provide comprehensive
data for the four States affected by the river drainages and provide a basis
for future decisions in water  right assignments and construction of
additional storage facilities.

7.  Establishment of enforceable minimum instream flow requirements in the
Belle Fourche and Little Missouri River Basins is recommended in light of the
anticipated impact to fisheries and recreational activities during low water
years as a result of increasing energy development.

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                              4.   STUDY  AREA
GEOGRAPHY

Location and Size

    The Belle Fourche and Little Missouri  River Basins are located along the
border region of the States of Montana,  Wyoming, North Dakota, and South
Dakota (Figure 1).  The area examined  in this  report occupies approximately
40,197 km2 in 16 counties of the 4 States  and  is defined by the  following
points:  Pumpkin Buttes near Pine Tree,  Wyoming; the confluence  of the Belle
Fourche with the Cheyenne River, South Dakota; Gustave, South Dakota; where
the Little Missouri  River enters Lake  Sakakawea  (Garrison Reservoir), North
Dakota; and Watford  City, North Dakota.

    The Belle Fourche (18,674 km2) is  a  largely  perennial river, which
originates near the  Thunder Basin National  Grasslands in Campbell County,
Wyoming, and flows eastward to its confluence  with  the Cheyenne  River (Briggs
and Ficke 1977).  The Little Missouri  River (21,523 km2) originates  in the
northeast corner of  Wyoming in Crook County and  flows northeastward  for 900
stream-km tjirough Montana and the Dakotas  to its junction with Lake  Sakakawea
(Northern Great Plains Resource Program  1974).   The entire study area
extends approximately 450 km to the north  and  south and as much  as 280 km to
the east and west.

Climate

    The Belle Fourche and Little Missouri  River  Basins have a continental,
semi arid climate that is characterized by  large  seasonal and diurnal
variations in temperature, with cold winters,  hot summers, and low winter
precipitation (South Dakota Department of  Natural Resources Development 1972;
Riis 1977.).  Riis (1977) states that "although the  climate in the Belle
Fourche Basin is generally suitable for  ranching and growing grain and hay
crops, severe temperatures, insufficient precipitation, drought, and
blizzards present limitations."  General climatic data from several  locations
throughout the Belle Fourche Basin are presented in Table 2.

    Four major air masses and regional topography determine the  climate of
the study area.  Continental polar air masses  originate in the north and
typically bring dry  and cool weather,  while the  maritime polar air mass that
originates in the Pacific Ocean far to the west  and north brings cold weather
associated with winter snows.  Other air masses  originate in the Gulf of
Mexico and the center of the United States and bring moist, warm spring and
dry, warm summer weather (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978a). Frequent
weather changes occur with the passage of  low  pressure systems and their

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                                      48
                                   47
                    MONTANA
           44°
           WYOMING
                                                                       Ch«?«nn« Blv«i
                                                              Kilometers
Figure  1.   Location of  the Little Missouri  and Belle  Fourche River  Basins,
                                       8

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TABLE 2.  CLIMATIC DATA FOR THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
          (Riis 1977, U.S. Geological Survey 1977a)

Temperature °C
Station
Lead
Camp Crook
Newel
Dupree
Gillette 2E
January
Average
-5°
-8°
-8°
-9°
-6°
July
Average
20°
22°
22°
24°
22°
Days 32°
or Over
6
34
29
40
31
Days -18°
or Under
18
33
27
33
20
Precipitation
Average
Precipitation
(cm)
64.5
34.8
39.3
39.4
40.1
Average
Snowf al 1
(cm)
266.7
83.8
53.3
93.9
144.8

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associated cold fronts and thunderstorms.  Riis (1977) reports that this
frontal activity brings frequent daily and weekly weather changes and is
associated with much of the area! annual precipitation.

    The average annual precipitation ranges from less than 35.5 cm in the
west-southwestern portion of the study area to 40.5 cm and above in the east-
central area.  The Black Hills area of South Dakota may receive up to 90
cm/yr in some of the higher elevations.  Most of the rain received falls
during the April-September growing season with June having the highest
monthly average (South Dakota Department of Natural Resources Development
1972).  In the Belle Fourche Basin near Gillette, much of this rain falls in
episodic thunderstorms of short duration and high intensity.  These storms
often cover only a small area and result in flash floods.  Since most water
is lost through surface runoff, these storms are of little value to seedling
establishment and plant growth in that area (U.S. Geological Survey 1977a).
In other portions of the basins, however, high intensity storms causing
erosion damage are not a serious problem (South Dakota Department of Natural
Resources Development 1972).

Geology

    The Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River hydro!ogic basins originate
in the Powder River structural basin, extend east crossing the uplifts of the
Black Hills-Miles City arch, and terminate in the Williston structural basin
(Figure 2).  Sedimentation in the area was controlled by regional tectonic
features prior to Late Cretaceous time and recorded the advance and retreat
of seas that extended areally over the cratonic basin (Wyoming Geological
Association Technical Studies Committee 1965; Carlson and Anderson 1965; Haun
and Kent 1965).  These seas generally advanced from the north and the west,
resulting in thinner sediment layers in the eastern and southeastern portions
of the structural basins.  Sediment sections over 4,500 m in thickness and
representing every geologic period from Cambrian through Tertiary are present
in the basin (Carlson and Anderson 1965).

    Diastrophic events in Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary times shaped the
present-day structural basin and uplifts.  During the Pal eocene the Black
Hills uplift began (Haun and Kent 1965).  By Eocene all the major features
were delineated, and strong folding and faulting occurred around the Powder
River structural basin.  The flanking mountains were eroded, and extensive
coal swamps formed in the north and central Powder River Basin.  These swamps
gradually gave way to drier environs to the south and east, and coal beds
become thinner and less common in these directions.  Basin filling continued
with deposition of clays and sands in the Sentinel Butte and unnamed members
of the Wasatch Formation (Seager et al. 1942).  Renewed uplift in the Black
Hills in late Eocene time tilted the Powder River Basin westward and resulted
in erosion of much of these beds.

    Early Tertiary igneous activity resulted in intrusion of numerous dikes,
sills, stocks, and laccolithes.  During Oligocene time, sediments from the
Black Hills and sediments and volcanic ash from the area to the west buried
most of the Black Hills and areas to the east.  A major regional uplift
occurred at the close of the Pliocene with extensive normal faulting.

                                      10

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 ••••••••
       \
Bull Mtn. Basin •
••»      •
  '•••......•
                                              North Dak°ta
   Billings
                          \    v       "• :S *
                         J-—\       -j;
                      -X     \      1i	
                                              South Dakota
      y\* «- \ianL,  *X"
           *» ^
   Big Horn Basing *$,
                               »%   * 4|   i   ^^vrO**^
                        ililetto      %%*v I     i        **•
                                 * » I     \
                                  • | I ^   v RaP'd ^ iy


                                  1%* ^
                       Wyoming      l\
                                    % %%^       *


                                    J^-C
                                   /rir—x*
                                  _•* f 0>7   Chadron*\9>j
                                                  %

                                                   I
                                                   f
   ^•Riverton



    Wind River Basin

Figure 2.  The geologic structure of the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche
         River Basins.

                               11

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Erosion accelerated and streams became superimposed across present mountains.
Subsequent glaciation and erosion has modified stream courses  to  their
present locations.

    A generalized stratigraphic section of the area is presented  in Table  3.
Surface geology is shown in Figure 3.  Commercial  coal  deposits are found  in
the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation in Montana and North
Dakota, but coal is of minor importance in South Dakota.   In the  latter area
the Ludlow Member is the most prolific coal bearer (Brown 1952).   Deposits
are also present in the Hell Creek Formation.  Petroleum  resources have been
largely obtained from the Newcastle, Fall River, Lakota,  and Minneluska
Formations (Gries 1974).

    Commercial bentonite deposits are present in the Mowry, Newcastle,  and
Belle Fourche formations.  Mineralized zones in the Black Hills yield
precious metals and in the past have been exploited for other  minerals.

      Geology controls the regional topography.  The resistant cap rocks of
the Arikaree and White River Formations cap buttes and form cliffs.  The soft
clays and shales of the Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene form rolling hills  and
badlands.  The uplifted Black Hills with their crystalline cove and steeply
sloping, flanking strata result in deep canyons and rugged topography.
Devils Tower, a tall butte of columnar rocks, is believed to be the remnant
of an intrusive igneous body.

    Stream patterns are similarly controlled.  Originally the  Belle Fourche
was part of the present-day Little Missouri River.  It was "captured" by a
tributary of the Cheyenne, which cut along the strike of  soft  shales and
diverted the Belle Fourche to its present course north of the  Black Hills
(Darton 1909).  The sharp bend in the Little Missouri near its confluence
with Lake Sakakawea was caused by glacial diversion.  Prior to glaciation,
not only the Little Missouri, but the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers flowed
north into Canada and east into Hudson Bay.  Advancing ice forced the
Missouri to its present course and diverted the Little Missouri sharply
eastward.  As a result, the river obtained a shorter, steeper  course and cut
rapidly downward creating the present badlands along its  route (Missouri
River Basin Commission 1978a).

Population and Economy

    It is expected that increasing development of the coal industry and
accompanying secondary construction of new roads, railroads, powerlines, and
centers of industry will bring new growth to existing communities in the
Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins.  At present, the  area is
spotted with many small rural communities, supplemented by a few  centers of
population along the rivers (Table 4).

    The population of the Little Missouri River Basin has been declining
since the 1940's, and today the once-major towns of Marmarth and  Medora have
populations well under 1,000 persons (North Dakota State  Water Commission
1975a).  Potential for new growth is good, however, because of the
anticipated energy development to the east near the Knife, Cannonball,  Grand,
and Heart River Basins.  The Belle Fourche River Basin is most densely
                                      12

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TABLE  3.   GENERALIZED GEOLOGICAL  STRATIGRAPHIC  SEQUENCE  IN THE  LITTLE
              MISSOURI  AND  BELLE FOURCHE  RIVER BASINS
        Period
Epoch
                                                  FormatIon/Member
        Quaternary
        Tertiary
Recent

Pleistocene


Miocene

OUgocene


Eocene

Pal eocene
        Cretaceous
Upper
        Jurassic
Lower




Upper


Middle
        Tr1ass1c-Perm1an


        Permian


        Pernri an-Pennsylvanlan


        Mississippi an



        Ordovlclan





        Cambrian
Alluvium and stream terraces

Alluvium and glacial  debris
  UnconfornH ty

AM karee

White River Formation
  Unconformity

Uasatch  Formation
                                                   Fort Union
                                                    Formation
                                                                                   Golden Valley Member
                                                                                   Sentinel Butte Member
                         Tongue River Member
                     (West)                (East)
                    Lebo Shale             Ludlow-
                    Tullock              Cannonball
Hell  Creek (Lance) Formation                Member
Fox Hills Sandstone

Lewis Shale
Pierre Shale
Nlobrara Formation

Carllle Shale
Green Horn Formation
Belle Fourche Shale
Mowry Shale
Newcastle Sandstone
Skull Creek Shale

Fall  River Formation
  Unconformity
Lakota Formation
Morrison Formation

Sundance Formation
  Unconformity

Gypsum Spring Formation
  Unconfonnl ty

Spearflsh Formation
Mlnnekahta Limestone

Opeche Formation
  Unconformity

Hlnneluska Formation
  Unconformity

Phasapa Limestone
Eaglewood (Guernsey) Limestone
  Unconformity

WMtewood Limestone
Roughlock S1lt
Icebox Shale
Alladln Sandstone
  Unconformity

Oeadwood Formation
                                                     13

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      0w = White River Group
     Ews = Wasatch Fm.
      Efu = Fort Union Fm.
       El = Lance Fm.
      Kbj = Bearpaw & Judith Fms-i
      Km = Montana Group
      Kc = Colorado Group
      Kdl  Dakota  Sandstone &
           Lower Cretaceous
         - Undifferentiated
           pre-Cretaceous
                        0w
                    Efu
Figure 3.  Generalized surface outcrops  of  the  geologic formations in  the
           Little  Missouri-Belle Fourche study  area.
                                       14

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TABLE 4.  MAJOR AND MINOR POPULATION CENTERS IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI  AND
          BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASINS, 1970  CENSUS
Communities	Population

Montana

  Wibaux                                    644
  Alzada                                     50
  Boyes                                      15
  Carlyle                                    15

North Dakota

  Watford City                            1,865
  Marmarth                                  319
  Medora                                    133

Wyomi ng

  Gillette                               12,000t
  Sundance                                1,056
  Moorcroft                                 981
  Hulett                                    318
  Beulah                                     65
  Alva                                       50
  Rozet                                      25
  Aladdin                                    15
  Devils Tower                               10
  New Haven                                  10
  Oshoto                                      5

South Dakota
Lead
Spearfish
Sturgis
Belle Fourche
Dead wood
Whitewood
Newel 1
Central City
Nisi and
Fruitdale
5,420
4,661
4,536
4,236
2,409
689
664
188
157
74

 tl974 census data from University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation
   (1977a).

                                     15

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populated in South Dakota, where the 1970 census reported a total  basin
population of 34,437 persons.  This represents an areal  density  of four
persons/km2, which is slightly higher than the State average (Riis 1977).
However, 55 percent of this population is contained in the four  leading
cities -- Belle Fourche, Lead, Spearfish, and Sturgis.  The largest city in
the Belle Fourche Basin is Gillette, Wyoming, which had doubled  its 1960
population by 1974 and may increase to 40,000 by the year 1985  (University of
Oklahoma and Radian Corporation 1977a).

    There is a tendency in the study area towards movement from  rural
communities to the cities, reflecting an economic shift from farming to
municipal and industrial vocations.  Not only is energy development creating
industry to draw workers away from the farm, but with the increasing
mechanization of agricultural procedures there are fewer farm-related  jobs
available.  Nevertheless, Riis (1977) reports that in the Belle  Fourche Basin
in South Dakota both rural and urban populations have been increasing  at the
same rate since 1950.

    Agriculture is still the primary sector of the economy, with major
production of small grains (soybean, flax, rye, and alfalfa) and meat
processing ongoing in the basins (Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
1971a).  Coal mining activities are also a major economic factor in the Belle
Fourche River Basin near Gillette, Wyoming; near Lead, South Dakota, the
major source of revenue is the Homestake Gold Mine.  It is expected, however,
that, even with increasing energy development activities in the  vicinity of
Gillette and throughout the basins, agriculture will  continue to dominate the
areal economy for years to come (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978a).

Land Ownership and Usage

    The greatest percentage of land in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche
River Basins (approximately 65 percent) is privately or State owned.  The
remaining basin lands are Federally owned.  These Federal  lands  are
administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and
the National Park Service.  Almost all of the Little Missouri River in North
Dakota flows through the Little Missouri National Grasslands. Other major
Federally controlled lands in the basins include the Thunder Basin National
Grasslands, the Black Hills and Custer National Forests, Devils  Tower
National Monument, and the Belle Fourche, Stewart Lake, and White  Lake
National Wildlife Refuges (Figure 4).

    It is estimated that 85 percent of the land in the Little Missouri and
Belle Fourche River Basins is developed for agricultural purposes  (Riis
1977).  This figure includes rangeland and timberland used for grazing as
well as cropland.  Most of the cropland in the drainage basins  is  irrigated
land; in northeast Wyoming only 2 percent of the total agricultural use is in
dryland crops (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978b).  The irrigated
farmlands produce primarily wheat, hay, alfalfa, oats, and barley.

    Industrial utilization of land, such as mining, and urban development are
relatively slight, particularly in light of the economic benefits  to the area
derived from the exploitation of its mineral  resources.  In the  Little
Missouri Basin in South Dakota, only 1 percent of the land is devoted  to
                                     16

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                                 48
      Black Hills National Forest
    £j Little Missouri National Grassland
    ^Thunder Basin National Grassland
    LjCuster National Forest        (/
                                "ft  •
                                 <
                 MONTANA
        44c
                            )T ijxS*:--^"

                           n^y^f»»
                          f*^\ if Kuhnl* Raurvotr' I
WYOMING
                                                      Q        5.0

                                                       i
                                                        Kilometers
Figure 4.  Federal, State,  and  other  land areas in and around the Belle
           Fourche and Little Missouri  River Basins.
                                     17

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urban use (South Dakota Department of Natural  Resources Development  1972).
Recreation, including fishing, hunting, boating, camping,  and general
vacation activities, is also a major use of basin land.  The estimated  area
in major land use and ownership categories in the Belle Fourche and  Little
Missouri River Basins is presented in Table 5.


WATER RESOURCES

Lotic

    High flows in the Belle Fourche River are primarily the result of
intermittent snowmelt runoff from surrounding buttes and mountains (U.S.
Geological Survey 1977a), while elevated flows in the smaller tributaries  in
the drainage area are a result of localized, high-intensity rain. Most of
the precipitation (annual average = 28 cm) in the Little Missouri River Basin
is also in the form of rain, and flow in the river fluctuates greatly in
response to seasonal thunderstorms (Northern Great Plains  Resource Program
1974).  Lotic resources in both basins are greatest during the high
precipitation months of May, June, and July.

Lentic

    There are two major reservoirs in the Little Missouri-Belle Fourche study
area, both of which are located in the Belle Fourche River Basin: Keyhole
Reservoir (38.02 km^) and the offstream Belle Fourche Reservoir (32.53
km^).  Other smaller reservoirs exist as resources to aid  irrigation and
livestock watering needs, but these are substantially smaller in size
(Table 6).

    There are two natural lakes in the study area.  Stewart Lake, east  of
Marmarth, North Dakota, is located on Deep Creek and stores runoff from
nearby buttes.  Bear Butte Lake, situated on Spring Creek  northeast  of
Sturgis, stores runoff from the Bear Butte-Oyster Mountain area.  The lack of
natural lentic resources in the study area coupled with increasing
agricultural  demands for water have resulted in proposals  for construction of
several additional storage facilities on the Little Missouri River (Table  7).

Ground Water

    Most of the ground water that is available to wells in the Little
Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins is located in bedrock formations
(Table 8).  This is a result of the great thickness and areal  extent of the
bedrock aquifers as compared to the relatively thin, unconsolidated  aquifers
found in the limited flood-plain alluvium (Wyoming State Engineers Office
1972).  Nevertheless, aquifers in the unconsolidated material  generally yield
water at a faster rate and recharge from surface supplies  faster than do the
unconsolidated bedrock material.

    In the Little Missouri  River Basin, the ground-water aquifers are the
result of glacial  drift during the Pleistocene.  These drifts have exposed
many Cretaceous and early Tertiary rocks, creating a belt  extending  from


                                     18

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TABLE 5. ESTIMATED AREA
BASINS*
IN MAJOR LAND USE
CATEGORIES FOR THE LITTLE MISSOURI AND BELLE FOURCHE RIVER

State Cropland
Montana 1675
Wyomi ng 763
South Dakota 2056
North Dakota 4302
Pastures-Range
6394
8371
4511
5729
Usage
(kraZ)
Woodland Total Federal
361 4025
1000 2626
339 1230
162 7414
Total State
986
1052
311
842
County, Private
Total Municipal
3619
6828
6800
4464

*Modified from South Dakota Department of Natural  Resources  Development  (1972), Wyoming State
 Engineers Office (1972), North Dakota State Water Commission  (1975a), Riis  (1977),
 Missouri River Basin Commission (1978a), and R.  Ottenbreit, Montana  State Land Office,
 Billings, Montana, Personal  communication (1978).

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TABLE 6.  EXISTING RESERVOIRS AND LAKES IN THE BELLE FOURCHE-LITTLE
          MISSOURI STUDY AREA**

Reservoir
Keyhole
Belle Fourche
Ludlow
Bear Butte Lake
Camels Butte
Odland
Palunak
Bosserman
Spring
Bradae
ND no name 266
ND no name 268
Stewart
Uekert
Wi 1 1 i ams
Davis
Stone #2
Humman
Gillette
Newel 1
Cox
Iron Creek
Mud
Mirror
Fort Meade

Hereford
Kel 1 og
River Location
Belle Fourche
Belle Fourche
Little Missouri
Spring Creek
Little Missouri
Little Missouri
Little Missouri
Little Missouri
Little Missouri
Little Missouri
Little Missouri
Little Missouri
Deep Creek
Little Missouri
Little Missouri
Little Missouri
Bowpile Creek
Little Missouri
Stonepile Creek
Willow Creek
(spring-fed lake)
Iron Creek
Unnamed creek*
(spring-fed lake)
Unnamed tributary of
Spring Creek
Unnamed creek*
Unnamed creek*
Volume
(m3 x 106)
234.0
237.0
13.6
0.8
0.9
1.3
0.1
1.2
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.2
0.9
0.1
0.2
0.2
1.9
0.4
3.5
3.2
0.4
0.4

<0.1





*Belle Fourche River Basin
**Modified from Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee (1971a),  Missouri
  River Basin Commission (1978b), North Dakota State Water Commission
  Commission (1975b), and Riis (1977).

Garrison Reservoir nearly to South Dakota (McGuinness 1963).  Those  wells
situated in North Dakota yield the highest quality water in the basin;
however, the ground-water supply in this State is much less plentiful than  in
other States of the study area.  In the Belle Fourche Basin,  the majority of
the ground water used comes from aquifers below the Pierre Shale. The
Minneluska Formation is the primary aquifer providing local  ground water for
mining operations, powerplants, municipalities, and irrigation  (Riis 1977).

    Only 3.5 percent of the total ground water available through wells  in
northeastern Wyoming is consumed annually for beneficial  uses (Wyoming  State

                                      20

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TABLE 7.  PROPOSED RESERVOIRS ON THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER (Modified
          from Northern Great Plains Resource Program 1974)
Reservoir
           Storage Capacity (m3 x 106)
Marmarth
Medora
Wagon Creek
Beaver
Mill Iron
                          621
                          409
                          283
                          109
                           55
TABLE 8.  GROUND-WATER FORMATIONS KNOWN TO OCCUR IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI
          AND BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASINS, NORTHEASTERN WYOMING
          (Modified from Wyoming State Engineers Office 1972)
Formation
                Ground-Water Potential
Al luvium
Fort Union Formation
Lance Formation

Parkman Sandstone
Newcastle (Muddy)
  Sandstone
Inyan Kara Group
  (Formation)
Morrison Formation

Sundance Formation
Sundance-Gypsum Spring
  Formation

Spearfish Formation

Minnekahta Limestone



Minneluska Formation
Yields water to numerous stock and domestic
wells and to some irrigation wells.  May
yield up to 1,300 liters/min.

Numerous stock and domestic wells reportedly
yield 8 to 378 liters/min.

Reportedly yields 4 to 1,800 liters/min.

Sandstone reportedly yields 15 to 227 liter/min,

Yields small amounts of water to wells (in
excess of 75 liters/min reported).  A very
important oil-bearing reservoir rock.

Reported yields range from 4 to 825 liters/min.
Many domestic and stock wells use this
source.  Many wells flow at the surface.

Yields water to domestic and stock wells.

May yield small amounts of water to wells.

Unreported, but probably poor potential.

Yields water to domestic and stock wells.

Not normally an aquifer but has yielded
highly mineralized water in oil  exploration
wel1s.

Reported yields are in the range 19 to 7,600
liters/min.  A very important oil-bearing
reservoir rock.
                                     21

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Engineers Office 1972).  Most of the natural  recharge to unconsolidated
aquifers in the area provides a base flow for surface streams,  recharges
consolidated aquifers, or is lost to evaporation.  It is estimated  that  in
Wyoming there are 45 million m3 of ground water in storage available  in the
Little Missouri Basin and an estimated 168 million m3 available in  the
Belle Fourche Basin (Wyoming State Engineers Office 1972).

    Ground-water supplies in the study area are used primarily  for  stock  and
domestic purposes (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978b).  These domestic
and stock wells are typically shallow, intermittent producers and yield water
of highly mineralized quality (Wyoming State Engineers Office 1972).

     Approximately 51 percent of the municipal needs in northeastern  Wyoming
are satisfied by ground-water resources (Wyoming State Engineers Office
1972).  This fraction may soon increase with the expanded use of brackish
water as a source of municipal and industrial water.  The city  of Gillette is
building a desal inization plant that will treat water from the  Wasatch
Formation and reduce TDS content by more than half.  This previously
unutilized water supply will supplement higher quality ground-water resources
presently being used, especially during peak water demand periods (Wyoming
State Engineers Office 1972).

    Comparatively little ground water is utilized for irrigation purposes in
the study area.  In Wyoming, ground water is the primary source used  for
irrigation of approximately 4.3 knr in the Belle Fourche River  Basin  and
1.5 knr in the Little Missouri Basin (Wyoming State Engineers Office  1972).
An additional 2.0 knr in the Wyoming portion of the Belle Fourche Basin  are
irrigated using ground water as a supplemental source.  These irrigation
demands deplete approximately 0.8 million m3 of ground water in the Little
Missouri and 2.0 million m3 in the Belle Fourche Basin every year.
Although the number of acres being irrigated with ground-water  supplies  is
expected to stay constant, future irrigation-related consumptive demands  on
ground water may increase as a result of the need to flush soils in the  area
presently being irrigated with water having high sodium and salinity  hazards
(Wyoming State Engineers Office 1972).

     Industrial users, particularly the petroleum and coal industries, are
expected to use increasing quantities of ground water.  An increase in
ground-water use is also anticipated for the uranium industry  (Wyoming State
Engineers Office 1972).  There are only a few ground-water aquifers capable
of satisfying long-term industrial needs with a continuous water supply  in
the study basins, including sandstone of the Fox Hills, Inyan Kara, and  the
Minneluska groups.  Furthermore, withdrawals of ground water from these
sources for industrial use would likely be in competition with  many existing
stock and other user wells.
WATER  USES

    The surface water resources in the arid Little Missouri  and Belle Fourche
watersheds  serve a variety of needs.  Streams in the basins, as well  as
Keyhole Reservoir, provide water for such uses as municipal  water supplies,
irrigation, recreational activities (including fishing and other sports),
                                      22

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industrial  needs, livestock watering,  governmental  uses  (fisheries  and  State
water), and limited generation  of electricity  (Table 9).


FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES

    The Belle Fourche and Little Missouri  River  Basins support  a  variety of
fish and wildlife.  In the Little Missouri,  fishery investigations  have
revealed a striking change in species  composition  over the  past 80  years.
The major factors that have produced this  change are increased  silt load,
increased peak flows, the creation of  Garrison Reservoir, and a decrease in
the length of flow periods (Northern Great Plains  Resource  Program  1974).

    Presently, walleye, sauger, and northern pike  are the most  popular  game
fish in the Little Missouri Basin. Small  reservoirs along  the  Little
Missouri, where larger perennial  bodies  of water occur,  also support such
species as catfish, white bass, paddlefish,  and  crappie  (Table  10). Flathead
chub, sturgeon chub, and northern plains minnow  are also found  during periods
of seasonal flow (Northern Great Plains  Resource Program 1974).  Occasionally
largemouth bass, yellow perch,  bluegill, and bullhead are collected.

    Since many of the streams in the Belle Fourche River drainage are
intermittent or have low flows  and high  water  temperature,  the  fishery  of
that basin is extremely limited.  Nongame  species  dominate  the  fish
population in the river, although channel  catfish, walleye, bullhead, and
green sunfish can be found in localized  perennial  pools  throughout  the  basin
or in the mainstem below Keyhole Reservoir.  A few of the tributaries in the
Belle Fourche Basin, such as Spearfish Creek,  support healthy trout
populations (Riis 1977).  Both  rainbow and brook trout were introduced  into
the Black Hills in the 1800's,  but since that  time general  habitat  conditions
in the streams have deteriorated causing adverse effects on natural
reproduction and carrying capacity. Streams now have to be stocked with
catchable-size trout to keep up with  fishing demands  (Missouri  Basin
Inter-Agency Committee 1969a).

    Wildlife in the Northern Great Plains  includes a host of game animals
such as deer, antelope, prairie grouse,  pheasant,  and various water fowl.
Near the Cordero Mine in Campbell County,  Wyoming, antelope, mule deer,
bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, weasels, mink, badgers, and  skunks  are  common
(U.S. Geological Survey 1975b). The avian  population near Cordero includes
the sage grouse, Hungarian partridge,  chukar partridge,  golden  eagle, bald
eagle, marsh hawks, red-tailed  hawks,  horned larks, western meadowlarks,
buntings, and Brewer's sparrows (U.S.  Geological Survey  1975b).  North  and
South Dakota now contain the largest  sharp-tailed  grouse populations
remaining anywhere (Missouri Basin Inter-Agency  Committee 1969a).

    In the higher elevations of the Black  Hills, which  reflect  a
characteristic pondorosa pine community, populations of  white-tailed deer
predominate.  Elk are also present, but  populations are  small and limited to
the Black Hills area (Missouri  Basin  Inter-Agency  Committee 1969a).

    Many types of waterfowl are associated with  the riparian habitat.   Some
of these include mallards, teals, gadwalls,  shovelers, and  widgeon. These

                                     23

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ro
     TABLE 9.   PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL WATER WITHDRAWALS AND WATER CONSUMED IN THE LITTLE  MISSOURI-BELLE
               FOURCHE KIVEK STUDY AREA THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS BENEFICIAL USES,  1965
               (Modified from Water Resources Council  1968)

River Basin
Water Withdrawn
Belle Fourche
Little Missouri
Water Consumed
Belle Fourche
Little Missouri
Domestic
1
4
2
7
Municipal
4
14
«•»
c.
6
Industrial
5
4
4
2
Livestock
8
22
13
35
Agriculture
82
47
79
49
Steam Electric
Power
0
9
0
1

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TABLE 10.  FISH SPECIES KNOWN TO OCCUR IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI AND BELLE
           FOURCHE RIVER BASINS*
    Common Name
          Scientific Name**
Shovel nose sturgeon
Paddlefish
Goldeye
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Northern pike
Carp
Brassy minnow
Silvery minnow
Plains minnow
Sturgeon chub
Flathead chub
Golden shiner
Emerald shiner
Sand shiner
Fathead minnow
Longnose dace
Creek chub
River carpsucker
Longnose sucker
White sucker
Blue sucker
Shorthead redhorse
Black bullhead
Channel catfish
Stonecat
Flathead catfish
Burbot
Brook stickleback
White bass
Green sunfish
Pumpkinseed
Bluegill
Smallmouth bass
Largemouth bass
White crappie
Black crappie
Yellow perch
Sauger
Waileye
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
Polyodon spathula
Hiodon alosoides
Salmo gairdneri
Salmo trutta
Esox lucius
Cyprinus carpio
Hybognathus hankinsoni
Hybognathus nuchal is
Hybognathus placitus
Hybopsis gelida
Hybopsis gracilis
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Notropis atherinoides
Notropis stramineus
Pimephales promelas
Rhinichthys cataractae
Senotilus atromaculatus
Carpiodes carpio
Catostomus catostomus
Catostomus commersoni
Cycleptus elongatus
Moxostoma macro!epldoturn
Ictalurus me!as
Ictalurus punctatus
Noturus flavus
Pylodlctis oil van's
Lota lota
Culaea inconstans
Morone chrysops
Lepomis cyanellus
Lepomis gibbosus
Lepomis macrochirus
Micropterus dolomieui
Micropterus salmoides
Pomoxis annularis
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Perca flavescens
Stizostedion canadense
Stizostedion vitreum vitreum
 *Modified from Northern Great Plains Resource Program (1974).
**Common and scientific names of fishes are from Bailey et al. (1970)
                                      25

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migratory birds are a renewable natural resource and also provide a form of
recreation.  Many lesser sandhill cranes also seasonally travel  through the
area and, along with the other migrators, are protected by the Migratory Bird
Conservation Act and Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act.

    A few wildlife species in the Belle Fourche-Little Missouri  study area
are rare or declining and without proper wildlife management may be lost from
the area.  The black-footed ferret and the peregrine falcon are classified as
endangered species, and their populations are being carefully monitored.

    The pronghorn antelope is found in all four of the basin States and is a
very popular big-game animal.  It has recently decreased in numbers as a
result of land conversion programs such as sheep fencing, intensive grazing,
and cultivated crop production (Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee 1969a).


MINERAL RESOURCES

     The Belle Fourche-Little Missouri study area has abundant reserves of
mineral resources.  These resources may be grouped into three categories:
the metal lies, the nonmetallics, and the fuels (Table 11).  The metal lies are
generally associated with mountainous areas and their peripheral drainage.
The nonmetallics and fuel resources are usually located on the plains and
rolling hillsides (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978a).


TABLE 11.  TYPES OF MINERAL RESOURCES  IN THE BELLE FOURCHE-LITTLE MISSOURI
           RIVER BASINS STUDY AREA (Modified from Missouri River Basin
	Commission 1978a)	

Metal lies               Nonmetallics                  Fuels
Gold
Sil ver
Copper
Lead
Zinc
Molybdenum
Taconite
Tungsten
Beryl 1 i urn
Vanadium
Chromium
Uranium
Lithium
Fertilizers, phosphates
Potash
Gypsum
Fluorspar
Lime
Mica
Salt
Bentonite clays
Sand, gravel




Crude oil
Coal
Natural gas
Petroleum










     In  general, the most  prominent and economically important mineral
 resources  in the  area  include subbituminous and lignitic coal, natural gas,
 and  petroleum  (North Dakota State Water Commission 1975a).  In northeast

                                     26

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Wyoming, petroleum accounts for 78 percent of the total  revenue from mineral
production, with bentonite, coal, and uranium combined  accounting  for 13
percent of the total  revenue production,  gas  accounting  for 3  percent,  and
natural gas liquid accounting for 5 percent of the total  production  (Missouri
River Basin Commission 1978b).

    In the Belle Fourche Basin, mining is the major source of  revenue.   The
Gillette area has the greatest concentration  of strippable coal-fields  likely
to be developed in the Little Missouri-Belle  Fourche study region.  The
mining industry in the Belle Fourche Basin in South Dakota is  not  coal
oriented.  Here, the major minerals developed are metallics, which are
located almost entirely in the Black Hills region (Table 12, Figure  5),


TABLE 12.  MINERAL RESOURCES OTHER THAN COAL  LOCATED IN THE BLACK  HILLS
           AREA OF WYOMING AND SOUTH DAKOTA (Modified from Gries 1974)
District, Area, or Mine
     Mineral
Carlile
Barlow Canyon
Hulett Creek
Elkhorn Creek
Aladdin

Two Bit Gulch
Strawberry Ridge

Carbonate
Galena
Spruce Gulch

Clay and shale pits used
  for brick, bentonite
Pegmatite mining area

Sundance
Spearfish
Sturgis
Uranium
Uranium
Uranium
Uranium
Uranium

Iron
Iron

Lead and zinc
Lead and zinc
Lead and zinc
Gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum
     State*
Lead
Deadwood-Two Bit
Garden
Bald Mountain
Squaw Creek
Ragged Top
Cl overleaf
Gold and silver
Gold and silver
Gold and silver
Gold and silver
Gold and silver
Gold and silver
Gold and silver
South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
J5}
(6)
(7)
Wyoming        (8)
Wyoming        (9)
Wyoming       (10)
Wyoming       (11)
Wyoming       (12)

South Dakota  (13)
South Dakota  (14)

South Dakota  (15)
South Dakota  (16)
South Dakota  (17)
                         South Dakota
                         South Dakota
              (18)
              (19)
Wyoming       (20)
South Dakota  (21)
South Dakota  (22)
*Numbers in parentheses indicate specific mineral deposits shown on
 Figure 5.

-------
                                             • Oil Fields
                                             D Bentonite Areas
                                          1-22 Metallic Mine Sites
Figure 5.   Map of mineral  resources in the Black  Hills area of Wyoming
           and South Dakota.
                                    28

-------
particularly around the Lead-Deadwood area where gold is produced in the
Homestake Gold Mine (Riis 1977).  Other mineral  resources in the basin
include uranium, which is found in the Pumpkin Buttes Uranium District at the
headwaters of the Belle Fourche River in Wyoming,  and bentonite, which is the
most abundant nonenergy mineral  commodity in the study area (Missouri  River
Basin Commission 1978b).

    Mineral production in the Little Missouri  River Basin is more limited and
generally restricted to the mining of nonmetallics such as sand  and  gravel.
There have been a number of oil  test wells drilled in this basin in  South
Dakota, and some thin beds of lignite coal  do exist here, but at present
there is no commercial potential for the development of either resource
(South Dakota Department of Natural  Resources Development 1972).
                                    29

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                       5.  ENERGY RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT

Oil and Gas

    The Belle Fourche-Little Missouri study area has outstanding potential
for development of oil and natural gas resources.  The Nesson anticline, the
largest single oil-producing geologic structure in North Dakota, extends
northward from the Little Missouri River Basin in northern Dunn County to
Lake Sakakawea (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978a).  There are numerous
producing wells situated throughout this geologic structure.  Other areas of
retrievable oil include deposits in the bench and bar sands near Dickenson,
North Dakota, which extend west to the Little Missouri River (Figure 6).  The
Amerada Petroleum Corporation in 1953 became the first company producing oil
from these latter deposits in North Dakota with the establishment of a well
located within the city limits of Fryburg (North Dakota State Water
Commission 1975b).  Total annual oil production in those North Dakota
counties through which the Little Missouri River flows was 23.4 billion
liters in 1976 (Table 13).


TABLE 13.  TOTAL OIL PRODUCTION FOR COUNTIES IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER
           BASIN, NORTH DAKOTA, 1976 (Modified from Missouri River Basin
           Commission 1978a)
                                       Total Production
    County                                  (liters)
Billings
Bowman
Dunn
Golden Valley
McKenzie
Slope
4.2 billion
2.2 billion
64.9 million
67.7 mil lion
16.7 billion
142.3 million
    In the Wyoming portion of the study area, the most significant oil
production is from the Hilight Oil Field in the Belle Fourche River Basin in
Campbell County.  Production in this field in 1970 totalled 2.0 billion
liters of oil and 445 thousand m3 of gas and in the entire State was second

                                     30

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             Oil Fields
Figure 6.  Location of oil  fields  around the Little Missouri River Basin,
           North Dakota.   (Modified from Missouri River Basin Commission
           1978a)
                                     31

-------
in production only to the Salt Creek Field in the Powder River Basin (Wyoming
State Engineers Office 1972).

    The amount of water required for the production of natural  gas is
negligible.  In the production of crude oil, however, substantial  volumes of
water are required to inject into the petroleum reservoirs and displace oil
into producing oil wells (Wyoming State Engineers Office 1972).  It was
estimated by the Wyoming State Engineers Office (1972) that, between 1972 and
1982, 46.2 million m^ of water would be required by the Hilight Field for
this purpose.  Investigations are ongoing into the feasibility of using wells
from the Fox Hills and shallow sandstone ground-water aquifers to provide
these needed water supplies.

Coal
    Substantial amounts of fossil fuels must be extracted in the near future
in order for the United States to satisfy increasing energy demands and to
achieve energy self-sufficiency.  Coal, 1,000 kg of which is equivalent to
the heating value of 788 liters of oil, is the most likely candidate to be
used to offset shortages in domestic gas and liquid fuel  production.  Already
coal is gaining in importance in the generation of western electrical  power;
in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins, this valuable resource
is found in abundance.  It is estimated that eastern Montana and Wyoming and
western North and South Dakota have close to 31 trillion  kg of combined
strippable coal reserves, 17 trillion of which are considered economically
recoverable (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 1972).  A good portion of this may be
found in the study area.

    The majority of the coal resources of the United States (72 percent) are
found in the Rocky Mountain and Northern Great Plains States (Atwood 1975).
This coal is particularly attractive because 43 percent is located in thick
seams (2-40 m) and is close enough to the surface to strip mine (Atwood
1975).  Sulfur content is generally low, ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 percent with
most samples containing less than 1.0 percent.  Heat content ranges from 19
to 22 thousand joules/gm for the Wyoming subbituminous "C" coal, while North
Dakota lignites range from 15 to 19 thousand joules/gm (U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation 1972).  Over 79 percent of the Wyoming coal  presently mined is
used for electrical generation of power; coal conversion  plants (gasification
and liquefaction) are proposed for the Wyoming area but potential  may be
limited because of the restricted availability of water resources.

    Several mining operations are currently on line and several more are
proposed for the Little Missouri-Belle Fourche study area.  Locations of
these mines (Figure 7) and a brief discussion on each follow below.

Wyodak Mine--
    The Wyodak Mine, located 8 kilometers east of Gillette, Wyoming (Figure
7), began strip mining in 1925.  The mine is operated by  Wyodak Resources
Development Corporation, a subsidiary of Black Hills Power and Light Company.
It is 90 percent Federally owned on 4 leases covering 7.8 km2 of land
(Glass 1976).  Production in 1974 was 659.4 million kg and is expected to
increase to 4.53 billion kg/yr in the 1980's (U.S. Department of Interior
1974).
                                     32

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                                Shell (Buckskin)


                                       Peabody
       (Rawhide)


Amax (Eagle Butte
                                           Kerr McGee (East Gillette)
                                             Wyodak
                                              L -«*_
                                                 Carter
                                             :—(Caballo)
                                    Mobil Consolidation
                                        (Pronghorn)
                Amax (Belle Ayr South)
                                              Sun (Cordero)
                                                 A.R.C.O.
                                                (Coal Creek)
                                                     Kerr McGee
                                                  (Jacobs Ranch)

                                                       "  I
                                                         1
                                                         «
   mStudy
Area Boundary
Federal Coal
Leases
         (~3 East Gillette
           Leasehold
         Kilometers
                      Campbell
                      Converse
                                           A.R.C.O.
                                        (Black Thunder)

                                           Peabody Coal
                                            (Rochelle)
Figure  7.  Location  of the East Gillette Mine and 14 other operating,
          proposed, or anticipated coal mines involving Federal coal
          leases in Campbell  County, Wyoming.  (Modified from U.S.
          Geological Survey 1977a)
                                  33

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    Ground-water resources are used to meet consumptive water demands of the
Wyodak Mine.  It is estimated that the nine diverts approximately 1,135
m^/day of water, one-half of which is used for dust suppression and one-
half of which is discharged to Donkey Creek (U.S. Department of Interior
1974).  As mining operations increase, water demands will be met by
increasing seepage of ground water into mining chambers.

Belle Ayr South Mine--
    The Belle Ayr Mine, located 24 km southeast of Gillette, Wyoming (Figure
7), began operation in 1973 and proposes to mine more than 30 billion kg of
coal over a 25-year period (Table 14).  The mine is composed of several
Federal leases and is owned by Amax Coal Company.  During the 25-year life of
the mine, Amax will strip 11.7 km2 of land from the Wyodak coal bed at the
rate of 0.5 km^/yr (U.S. Geological Survey 1975a).  Coal from the mine has
been committed to powerplants throughout the States of Colorado, Texas,
Arkansas, Kansas, Ohio, and Iowa.


TABLE 14.  MINING PLAN FOR THE BELLE AYR MINE, BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
           (Modified from U.S. Geological Survey 1975a)
    Year                                         Production
                                              (million kg/yr)
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977-96
1997
813
3,004
4,535
7,256
13,605
12,698
     Total                                          41,911
   The  Amax  Coal Company has diverted 1.2 km of Caballo Creek around the
 perimeter  of the mining area to  avoid inflow of surface waters to the open
 mining  pits  (U.S. Geological Survey 1975a).  This diversion, along with the
 addition of  several  storage facilities, will help to control the quality of
 the water  entering the Belle Fourche River via Caballo Creek.  At some point
 during  the mining operations, water from Caballo Creek will be routed into a
 created lake, which  will be stocked with fish for recreational use.
 Ground-water discharges from the mining area during 1974 averaged about 567.7
 m3/day  but in 1975 had decreased to approximately 378.5 nr/day (U.S.
 Geological Survey 1975a).  Approximately 302.8 m^/day of this water is used
 for dust control purposes.
                                      34

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Cordero Mine--
    The Cordero Mine is located 25 km southeast  of Gillette,  Wyoming (Figure
7), and is owned and operated by the Sunoco Energy Development Company.
Mining began in July of 1976, and by December some 900  million kg  of coal  had
been exposed (U.S. Geological Survey 1975b).  Current production is set  at 11
billion kg/yr, but Sunoco has already applied for leases  that would enable
them to double annual production.

    Based on present production levels,  mining activities are destroying
0.09 km2/yr of land and by 1981 will  increase to disruption of 0.55
km^/yr-  At that point mining will then  equal reclamation until  the end  of
the 30-year life of the mine.  Coal  mined  at the Cordero  facility  will be
sent by train to San Antonio, Texas, and to the  Laramie River stations of  the
Missouri Basin Power Project in Wyoming  (U.S. Geological  Survey 1975b).

    Ground-water aquifers in the Cordero Mine occur in  the center  of the
coal-bed so infiltrating water must be regularly pumped out of the pit.  This
water is used for dust control  or stored in two  settling  ponds that are
continuously monitored for water quality.   Prevention of  surface water runoff
from the mine is controlled by diversion ditches, the largest of which is  a
channel constructed to reduce the number of oxbpw loops in the Belle Fourche
River (U.S. Geological Survey 1975b). Domestic  water used by the  mine is
obtained from separate wells and stored; sewage  generated by  the operations
is not released to the Belle Fourche River but instead  is transported to a
package treatment plant.

    The Cordero Mine lease area has six  producing oil wells on site. Mining
activities will avoid these wells, if possible,  or temporarily cap them  for
later use (U.S. Geological Survey 1975b).

East Gillette Mine--
    The East Gillette Mine will be operated by the Kerr-McGee Corporation,
which holds three Federal coal  leases totalling  17.57 km2 of  land.  Of this
leased area, 58 percent is owned by Kerr-McGee,  12 percent is owned by the
State of Wyoming, and 24 percent is owned  by private companies or  individuals
(U.S. Geological Survey 1977a).

    The mine is located in Campbell  County, Wyoming, about 6.5 km  east of
Gillette and is adjacent to the Wyodak Coal Mine and Powerplant (Figure  7).
Over the 35-year life of the mine beginning in 1979, approximately 487
million m^ of overburden will be relocated, and  approximately 299  billion
to 310 billion kg of coal, or 90 percent of the  total  reserves, --will be  mined
(U.S. Geological Survey 1977a).  During  mining,-10.8 km2  of the leased land
(0.4 km^/yr) will be disturbed.  This lease area is presently used
primarily for grazing and cropland but also holds seven producing  oil wells
(U.S. Geological Survey 1977a).  It is expected  that during the mine
operation these wells will not be disturbed, but should capping become
necessary, they will be reopened after mining activities  are  completed.

    It is estimated that total  water consumption of the East  Gillette Mine
will equal 260 thousand nr/yr.  Most of  this water will be used for dust
suppression on active haul routes, although approximately 397 m^/yr will be
required for drinking water when the mine is at  full production.  Sources  for

                                      35

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the industrially used water will be the surrounding mine drainage,
ground-water wells, and possibly the on-site sewage treatment plant (U.S.
Geological Survey 1977a).  Approximately 72 percent of the drainage from the
East Gillette Mine itself will be internal.  Only 6 percent of the remainder
will drain to Donkey Creek, and 22 percent will flow to Dry Creek in the
Little Powder River watershed.

Coal Creek Mine--
    A leasehold of 27.2 km^ of combined Federal, State, and private
ownership is proposed for the Coal Creek strip mine (U.S. Geological Survey
1977a).  The mine is situated just south of the Cordero Mine and Belle
Fourche River in Campbell County, Wyoming (Figure 7).  Atlantic Richfield
Company plans to begin production at the mine in 1982 with 7.2 billion kg/yr
of coal (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978b) and increase to an annual
average of 9.1 billion kg/yr later in the 1980's (U.S. Geological Survey
1977a).  Total reserves on the leasehold are estimated to equal 310 billion
kg of coal (U.S. Geological Survey 1977a).  The draft environmental statement
for this mine is in production now and will 'outline the requirements and
impacts that are expected from its operation.

Cabal!o Mine--
    The Caballo Mine is currently proposed to go under construction in
January 1979.  The mine will be located 15 km southeast of Gillette, Wyoming
(Figure 7), and is part of the Smith-Wyodak coal seam.  It will be operated
by the Carter Mining Company under one State lease of 13.5 km^ and two
Federal leases totalling 21.7 km^ of land.  It is projected the mine will
produce 430 billion kg of coal over 40 years at an annual rate of 11 billion
kg/yr (B. Auffill, Carter Mining Company, Gillette, Wyoming, Personal
communication, 1978).  The total quantity of land disturbed or the annual
anticipated consumptive use of water is not yet available but should soon  be
forthcoming in the draft environmental statement.

Pronghorn Mine--
    The Pronghorn Mine is located 25.6 km southeast of Gillette immediately
south of Belle Ayr South Mine (Figure 7).  The Consolidation Coal Company  is
in joint ownership of the mine with the Mobil Oil Corporation and proposes to
mine 90.7 billion kg of coal over a 22-year period at this site (U.S.
Geological Survey 1977b). The mine will produce 4.5 billion kg/yr of coal  and
will disturb a total of 5.13 km^ of land for total operation.

    The Pronghorn Mine, which will begin strip mining in 1979, will require
approximately 0.42 million m^/yr of water for domestic needs, dust
suppression, equipment cleaning, fire control, and irrigation (U.S.
Geological Survey 1977b).  The water will be available from the exposed
aquifers found in the coal beds, which will supply close to 302.8 nr/day of
water (U.S. Geological Survey 1977b).  In order to prevent mine runoff from
directly contributing pollutants into Caballo Creek and the Belle Fourche
River, the operating company will construct several impoundments and
diversion ditches throughout the impacted area.

Reclamation--
    Rehabilitation of disturbed mining areas will rest not only upon the
potential of the land to return to its original state, but upon proper
                                     36

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administrative policy.  Efforts such as the Packer system of classification
rate the rehabilitation potential  of a region  on  the  elements of soil
(productivity and stability), vegetation (suitability and availability),
precipitation (amount and seasonal  distribution)  and  the  potential  moisture
holding capacity of the land (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978b).   These
variables are combined to arrive at a numerical rating between +9 to -9 (very
good to very poor).  The mining areas in northeast Wyoming and western North
Dakota (which include the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri  River Basins)  are
highly variable in their potential  for rehabilitation. The Missouri River
Basin Commission (1978b) assigned a rating  of  +3.81 to western North Dakota
tributary watersheds in and near the study  area,  and  a rating of -0.47 to
those in northeast Wyoming.  This is primarily a  result of the amount  of
rainfall each of the two areas receive.

    Reclamation is particularly difficult in regions  of low precipitation
where sufficiently large quantities of water are  not  available to allow
reestablishment of plant cover.  Most of the rainfall  in  the study area falls
between April and September when prevailing westerly  winds deplete the soil
moisture.  This semi-arid environment places limitations  on the availability
of water for rehabilitation.

    Future rehabilitation of energy resource areas will be of growing
concern, and such legislation as the Wyoming Environmental  Quality act of
1973 is being enacted to oversee most of the problems  associated with  mined
area reclamation (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978b).  Terms of the act
require rehabilitation of surface-mined land to equal  or  better condition.
Revegetation of disturbed lands, topsoil  stockpiling  and  reuse, and the
prevention of erosion and water pollution are  also included under the  Wyoming
Environmental Quality Act (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978b).

Powerplants

    The number of existing coal-fired powerplants in  the  Belle Fourche and
Little Missouri River Basins is small.  However,  the  potential  for such
development is high.  The Neil  Simpson Powerplant and .the Wyodak Powerplant
are the only two coal-fired electrical generation facilities in the area.
The Neil Simpson Powerplant is owned by the Black Hills Power and Light
Company and is located at the Wyodak Mine site in Wyoming.   The plant
currently has a generation capacity of between 25 and  30  MW and is burning
about 0.36 million kg/day of coal  (McMillion 1978). The  plant uses an
air-cooled system that requires an average  of  35.9 m^/day of water for
blowdown purposes  (V. Schields, Neil  Simpson  Powerplant, Gillette, Wyoming,
Personal communication, 1978).   This water  is  obtained from several wells  in
the area, the largest of which provides 0.4 m'/min of  water-

    The Wyodak Powerplant is the largest air-cooled,  coal-fired electrical
generation plant in the country.  Owned by  the Pacific Power and Light and
the Black Hills Power and Light Companies,  the plant  is located next to the
existing Neil Simpson Powerplant and has a  330-MW generation capacity  (U.S.
Department of Interior 1974).  Coal is consumed at Wyodak at the rate  of 0.9
kg/KWH, or between 0.92 and 4.36 million kg/day,  depending on megawattage
output.  Water consumption from blowdown is at a  comparable rate to that of


                                     37

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the Neil Simpson Powerplant (V. Shields, Neil  Simpson Powerplant,  Gillette,
Wyoming, Personal communication, 1978).  Power from both plants  is
distributed to Buffalo, Uyoming, and to Spearfish, South Dakota  (U.S.
Department of Interior 1974).  Other plans for future power development  in
the study area include a 1,000 MW plant in northwest South Dakota, a 5,000  MW
plant in southwest North Dakota in connection with existing coal beds there,
and a 5,000 MW plant in the eastern-central area of Montana (North Central
Power Study Coordinating Committee 1971).  In addition to coal  generated
powerplants, the Gillette area has plans underway for the development of
several thermal generation powerplants.

Hydroelectric Power

    Because of the intermittent streamflow that is characteristic  of the
study area, there are only two hydroelectric plants in the Belle Fourche and
Little  Missouri River Basins.  Both of these plants are owned and  operated  by
the Homestake Mining Company in South Dakota, which receives its power from
them.

    The Spearfish 1 Plant is located 8 km upstream from the town of
Spearfish, South Dakota, on Spearfish Creek.  This plant produces  24 million
KW of electrical energy per year and has been in operation since 1909 (L.
Jeffries, Homestake Mining Company, Lead, South Dakota, Personal
communication, 1978).  It is maintained with an average streamflow of 1.44
rir/sec. The second plant, Spearfish 2, is located at Maurice, South
Dakota, and provides Homestake Mining Company with 12 million KW annually.
This plant has been producing since 1917 and is supported by an average
streamflow of 1.38 m3/sec.

Uranium

    The first shipments of uranium from the Belle Fourche-Little Missouri
River study area were during the 1940's, but shipments declined in the early
1960's  when the market demand could be more profitably satisfied elsewhere
(Missouri River Basin Commission 1978a).  With resources again becoming
increasingly scarce, the potential in the basin for production of  uranium is
once again growing.

    The major North Dakota uranium resources are located in thin lignitic
beds associated with sandstone ground-water aquifers.  The only commercial
production of the mineral from the Little Missouri Basin in this State is
between the towns of Bel field and Amidon in southern Billings County
(Missouri River Basin Commission 1978a).  Other important outcrops occur in
the Black Hills in South Dakota and in the Pumpkin Buttes region of
northeastern Wyoming.  The only active uranium mining operations in
northeastern Wyoming, however, are located in the Cheyenne River Basin to the
south of the present study area.  Future developments in the Little
Missouri-Belle Fourche Basins will depend on the interest in prospecting and
cost of developing ore-producing plants.
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PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

Coal  Gasification and Liquefaction Plants

    There are currently no gasification plants in the area.   However,  future
developments are in the planning stages and  may be in operation  in  the 1990's
(University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation 1977a).

    Production of gas and liquid fuels  via  the gasification  and  liquefaction
processes will not be practical  until  after  the 1990's  because  of the  cost  of
production (Baria 1975b).  After 1990-2000,  availability  of  Federal  funds
coupled with exhausted or dwindling domestic reserves may lead  to an
expansion in coal gasification and liquefaction activity. Several  plants  are
proposed throughout the Northern Great  Plains in connection  with expanding
coal  development.  However, only six are in  or near the Little Missouri-Belle
Fourche study area (Table 15).

    The Lurgi Pressure Gasification Process, the Synthane high  Btu,  IGT
(Institute of Gas Technology)  HYGAS gasification process, or the Synthoil
coal  liquefaction and Fisher-Tropsch synthesis are the most  likely  major
processes to be used (University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation  1977a).
The Lurgi Pressure Gasification, HYGAS, and  Synthane  gasification processes
produce high Btu synthetic gases and differ  from the  Synthoil liquefaction
process, which produces fuel  oils or gasoline (U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency 1977a).  Underground in situ gasification processes have  also been
examined and tested for feasibility by  Lawrence Livermore Laboratories and
the Federal Energy Research Development Administration.  The Hoe Creek
Project, located due south of Gillette  in the Belle Fourche  Basin,  was
initiated in October 1976 and continued for  11 days during which time  118
thousand kg of coal, or 16 percent of the fractured zone, was consumed
(McMillion 1978).  The study revealed that ground-water movement through the
burned zone could be degraded by the byproducts of pyrolysis and the
carbonization and coking of coals.

    Water is a primary resource required for synthetic  gas production.  It  is
used for both the processing and cooling associated with  each of the
different methods  (Table 16).  In processing, the water is used  to  generate
steam and supply hydrogen for reactions in the gasification/liquefaction
processes (Northern Great Plains Resource Program 1974).   Water  is  also
utilized for ash quenching, sluicing, dust control, and reclamation  (Baria
1975a).  Whether ground water or surface water is used  for further
development will depend on its quality and  availability.   However,  most of
the proposed liquefaction-gasification plants plan to utilize ground water,
which will deplete the shallower aquifers.   The quality of these sources is
poor and depletion will demand the use of new aquifers  at greater depths.
Whatever process is implemented, the water  consumed per unit of  energy
produced through gasification is less than  is consumed for continual power
generation.  Through gasification 7.08  x 10^ Btu are  produced for each
cubic meter of water consumed, as compared with conventional  steam  electrical
generation of approximately 1.4 x 10-* Btu per cubic meter of water  consumed
(Northern Great Plains Resource Program 1974).

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TABLE 15.  PROPOSED GASIFICATION-LIQUEFACTION PLANTS IN OR NEAR THE BELLE FOURCHE-LITTLE MISSOURI
           RIVER BASIN STUDY AREA*
Company
     Site
Planned Capacity
ined Lap
 (MMCMD)
Remarks
Carter Oil (G)
North of Gillette
in Campbell  Co.
Panhandle Eastern  Northeast of Douglas,
Pipeline Company   Converse Co., Wyoming
     7.08


     7.64
ERDA Hoe Creek
Experiment (IG)
32 km south of
Gillette, Wyoming
Experiments in
progress
                Studies and planning began in
                1974.

                Seeking water rights; construction
                postponed.  Peabody's Rochelle
                Mine will supply coal at an
                estimated rate of 22.6 million
                kg/day.  Current reports express
                doubt as to whether project will
                ever be constructed.

                Explosive fracturing of coal at
                '45.7 m depth has produced
                0.1 million kg of coal or
                16 percent of the fractional zone.
Natural Gas
Pipeline (G)
El Paso Natural
Gas Co. (G)
Exxon Oil (L)
Dunn Co., North Dakota
S.W. North Dakota
N. Wyoming
21.2
14.6
3.6


Only one unit planned

G = Gasification, L = Liquefaction, IG = In situ gasification, MMCMD = Million m3/day crude oil

*Modified from Corsentino (1976), Harza Engineering Company (1976), and McMillion (1978).

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TABLE 16.  ANTICIPATED WATER REQUIREMENTS FOR ENERGY FACILITIES IN THE
           LITTLE MISSOURI-BELLE FOURCHE STUDY AREA IN THE YEAR 2000
           (Modified from University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation
           1977a)


Facility            Size                    Anticipated Water Requirement
                                                 (m3 x 106)


Power generation    3,000 MW (electricity)             46.1-51.8

Coal gasification   7.08 million m^/day                5.9-8.7
  (Lurgi)
Coal gasification   7.08 million nwday               10.3-12.4
  (Synthane)
Coal liquefaction   15.9 million liters               13.4-23.9
  (Synthoil)
Coal mining         51,517 million kg/yr               1.5
TRANSPORTATION OF ENERGY RESOURCES

    The dispersal of energy-related materials  such  as  coal,  oil,  natural  gas,
and electricity constitutes a significant portion of the total  environmental
impact associated with energy development.   Wyoming and  North  Dakota  are
major exporters of coal, gas, oil, and uranium which pose a  unique  problem,
that of distance to point of delivery, when transportation systems  are
examined. Those energy resource shipments in the eastern United States,  such
as originate from the Appalachian and Illinois mines,  generally traverse
distances on the average of less than 186 km,  with  an  occasional  line of
310 km.  If development occurs as planned in the Wyoming and North  Dakota
area, routes as long as 930 km may be common (Campbell and Katell 1975).

    The primary mode of coal  transportation will  be by 100-car unit trains,
each train capable of carrying 9.07 million kg of coal.   Transport  will be to
terminals in Austin, Texas, Omaha, Nebraska, Chicago,  Illinois,  and Detroit,
Michigan (Figure 8).  The Pigs Eye Terminal, to be  constructed on the
Mississippi River at St. Paul, Minnesota, will  provide a major rail-waterway
transfer and loading facility for distribution to midwestern power  utilities
(U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs 1974).  Use  of  coal  slurry lines in  transport
of coal is also proposed for the Wyoming  coal  development area.   However,
large volumes of water are needed for extensive slurry development, and
because of the physical and legal limitations  on availability  of  water in the
Little Missouri and Belle Fourche Basins, this mode of transport  is not
likely to be developed in the near future.

    Environmental impacts resulting from  transportation  of energy resources
are demonstrated in the proposals by Burlington Northern Railroad and North
Western Transportation Company.  The company intends to  build  and operate a
new railroad route between Gillette and Douglas that will  disturb
                                     41

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ro
                 Resource Basin
      Figure 8.  Unit  coal energy  to  be  transported  from  the  Western United  States by the year 2000,
                 (Modified from University  of Oklahoma  and  Radian  Corporation 1977a).

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approximately 10 km2 of land and alter the existing  drainages of a number
of rivers including Caballo Creek, the Belle Fourche River,  Coal  Creek, and
Little Thunder Creek during the construction of bridges.   The development of
these transportation routes will be an important contribution to the area
because the existing rail  network is now inadequate  to provide for future
dispersal of energy resources.

    Gas and liquid fuels (crude oil, shale oil, and  coal  syncrude)  will  be
transported via pipeline to refineries throughout the country (Figure 9).
Electrical  power will  be distributed from the coal-fired  generation
facilities at Gillette to southern and midwestern populations (Figure 10).
                                    43

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             Resource Basin
             Gas Lines
       —— Liquid Lines
Figure 9.  High Btu gas liquid (crude oil, shale oil, coal  syncrude)  pipelines  proposed  by the
           year 2000 for the Western United States  (capacity  of  each  pipeline is  28  million m3/day)
           (Modified from University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation  1977a).

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              Resource Basin
Figure 10.  Electricity expected to be transported from the Western United States by the year 2000,
            (Modified from University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation 1977a).

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                        6.  OTHER SOURCES OF POLLUTION
EROSION
    Erosion in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins is
dependent on several environmental factors, some of which vary through the
year.  Weather changes, topography of the area, types of soil, land use and
management practices, and seasonal availability of a canopy protection of
crops and pastureland all influence the degree of erosive action present
(Northern Great Plains Resource Program 1974).  The Gillette mining area is
unique in that much of the surrounding terrain is relatively erosion-
resistant because of a protective capping of clinker formed by the burning of
thick coalbeds (Smith 1972).

    There are three major types of erosion—upland erosion, sheet erosion,
and channnel erosion (Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee 1969b).  The
first—upland erosion—is characterized by rills or channels formed in the
surrounding hillsides and is largely influenced by the amount of vegetation,
amount of rainfall , and type of soil present.  The second type--sheet
erosion—is the result of rainfall and snowmelt upon the soil.  The runoff
forms sheets of water that carry large quantities of sediment.  This erosion
type is often seen as a result of summer storms that subject localized areas
to intense precipitation.  This rapidly exceeds the land's capacity to absorb
the water and results in surface runoff.  The third form of erosion—channel
erosion—acts on mature stream channels, and sediment yields from this type
are usually a result of eroding channel banks (Missouri Basin Inter-Agency
Committee 1969b).  In the semiarid study area, many of the stream channels
are dry much of the year and are youthful in nature.  During periods of
intense rainfall, flash flooding may occur wherein large volumes of runoff
result in active downcutting and clearing the channel of collected debris and
shrubbery.

    Pollutants of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic wastes are
common in agricultural runoff, which is by far the major contributor to the
increased sediment yields of both the mainstem Belle Fourche and Little
Missouri Rivers (McMillion 1978).  Coal mining activities also increase
erosion in the basins through such activities as removal of overburden
material, stockpiling, and relocation of soil.  Blasting increases the amount
of dust suspended in air that, together with windblown coal dust and ash from
transportation, storage, and disposal areas, might later settle in a waterway
or reservoir.  Other erosive mechanisms associated with mining include the
continual traffic of large machinery and destruction of natural  vegetative
cover (U.S. Department of Interior 1974).  The erosive hazards associated
with coal mining are increased during periods of drought that are
occasionally broken by episodic, high rainfall events.

                                      46

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    Erosion impact can, however,  be reduced  by controlling  the amount of
vegetation and type of soil  present.  The creation  of surface  reservoirs to
control flooding is another commonly used method to reduce  sedimentation
impact from mining areas.


MINE DRAINAGE

    The impact of mine effluents  on water quality will  be of growing concern
in the Belle Fourche-Little Missouri River Basins as the number of energy
development facilities increases.  Potential  sources of water  quality
contamination associated with mining activities include loading, crushing,
and screening facilities, access  and hauling roads, equipment  maintenance and
building areas, overburden removal  and deposition,  construction of water
control facilities, stream diversions, and population influx as a result of
increased availability of jobs.  Each of these sources poses a specific
environmental threat to the quality of the basin waters.

    The acid mine drainage from coal extraction common in the  Eastern United
States is not a problem in the Little Missouri and  Belle Fourche River Basins
where the sulfur content of coal  is generally less  than 1 percent (Northern
Great Plains Resource Program 1974) and soils are generally alkaline.  In
this area, total dissolved solids and suspended solids from erosion of the
disturbed areas are the most obvious potential pollutants.   Pollution from
ground-water aquifers may result  when the aquifers  are intercepted during
mining operations producing a net inflow and accumulation of water in the
active pit.  Surface runoff, or shallow ground water such as that from
irrigation return flows, may percolate through mine spoil areas resulting in
increased salts, especially sulfates or heavy metals (Table 17).  Mining
operations may also directly discharge toxic substances into surrounding
surface water supplies.  Such has been the case with the Homestake Gold Mine;
water quality evaluations of Whitewood Creek below  the mine reveal
concentrations of cyanide, arsenic, mercury, and suspended  sediments that are
sufficiently high to damage the aquatic biota of the creek  (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency 1971a).


TABLE 17.  MAJOR POTENTIAL ELEMENTAL POLLUTANTS ASSOCIATED  WITH COAL
           MINING ACTIVITIES IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI AND BELLE  FOURCHE
           RIVER BASINS  (Modified from McMillion 1978)


              Calcium                       Cadmium
              Magnesium                     Chromium
              Chloride                      Arsenic
              Boron                         Lead
              Fluoride                      Molybdenum
              Iron                          Vanadium
              Manganese                     Uranium
              Zi nc                          Thori urn
              Copper                        Radium
              Selenium                      Mercury


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URBAN RUNOFF

    In association with increased industrial development in the Belle Fourche
and Little Missouri Basins, rapid population growth may be expected.  This
influx of people increases the likelihood of contributions to the basins from
nonpoint urban runoff as well as augmenting the consumptive water demands and
burden on existing sewage facilities.  The area surrounding Gillette,
Wyoming, is expected to experience the greatest growth within the study
basins as a result of the expanding mining industry.

    Nonpoint urban runoff is largely produced by precipitation, which washes
a population center flushing a great variety of city wastes into the nearest
water system.  This runoff is greatest during periods of episodic, heavy
rainfall and typically is high in nutrients and suspended sediments.
Combined storm and domestic  sewer overflow is a common urban source of
organic pollution to the aquatic ecosystem.  Animal wastes, fertilizers,
pesticides, and general street debris are other common urban pollutants.
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                            7.   WATER REQUIREMENTS
WATER RIGHTS
    The Northern Great Plains area,  during the  19th  century,  adopted  a
laissez-faire philosophy toward water allocation and development  (University
of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation 1977b).  A traditional  "senior take  all"
appropriation doctrine evolved in which the first individual  to divert  water
to a beneficial use established a dated and quantified  right  to first use  of
the water.  All stream users thus establish dated rights,  and as  water
supplies decrease those bearing later priority  dates are  shut off until
senior rights are met (Lord et al. 1975).   In light  of  increasing population
growth and water demands, however, Federal and  State regulations  to control
use have been established; it is probable  that  legal  rights to utilize  water
will become a major factor in regional  decisions regarding future energy
development.

    The Belle Fourche River Compact  of 1944, which provides the basis for
dividing water of the Belle Fourche  River  between the States  of Wyoming and
South Dakota, is the primary Federal  law governing distribution of surface
waters in this study area.  In this  law, those  water rights and supplies
established prior to 1944 are recognized as first priority (Wyoming State
Engineers Office 1973).  The remaining unused and unappropriated  waters are
divided so that Wyoming is allocated 10 percent of the  Belle  Fourche  River
flow and the remainder goes to South Dakota. Other  provisions of the compact
specify that Wyoming is allowed unlimited  development of  storage  reservoirs
with less than 25 thousand OH capacity for stock-watering  purposes, but no
reservoirs with greater than 1 million nr  capacity may  be  constructed in
Wyoming if they will be used solely by that State for its  own needs (Wyoming
State Engineers Office 1972).  If a reservoir,  primarily  designed to  satisfy
irrigation demands for South Dakota, is constructed  on  the Belle  Fourche
River in Wyoming, the State of Wyoming is  entitled to 10  percent  of the
reservoir storage regardless of size.

    There is at present no interstate compact for allocation  of surface
waters in the Little Missouri River Basin  (Missouri  River  Basin Commission
1978a).  Ln the 1950's a Little Missouri River  Compact  was authorized by
Congress, and the involved States (Wyoming, North Dakota,  South Dakota, and
Montana) convened to discuss terms of the  proposed agreement. However, in
light of the highly unpredictable flows of the  Little Missouri River, the
need for an intensive hydrological study of the river,  and the need for a
complete water right inventory of the basin in  all four States, interest in
the compact cooled and negotiations  were brought to  a close (Wyoming  State
Engineers Office 1972).  Since that time,  as a  result of  the  National Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act, the Little Missouri River has been  designated


                                      49

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as a State scenic and recreational river from the South Dakota State line to
its confluence with the Missouri River at Garrison Reservoir (Missouri  River
Basin Commission 1978a).  Such action will severely limit the expansion of
energy development in this stretch of the Little Missouri and thus will
preserve it for future recreational and wildlife-associated needs that  may
have otherwise been destroyed.


WATER AVAILABILITY

    The Wyoming State Engineers Office (1972) has estimated that an average
water supply of 107 million m-Vyr is available for apportionment in the
Belle Fourche River Basin.  After allowing for stock and domestic usage
(which is unlimited by compact law) and evaporation loss in Keyhole
Reservoir, it is calculated that Wyoming is entitled to 9 million m-Vyr
consumptive use of surface water in that basin (Wyoming State Engineers
Office 1972).  Resources available from Keyhole Reservoir are sufficient to
provide this annual supply.

    In the Little Missouri River Basin, there is no known estimate on the
annual water supply that can be depended upon for reapportionment.  In
Wyoming, predictable surface flows only occur in the early spring as a  result
of snowmelt, and virtually all of this water is presently committed to
irrigation and stock usage.  Studies on flow variability in the river in
South Dakota show that at the Camp Crook station an average flow of only 0.01
m^/sec during about three months annually can be expected every five years
(South Dakota Department of Natural Resources Development 1972).  Once every
two years, flows less than 0.03 nr/sec for a one-month stretch can be
expected at this site.  All of these data suggest that the Little Missouri
River cannot be relied upon to provide much flow for year-round consumptive
water use without implementation of additional storage.

    Monthly hydrographs (Figure 11) show the variation in streamflow for the
Belle Fourche River in Wyoming.  Since runoff is generally highest in May and
June and crop needs are greatest during July and August, reservoir storage is
also necessary in this basin to assure adequate water supplies for the  latter
portion of the growing season (Wyoming State Engineers Office 1972).  The
hydrograph for the Belle Fourche River at the Wyoming-South Dakota State line
reflects the positive impact of Keyhole Reservoir on the downstream water
availability of that river.

    The average annual discharge from the Little Missouri River at Watford
City, North Dakota, is 541 million m3; the maximum recorded runoff was
1.5 billion m3 in 1971, and the minimum recorded annual discharge was only
72 million m3 in 1961 (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978a).  The maximum
flow recorded at this site was 3,115 m3/sec (North Dakota State Water
Commission 1975a).  The average annual discharge of the Belle Fourche River
is 326 m3/yr (Riis 1977).  Flows as great as 1,277 m3/sec were recorded
in 1964 at Elm Springs, South Dakota, and periods of zero discharge have been
recorded at that same site on numerous occasions (Riis 1977).

                                     50

-------
                  c
                  o
                  7



                  CD
                  k
                  *-
                  (0
a-
8-
7-
6-
5-
4-
2-
1-
n
Belle Fourche River below
Moorcroft, Wyoming




(Ave.)

. I ^ I -I .





H^MH
^^•^


. I •





—
MM«









^~L
. i ^i . i 1.1.
                         *J  >  o  c
                         o  o  ®  a
                         O  Z  Q  ^
_  =  -  c _:  O5 a
*  O-  5  3  3  3 »
S  <  S  -j -» < 
-------
    The mean annual consumptive use and evaporation loss in the Belle Fourche
River Basin in Wyoming totals 25 million m3/yr and in the Little Missouri
Basin totals 6 million m3/yr (Table 18).  Consumptive use in the Belle
Fourche Basin in South Dakota includes an average 2 million m3 livestock
depletion and 39 million nr/yr evaporation losses.  In the South Dakota
portion of the Little Missouri Basin, an average 1.6 million nr/yr of water
is consumed for beneficial use (Table 19), and in North Dakota mean annual
depletion totals 16 million m3/yr for irrigation, 508 thousand m3/yr for
recreation, and 361 thousand nr/yr for stock water.  Municipal and rural
domestic supplies in this region are largely met by ground-water resources
(Missouri River Basin Commission 1978a).


TABLE 18.  ESTIMATED ANNUAL WATER YIELD, CONSUMPTIVE USE, AND EVAPORATIVE
           LOSS OF SURFACE WATERS IN THE BELLE FOURCHE AND LITTLE
           MISSOURI RIVER BASINS, WYOMING, 1948-68 (Modified from Wyoming
           State Engineers Office 1973)
                             Belle Fourche Basin  Little Missouri Basin
                                (m3 x 106)              (m3 x 106)
Total yield in Wyoming            119.3                    43.7

Consumptive use
Irrigation
Industrial
Municipal , domestic,
stock
Reservoir evaporation
Net outflow at Wyoming
State line
1.8
1.2

1.2
20.7

94.4
2.2
—

1.2
2.6

37.7

    Although the data for beneficial-use depletions are very incomplete for
the study basins from State to State, what data are accessible suggest water
availability will be a major factor limiting increased energy resource
development in the future.  The total average consumptive use for the Belle
Fourche Basin in Wyoming, plus known depletion from evaporation and livestock
in South Dakota, are alone nearly equal to the minimum recorded annual
discharge for that river.  Certainly there will be times when adequate water
supplies will exist to satisfy all consumptive demands.  However, in planning
for future development in the basins, it will be necessary to determine
definitively how much water can be reliably counted on as available from year
to year.
                                      52

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TABLE 19.  SUMMARY OF AVERAGE ANNUAL WATER USE IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI
           RIVER BASIN, SOUTH DAKOTA (Modified from South Dakota Department
           of Natural Resources Development 1972)
    Beneficial Use                     Diversion _ Consumption
                                                   x 103)
    Agricultural
Rural household
Livestock use
Farm pond evaporation
Full season irrigation
Spreader system irrigation
Municipal
Industrial
Recreation, fish, and wildlife
Total
15.7
246.7
752.4
357.7
589.6
5.5
0
0
1,967.6
4.9
246.7
752.4
233.1
370.0
1.8
0
0
1,608.9

LITTLE MISSOURI AND BELLE FOURCHE RIVER WITHDRAWALS

Energy Resource Development
       BW
    Mining and other energy development activities in the Belle Fourche and
Little Missouri River Basins will have a significant environmental  impact on
water resources of the area.  Surface mining of coal requires approximately
54.2 to 61.8 thousand liters of water per kilogram of coal  mined (Adams
1975).  Conversion of coal into electricity or into natural  gas and crude oil
requires larg^ quantities of water (Table 20), particularly if gasification
and liquefaction processes are implemented.  Transport of coal  to
powerplants, if done by coal slurry line, can require an additional 2.5 to
3.7 million nr/yr of water to provide slurry to a 1,000 MW electric
generating plant (Adams 1975).  Nonenergy mineral  industries, such  as mining
of sand and gravel or stone, deplete an annual average of 18 thousand m3/of
water in northeastern Wyoming (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978b).
Mineral industries in the Black Hills area of South Dakota consume  19.4
million m^/yr (Cries 1974).  All  of these water demands are immense since
many streams in the resource area are dry much of the year and ground-water
supplies must be carefully mined to avoid depletion of usable aquifers at a
rate in excess of recharge capacity.  About half of the needed water consumed
by industry in the Little Missouri  and Belle Fourche River Basins is supplied
by ground-water resources.

                                       53

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TABLE 20.  WATER USE FOR COAL-RELATED ACTIVITIES (Modified from Missouri
           River Basin Commission 1978b)
                                                 Liters of Water per
Type of Activity                                     kg of Coal
Coal mining and unit train transport                   0.04

Coal mining and slurry pipeline transport              0.98

Mine-mouth electric powerplants (consumptive use)

    Closed cooling                                     0.42
    Stream cooling                                     2.09
    Ponds                                              2.50
    Evaporative cooling towers                         3.55

Coal liquefaction                                      6.80

Combination liquefaction-gasification                  7.09

Coal gasification*                                    10.85

Vegetative reestablishment with irrigation**           0.17
 *Recent technological  advances may reduce these figures to half of the
  values shown.
**Assuming an  average  production of 6.7 billion kg of coal per surface km*
  and  an irrigation  requirement averaging 1.2 million m^ per km^ over a
  three-year period.   Most reclamation in northeastern Wyoming has been
  accomplished without irrigation, although it is considered here to assure
  its  availability should irrigation water be needed.


     For purposes  of  full-scale industrial development in the study basins, it
is  likely that transport of water via aqueducts will be more economical than
transport of coal to the water sources, since coal beds subject to development
lie a  good distance  from major water supplies (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
1972).  A number  of major aqueducts have been proposed to transport water to
the Gillette area from the Bighorn River and Yellowstone River, and smaller
diversions from the  North Platte, Green River, and Boysen Reservoir.  The
most likely of these proposals is diversion from the Yellowstone near Miles
City,  Montana, to Gillette with water service to intervening coalfields (U.S.
Bureau  of Reclamation  1972).  With such a diversion in effect, 2.6 billion
m3/yr  of water would be routed from the Yellowstone River, past Pumpkin
Creek  and Broadus, and on to Gillette.  The construction of additional
storage facilities would also be needed to insure availability of water from
the Yellowstone during late summer water shortages since the Gillette
coalfields lie 209 to  322 km from the Yellowstone River.

                                      54

-------
Irrigation

    In the Upper Missouri  Basin,  agriculture,  primarily  irrigation,  accounts
for two-thirds of the surface water withdrawals  and  over 90  percent  of  the
consumptive water use (Lord et al.  1975).   In  the Little Missouri  and Belle
Fourche River Basins, irrigation  accounts  for  nearly all water  diverted and
consumed; in northeastern Wyoming irrigation consumes 194  million  m3 of
water annually, which represents  over 80  percent of  the  water consumption in
the area (Missouri River Basin Commission  1978b).

    In the States of Wyoming and  South Dakota, approximately 57.9  km2 of
land in the Belle Fourche River Basin are  irrigated, and 98.2 million m-3 of
water are used annually to satisfy these  agricultural  needs  (Table 21). Over
28.2 million m3/yr of water from  the Little Missouri Basin are  applied  to
irrigate 61.3 km* of land throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, and
Wyoming.  The irrigation season in the Little  Missouri and Belle Fourche
Basins typically extends from April through October.  However,  July, August,
and September are the months of heaviest  water application,  with over 84
percent of the total diverted water used  during  this period  (Riis  1977).
Most of the water used for irrigation is  obtained from surface  resources;
only 9 percent of the water diverted for  irrigation  purposes in the  Belle
Fourche River Basin is from ground-water  supplies (Riis  1977).

    Construction of reservoirs to store spring runoff for  late  season
irrigation use is the most likely solution to  agricultural-related water
shortages in the study area.  The largest  such project already  existing in
the basins is the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project in South  Dakota,  which is
supplied with water from Belle Fourche Reservoir. This  reservoir  is located
on Owl Creek but diverts water from the Belle  Fourche River  to  irrigate a
maximum of 231.0 km2 of land (Riis 1977).   In  1975,  the  Belle Fourche
Project applied 70.6 million m3 of water  for irrigation  of 217  km2 of
land (Riis 1977).  A number of other reservoirs  have also  been  constructed in
the study basins primarily to meet agricultural  demands  for  water  during low
runoff periods (Table 22).

    Irrigation will continue to be the dominant  water use  in the study  basins
even if energy development reaches maximum projected levels  (Missouri River
Basin Commission 1978b).  The rate of water consumption  for  irrigation
purposes should remain fairly constant, however, since industrial  developers
will utilize most of the presently unallocated water supplies (Wyoming  State
Engineers Office 1972).

Municipal and Industrial

    There are a variety of additional  requirements for water in the  Little
Missouri and Belle Fourche River  Basins.   These  include  domestic,
manufacturing, governmental, and  commercial  needs.  Although there are  many
municipal and industrial users in the study area (Tables 23  and 24), surface
water consumption related to these systems is  relatively minor. The Missouri
Basin Inter-Agency Committee (1971a) reports that in 1965  the entire Western
Dakota Subbasin (which includes the Little Missouri  and  Belle Fourche Rivers)
contained approximately 314,000 public and private water systems but annually


                                     55

-------
en
     TABLE 21.  APPROXIMATE AREA AND ANNUAL WATER USE  FOR IRRIGATION IN THE  BELLE  FOURCHE  AND  LITTLE
                MISSOURI RIVER BASINS*

State
Montana
North Dakota
(1975)
South Dakota
(1975)
Wyoml ng
(1972)
Belle Fourche Little Missouri
Km2 Million m3 of Water Km2 Million m3 of Water
- - ? ?
27.0 16.1
291.0 89.3 2.9 0.6
26.5 8.9 31.4 11.5

     *Modified from Missouri  River Basin Commission (1978a),  North  Dakota  State Water  Commission  (1975a),
      Riis (1977), South Dakota Department of Natural  Resources Development (1972),  and  Wyoming State
      Engineers Office (1972).

-------
    TABLE 22.  MAJOR EXISTING RESERVOIRS USED PRIMARILY FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSES IN THE  LITTLE  MISSOURI-
               BELLE FOURCHE STUDY AREA*
    Reservoir Name
                          County/State
                               River Location
                     Storage Capacity
                         (m3 x 106)
en
Bradac Reservoir
Uekert Reservoir
Stone #2
Gillette Reservoir
Keyhole Reservoir
Belle Fourche Reservoir
Warhorse Reservoir
Bowman, North Dakota
Golden Valley, North Dakota
Campbel1, Uyomi ng
Campbel 1, Wyomi ng
Crook, Wyoming
Butte, South Dakota
Carter, Montana
Unnamed stream
Unnamed stream
Bonepile Creek
Stonepile Creek
Belle Fourche River
Owl Creek
Box Elder Creek
  0.25
  O.H
  1.90
  3.50
234.00
236.00
 23.70
    *Modified from Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee (1969a), North Dakota State Water Commission
      (1975a), and Missouri River Basin Commission (1978b).

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TABLE 23.  DOMESTIC AND MUNICIPAL WASTE TREATMENT FACILITIES IN  THE
             LITTLE  MISSOURI  AND BELLE  FOURCHE RIVER BASINS**
     Source and Location
Existing Treatment
Receiving Waters
       Sundance
       Hulctt
       Carson's Mobile Home Park
         (Gillette)
       Wyodak Development Corporation
       Devils Tower
       Moorcroft
       Wyoming Highway Dept.
        Hoorcroft Rest Area
Activated sludge with aerobic
digesters
Stabilization pond
Oxidation ditch
Package plant plus chlorlnator
Stabilization pond
2-cell lagoon
1-cell pond
Package plant
Stone Pile Creek

Sundance Creek
Belle Fourche River
Dry drainage to Donkey Creek

Donkey Creek
Dry draw to Lytle Creek
Unnamed, draw to Bel 1 e Fourche
River
Unnamed tributary to Belle
Fourche River
USD I F1sh Genetics Lab. (Beulah)
South Dakota
Spearflsh
Lead
Deadwood
Belle Fourche
Sturgl s
Whltewood
Nlsland
Newell
Montana
Wlbaux
Ekalaka
North Dakota
Marmarth
Medora
Watford City
Stabilization pond

Tricking filter
none*
none*
Stabilization pond
Stabilization pond
Stabilization pond
Imhcff
Stabilization Pond

Primary septic
Activated sludge

Primary septic
Stabilization pond
Stabilization pond
Sand Creek

Spearflsh Creek
Whltewood Creek
Whltewood Creek
Belle Fourche River
Bear Butte Creek
Whltewood Creek
Belle Fourche River
Deadman Creek

Beaver Creek
Russell Creek

Little Missouri River
Little Missouri River
Cherry Creek
  *Activated sludge  plant  now  under  construction; anticipated completion
   date February 1979.  This plant will release  treated effluent to  land.
 **Modified from U.S.  Environmental  Protection Agency (1971b),  Wyoming
   State Engineers Office  (1972), and Missouri River  Basin Commission 1978b)
                                             58

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TABLE 24.  INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGERS IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI AND BELLE
           FOURCHE RIVER BASINS*
    User                               Receiving Stream


    Amax Coal Corporation              Caballo Creek
     sedimentation basin

    Wyodak Resources                   Donkey Creek
     Development Corporation

    Black Hills Power and              Donkey Creek
     Light Company

    Sunoco                             Belle Fourche River

    Lead Mine                          Donkey Creek

    Homestake Mine                     Whitewood Creek
*Modified from Wyoming State Engineers Office (1972)  and Missouri  River
 Basin Commission (1978b).
withdrew an average of only 30.8 million m3 of water for municipal  and
rural domestic use.  An additional  35.8 million m3/yr of water in this
subbasin is required to meet industrial demands (Missouri Basin Inter-Agency
Committee 1971a).

    Water demands for municipal  and industrial  purposes in the entire Little
Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins alone is not known at this  time.
However, municipal and industrial demands in Wyoming are estimated  to consume
an average of 2.4 million m3/yr  and 1.2 million m3/yr, respectively,  in
the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri  Basins (Table 18).  In the Little
Missouri Basin municipal demands consume 1.8 thousand nr/yr in South  Dakota
(Table 19) and 2.1 million m3/yr in North Dakota (Missouri River Basin
Commission 1978a).  Municipal needs use 3.5 million nr/yr of water  from the
Belle Fourche Basin in South Dakota, and industrial  demands (over 80  percent
of which are related to activities  in  the Homestake Mine) use an average  of
8.8 million m3/yr (Riis 1977).

    In addition to the consumptive  impact on usable water, a large  proportion
of municipal and industrial  diversions are returned to nearby streams, and
pollutants from these return flows  can substantially impact downstream users.
Municipal areas in the Little Missouri  and Belle Fourche Rivers utilize
several wastewater facilities to reduce this impact.  The large towns
generally are served by trickling filters, activated sludge, and oxidation

                                    59

-------
ponds and ditches; smaller communities are usually served by private septic
tanks for sewage disposal.  Industrial dischargers within the basin areas are
predominantly associated with the mining industries and must treat effluents
to prevent contamination of surface and ground-water supplies with salts and
toxic elements.  Although surface water withdrawal requirements are presently
low in the study basins, future water requirements may increase as the result
of population growth, especially in those areas with rapidly expanding energy
development and mining activities such as around Gillette.  The Missouri
River Basin Commission (1978a) reports that between the years 1975 and 2000,
municipal and rural domestic water consumption in northeast Wyoming could
increase 11.7 million nwyr, and industrial-related water consumption could
increase 126.4 million m3/yr-

Fish and Wildlife

    Water allocations to support fish and wildlife activities are required
for refuges, wetlands, management areas, fish hatcheries, impoundments, and
the maintenance of instream flows.  The Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
(1971b)  has projected that in the entire Missouri River Basin, from 1980 to
2000, surface water depletions associated with wetlands and fish and wildlife
will increase from 218.3 million nr to 578.5 million nr above present
levels of consumption.  It is not known at this time what present levels of
consumption related to fish and wildlife are in the Missouri River Basin, nor
is that  information completely available for the individual basins under
study in this report.  At any rate, fish and wildlife are relatively small
water "consumers," and most water depletions can be attributed to hatchery
facilities.

    In the Belle Fourche River Basin  in South Dakota, there are seven fish
hatcheries with water rights for commercial fish culture.  Collectively these
use approximately 20.7 million m3/yr  of water (Riis 1977).  Two of the
largest  users in the basin are the Spearfish National Fish Hatchery on
Spearfish Creek and the McNenny Trout Hatchery on the Redwater River
(Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee 1969a).  The present consumptive uses
assigned directly to recreation and fish and wildlife activities in Wyoming
and North Dakota are small enough that watering ponds scattered throughout
the area, which are supplied from the runoff of natural wetlands, provide
adequate water supplies (Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee 1969a).  By
1980, however, it is expected that 230 million nr/yr of water will be
required in the Little Missouri River at Watford City to meet instream flow
requirements  (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978a).

Livestock

    Livestock account for a substantial portion of the agricultural-related
water use in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins.  Table 25
shows the 1965 consumptive and evaporative losses associated with livestock
facilities in the Western Dakota Subbasin of the Missouri River, as well as
projected consumption levels to the year 2020.  Surface water supplies can be
expected to continue to satisfy most livestock demands in this area; the
Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee (1971a) reports 70 percent of the 1965
livestock water demands were met by surface water in this subbasin and

                                     60

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TABLE 25.  PROJECTED AVERAGE ANNUAL LIVESTOCK WATER USE IN THE WESTERN DAKOTA SUBBASIN
           (Modified from Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee 1971a)

Year
1965
1980
2000
2020

Surface
70
71
71
71
Source
Water Ground Water
(percent)
30
29
29
29
# of Stockponds
56,000
67,000
73,000
75,000
Water Depletion
Evaporation Livestock
(million m^)
254
254
254

Consumption
36
59
85
254 116

-------
projects that by the year 2000 surface water resources will  supply 71  percent
of the areal livestock needs.

    It has been estimated that livestock consume an average  2  million  nrVyr
and 247 thousand m3/yr of water from the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri
River Basins, respectively, in South Dakota (Riis 1977; South  Dakota
Department of Natural Resources Development 1972).  An additional  752
thousand m3 are lost in the Little Missouri Basin in South Dakota as a
result of evaporation from stock ponds (South Dakota Department of Natural
Resources Development 1972).  Stock water in these basins is furnished by
both surface and ground-water supplies.  Much of the water used is stored  in
small ponds and impoundments that supplement surface flows in  the
intermittent stretches of the Little Missouri and upper Belle  Fourche  Rivers.
Discharges from oil field operations in northeastern Wyoming are another
important source of water for livestock (Wyoming State Engineers Office 1972)
and at times provide the only water available to this arid region. Use of
these discharges may increase in the Belle Fourche River, since future mining
operations in Wyoming could in some cases disrupt drainage patterns
sufficiently to destroy existing stock-watering impoundments in the mine
areas.
IMPORTATION OF WATER

    There are several plans proposed to import water to the area near and
south of Gillette, Wyoming (Figure 12).  Some of the possible routes  include
diversion of water from Boysen Reservoir on the Bighorn River, from the
Yellowstone River at Miles City, from Bighorn Lake, or from the North Platte
River, or the importation of water from Oahe Reservoir on the Missouri  River
in South Dakota  (University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation 1977a).   All
of these proposals are still in the tentative stage and dependent on  future
water right decisions and actual level of energy development achieved in the
Little Missouri  and Belle Fourche River Basins.
WATER AVAILABILITY VERSUS DEMAND

    The State of South Dakota has been allocated 90 percent, and the State  of
Wyoming 10 percent, of the annual runoff of the Belle Fourche River as part
of the Belle Fourche River Compact.  At present there is no interstate
compact for allocation of waters in the Little Missouri Basin.  Most of the
Little Missouri in North Dakota, however, has been designated as a State and
recreational river and its flow is thus not available for depletion or, at
best, is available for only very limited diversions for future energy and
irrigation development.

    The expansion of industry will put increasing stress on the existing
water resources in the basins, and State planning is underway to assure that
minimum stream flows are maintained during low water years, especially in the
Little Missouri River in North Dakota.  There is presently a particular need
for an overall evaluation of water rights and depletions from both basins in
all four affected States.  Such an inventory would be invaluable in future

                                      62

-------
                                   Hardin to
                                   Gillette
Miles City
to Gillette
                    Bighorn Lake
                     to Gillette
       Utah
                             Colorado
Figure 12.  Proposed alternatives for the importation  of  water to the
            Gillette, Wyoming, coal mine development area.  (Modified from
            University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation 1977a).


decisions regarding allocation of remaining limit.ed surface water'"resources.
The need for water supplies will be felt most acutely  during the months of
October through February when the area is largely dependent on ground water
to supplement reduced surface flows.  It is believed that additional storage
to regulate the highly unreliable flows of the Belle Fourche and upstream
Little Missouri Rivers will be necessary to provide reliable year-round water
resources required by the growing energy industry.
                                      63

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                              8.  WATER QUALITY
SOURCES OF DATA
    Available water quality information was used to assess the impact  of
existing energy developments and irrigation projects in the Little Missouri
and Belle Fourche River Basins and to provide baseline data for determining
the impact of proposed developments.  Most of the water quality data
contained in this report were obtained through the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's computer-oriented system for STOrage and RETrieval  of
water quality data (STORET).  Other sources of information include government
documents and environmental impact statements.  Physical and chemical  data
evaluated were primarily from U.S. Geological Survey stations (Table 26,
Figure 13).  Some data collected by miscellaneous sources available in STORET
were also considered; however, these data were largely incomplete and
provided little supplemental information to the USGS generated STORET  data.


SUMMARY OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL DATA

    Summarized data for selected parameters are included in Appendix B.
These data are organized by parameter, station number, and year for the
period 1971-78.  Station number assignments in the appendix tables, as well
as on figures in this report, are based upon the middle four numerals  of the
station STORET codes (Table 26).

    In Appendix B, data from 7 USGS stations in the Little Missouri River
Basin and from 15 USGS stations in the Belle Fourche River Basin are
presented.  In general, for any given parameter, the annual arithmetic mean
for that parameter at each station is presented along with the annual  minimum
and maximum values and number of samples collected.  It should be noted that
no attempt was made to verify data retrievals from STORET; all parameter
measurements were accepted at face value with the exception of those data
that were obviously impossible (e.g., pH = 42) and were thus deleted.   No
summary tables were prepared from the limited miscellaneous data sources
available in STORET for this area.
IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT ON SURFACE WATER

Salinity

The Salinity Problem--
    Salinity, the total concentration of ionic constituents, is a major water
quality parameter of concern in the Little Missouri  and Belle Fourche  River
Basins.  Two processes contribute to increases in salinity, salt loading and

                                     64

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TABLE 26.  U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER QUALITY SAMPLING STATIONS IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI AND BELLE
           FOURCHE RIVER BASINS

STORET Number
Little Missouri River
06334000
06134TOO
06334630
06335000
06335500
06336000
06337000
Belle Fourche River
06425720

06425780

06425950
06426400
06426500
06427850
06428500
06429500
06429900
06430500
06434500
06436700
06436800
06437000
06438000
Station Description

Little Missouri River near Alzada, MT
Little Missouri River at Camp Crook,
Box Elder Creek at Webster, MT
Little Beaver Creek near Marmarth, ND
Little Missouri River at Marmarth, ND
Little Missouri River at Medora, ND
Latitude


SD




Little Missouri River near Watford City, ND

Belle Fourche River below Rattlesnake
WY

Creek,


45°
45°
45°
46°
46°
46°
47°


43°

05'
32'
54'
16'
17'
55'
35'


59'

00"
49"
25"
29"
44"
10"
25"


04"
Longitude

104
103
104
103
103
103
103



0
0
o
o
0
o
0


105°

24'
58'
03'
58'
55'
31'
15'


23'

00
23
30
33
06
40
05


16

n
"
11
"
11
n
"


n
Belle Fourche River above Dry Creek near
Piney, WY
Raven Creek near Moorcroft, WY
Donkey Creek near Moorcroft, WY
Belle Fourche River below Moorcroft,
Belle Fourche River at Devils Tower,
Belle Fourche River at WY-SD State Ii
Cold Springs Creek near Buckhorn, WY
Sand Creek at Ranch A near Beulah, WY
Redwater Creek at WY-SD State line
Inlet Canal near Belle Fourche River,
Indian Creek near Arpan, SD
Horse Creek near Vale, SD
Belle Fourche River near Sturgis, SD
Belle Fourche River near Elm Springs,



WY
WY
ne



SD



SD
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
44°
01'
10'
16'
17'
35'
44'
09'
29'
34'
42'
48'
39'
30'
22'
30"
04"
58"
45"
22"
59"
14"
42"
26"
14"
51"
30"
47"
11"
105°
105
105
104
104
104
104
104
104
103
103
103
o
o
o
o
0
0
0
o
0
o
o
103°
102
o
19'
05'
03'
58'
42'
02'
04'
06'
02'
49'
41'
20'
08'
33'
35
11
48
35
12
49
39
34
54
23
22
17
11
56
"
11
H
II
II
H
H
II
II
II
II
II
II
II

-------
                                 48
                MONTANA
       44'
        WYOMING
                                                       Kilometers
Figure 13.  Location  of U.S. Geological  Survey water quality  sampling
            stations  in the Belle  Fourche  and  Little Missouri  River Basins,
                                     66

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salt concentrating.  Salt loading, the addition of salts  to  the water system,
occurs through irrigation return flows, natural  sources,  and municipal  and
industrial wastes.  Salt concentrating, reduction of the  amount of  water
available for dilution of the salts already present  in  the river system,
results from consumptive uses of the water and  from  evaporation and
transpiration losses.

Ambient Levels--
    Total dissolved solids (IDS) concentrations and  conductivity levels
provide an indication of the dissolved constituents  present  in  water.   Values
for these two parameters (Appendix B), as well  as concentrations of each  of
the major cations (calcium, sodium, magnesium,  potassium) and anions
(bicarbonate, sulfate, chloride) generally increased from upstream  to
downstream in the Belle Fourche River below Keyhole  Reservoir.   In  the  Belle
Fourche, surface water samples at Devils Tower, Wyoming, and at Elm Springs,
South Dakota, showed an increase in average TDS concentrations  from
1126 mg/1 to 1809 mg/1, respectively, and an average conductivity increase
from 1,470 ymho/cm to 2,200 ymho/cm during 1977 (Table  27).   Upstream from
Keyhole Reservoir, however, the Belle Fourche River  and its  supporting
tributaries are largely ephemeral.  Since intermittent  flowing  systems  can be
sampled only during spring runoff and episodic  rainstorms, conductivity and
salinity measurements for this region are sparse and highly  variable.

    The Northern Great Plains Resource Program  (1974) reports that  "the
chemical nature of the waters found within the  Little Missouri  Basin [is]
considered to vary as much as the flow and the  terrain  through  which it
meanders."  This inconsistency in chemical  composition  can be seen  in the
STORET data analyzed for this river, and spatial  trends of increasing
conductivity and salinity levels are not obvious (Table 27).

    In the Belle Fourche River below Keyhole Reservoir, calcium is  the  major
cation, followed by sodium, magnesium, and potassium.   Upstream from the
reservoir, sodium dominates, followed by calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
The most abundant anion in the basin is the sulfate  ion, followed by
bicarbonate and chloride.  Throughout the Little Missouri River, water
composition was consistently of a sodium sulfate type.

    Both the concentrations and composition of  dissolved  solids in  the  study
tributaries fluctuate with discharge rates.  Variation  in flow  is the major
factor accounting for the large seasonal  variations  in  dissolved solid
concentrations observed in the basin.  Dissolved, solids levels  te'nd generally
to be high during low runoff times and low during periods of high flow.
During summer periods of low runoff, base flow  in the rivers is largely from
ground-water discharges.  Since ground water in this region  is  generally  high
in salt content, water quality in the basins seasonally deteriorates during
periods of low flow (North Dakota State Water Commission 1975b). The problem
is aggravated as a result of the many small natural  ponds and livestock
impoundments distributed throughout the intermittent upstream Belle Fourche
and Little Missouri Rivers.  During drought conditions, evaporation rates
frequently exceed inflow from ground-water seepage.   The resultant  periods of
zero surface flow produce a series of shallow,  disconnected  pools in the
basins (Northern Great Plains Resource Program  1974).   Salt  levels  in these

                                      67

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TABLE 27.  DISTRIBUTION OF MAJOR CATIONS AND ANIONS AT SELECTED STATIONS IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI AND
           BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASINS, 1972 AND 1977
Little Missouri Little Missouri
at at
Camp Crook Marroarth
Parameter
Conductivity
(umho/cm)
§ TOS
(mg/1)
Calcium
(mg/1)
Sodium
(mg/1 )
Magnesium
(mg/D
Potassium
(mg/1 )
Bicarbonate
(rag/1)
Sulfate
(mg/1)
Chloride
(mg/1)
1972

1867

1387

105

269
46

11

348

761

16
1977 1972

1682

1415

67

325
46

7

330

775

18
1977

1566

1062

47

260
24

9

218

590

10
Little Missouri Little Missouri Belle Fourche
at near below
Medora Watford City Rattlesnake
Creek
1972

1645

1250

92

243
48

7

316

687

7
1977 1972

1689

1152

74

247
36

8

305

613

7
1977 1972

1422

1098

60

266
26

9

300

566

9
1977

3175

1050

280

310
145

12

259

1688

17
Belle Fourche
at
Devils Tower
1972

1448

1134

180

79
60

7

227

679

6
1977

1470

1126

176

103
54

7

237

645

13
Belle Fourche
at
WY-SO State
Line
1972

1716

1367

230

89
67

8

207

847

6
1977

1726

1363

212

117
64

8

204

845

12
Belle Fourche
near
Elm Springs
1972

1726

2068

236

181
113

14

282

1137

23
1977

2200

1809

221

174
116

15

233

1135
.
26

-------
ponded areas, as well  as in the numerous small  livestock  ponds  in the
drainages, frequently  increase to the point  where  established aquatic
vegetation can no longer survive (U.S. Geological  Survey  1975a).   These
saline pools are periodically flushed by episodic  streamflow events,  but
during low flows the excessive IDS levels produced are  prohibitive to most
beneficial uses (North Dakota State Water Commission  1975a).

Sources—
    Man's industrial activities increase IDS levels primarily through salt
loading processes.  Oil field operations in  Wyoming are a potential source  of
substantial salinity impact to the Belle Fourche River  Basin below Moorcroft
(Missouri River Basin  Commission 1978b).  At the present  time,  however, water
releases from oil fields in this arid drainage  (with  IDS  concentrations
generally less than 3000 mg/1) are not considered  a serious  water quality
threat and are, in fact, often the only source  of  water available for
livestock and wildlife consumption (Wyoming  State  Engineers  Office 1972).

    Mining also increases IDS levels through salt  loading.   Observations of
the chemical characteristics of water taken  in  Donkey Creek  below Wyodak,
Wyoming (Table 28), reveal  that runoff from  the mining  areas around Gillette
contain higher concentrations of dissolved solids  than  runoff from
undisturbed ground (Powder River Areawide Planning Organization 1977).  In
particular, increases  in chloride, sodium, and  sul fates over ambient  levels
observed in the Belle  Fourche River reflect  the impact  of existing mining
development in the Gillette area on that drainage. Although data are not
available on salinity  impact to the study basins from mines  in  the region
other than at Gillette, it is expected that  substantial expansion of  mining
activities will result in significant alterations  of  water quality in
receiving tributaries.  However, the impact  of  mining discharges  in this area
is highly dependent upon surface discharge levels. During periods of high
flow, pumped mine effluents or runoff from tailings piles and receiving ponds
are greatly diluted and less severely affect river water  quality  than in
times of low discharge during late summer and fall.

    Irrigation activities increase salinity  levels in the basins.  It is
estimated (Northern Great Plains Resource Program  1974) that as much  as 60
percent of the total water applied for irrigation  may be  lost to
evapotranspiration. Since this lost water is salt free,  the net  effect of
this concentration can be twofold, or greater,  increases  in  salt  levels in
the irrigation return  flows.  Irrigation contributions  to salinity through
the salt loading process vary with areal  soil type, subsurface  geology, and
use of fertilizers or  other agricultural  chemicals (Northern Great Plains
Resource Program 1974).

Impact--
    The EPA water quality criterion for both chlorides  and sulfates (Table
29) in domestic water  supplies is 250 mg/1 (U.S. Environmental  Protection
Agency 1976b).  The sulfate criterion was imposed  because of the  anion's
cathartic effect especially when associated  with magnesium and  sodium.
Chloride levels in excess of the 250 mg/1  criterion,  particularly in
association with calcium and magnesium, tend to produce problems  in
corrosiveness.  Both cations affect water taste when  present in

                                     69

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TABLE 28.  WATER QUALITY IN DONKEY CREEK, WYOMING, BELOW WYODAK AND NEAR
           ROZET, JUNE 1975 (Modified from U.S. Geological  Survey 1975b)

Parameter
Temperature (°C)
Conductivity (ymho)
Bicarbonate (mg/1 )
Total phosphorus (mg/1)
Calcium (mg/1 )
Sodi urn (mg/1 )
Potassium (iiig/1 )
Boron (mg/1 )
Fluoride (mg/1 )
Total iron (yg/1 )
Dissolved iron (yg/1)
Manganese (yg/1)
Dissolved oxygen (mg/1)
Sulfate (mg/1)
Chloride (mg/1)
Below
Wyodak
18
3,000
412
3.9
210
400
24
680
'. f 1-1
' 2,100
80
460
9.2
1,500
170
Near
Rozet
18
2,200
359
1.8
210
280
19
330
0.8
250
20
110
7.0
1 ,300
160

concentrations  in  excess of 300 to 500 mg/1 (U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency 1976b).

    The sulfate criterion has been exceeded between 1971 and 1978 at every
USGS station  examined  in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins.
In the 1975 water  year, the USGS  (Briggs and Ficke 1977) reported only 9
streams out of  345 sampled across the Nation, including the Belle Fourche
River at Elm  Springs, contained mean sulfate concentrations in excess of
1,000 mg/1.   Chloride  levels were never reported in excess of the EPA
drinking water  criterion in the Little Missouri-Belle Fourche study area.


                                     70

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TABLE 29.  WATER QUALITY CRITERIA RECOMMENDED BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF
           SCIENCES (1973)*
Criteria for
Parameter
(total form)
A1 um1 num
Antimony
Arsenic
Barium
Beryllium
Boron
Bromine ,
Cadmium
Chlorides ...'•'- '! f
Chromium
Copper
Cyanide
Dissolved Oxygen
Fl uorlde
Iron
Lead
Lithium
Manganese
Mercury
Molybdenum
Nickel
Nitrate nitrogen
Nitrite nitrogen
pH
Selenium
Silver
Sul fates
Vanadium-
Zinc
Drinking water
(mg/llter)

—
O.OBf
1.0

--
__
O.Olt
250 tt
o.ost
1.0 tt
0.2
__
1.4-2.4t
0.3 tt
o.ost
..
o.ostt
o.oozt
--
-.
10 .Ot
1.0
5.0-9.0
0.01t
o.ost
250 tt
_.
5.0 tt
Livestock
(mg/llter)
5.0
—
0.2
._
—
5.0
__
0.05
_.
1.0
0.5
—
..
2.0
—
0.05-0.1
__
—
0.01
..
—
100.0
10.0
-_
0.05
__
..
0.1
25.0
Aquatic Life
(mg/llter)

—
—
	
0.011-1. 100 tt
--
....
0.0004-0 .oi2tt
•*.
O.ltt
AF
0.005
5.0

KOtl
0.03
	
__
0.05 ug/ltt
—
AF
—
__
6.5-9.0

*.«
..
_.
AF
Irrigation
(mg/ liter)
5.0
—
0.1 tt
__
0.1-0.5tt
0.75tt
__
0.01
__
0.1
0.2
—
__
1.0
5.0
5.0
2.5
0.2
—
0.01
0.2
__
__
	
0.02

__
0.1
2.0
   *Those parameters for which drinking water regulations (1975b)  or quality
    criteria (1976b) have been established by the U.S.  Environmental
    Protection Agency are specially indicated, and in this table replace the
    older NAS recommended levels.
   tU.S. Environmental  Protection Agency (1975b)
  ttU.S. Environmental  Protection Agency (1976b)
    AF = Application factor; indicates criterion  for this parameter must be
    separately established for each water body.
    Tables of water hardness in the study basins are presented  in Appendix B
Sawyer's classification of water according to hardness  content  (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency 1976b)  is given in Table 30.

    On the whole, streams in the study  area are all  very hard by this
classification.  In the Belle Fourche Basin, the station on Cold Creek,
Wyoming, is the only site where mean annual  values were less  than 300 mg/1.
This location, however, was only sampled  once during 1971-78  and thus is  not
necessarily representative of annual  chemical  conditions in the tributary.
In the mainstem Belle Fourche, the average annual  hardness in the two
uppermost stations above Moorcroft, Montana, which are  sampled  only
periodically when flow permits, ranged  from 510 to 2,050 ing/1.   The three
inner stations between Mooreroft and the  Wyoming-South  Dakota State line
ranged from 376 to 927 mg/1, and the two  downstream stations  in South Dakota
ranged from 742 to 1,367 mg/1.  In the  Little Missouri  River  Basin, mean

                                     71

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TABLE 30.  SAWYER'S CLASSIFICATION OF WATER ACCORDING TO HARDNESS CONTENT
           (Modified from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1976b)
         Concentration
         of CaCos                                   Description
         (mg/1)
         0-75                                       Soft

         75 - 150                                     Moderately hard

         150 - 300                                    Hard

         300 and up                                   Very hard
annual hardness values fell within the hard and very-hard categories.  It
should be noted that these hardness classifications are based on mean annual
values, but within a given stream there are frequently large variations in
hardness content across time.  This variability is most likely associated
with changes in ion dominance resulting from periods of high runoff.

    High salinity concentrations and hard water have several adverse effects
on municipal needs aside from lowering drinking water quality.  If water
softening is not practiced, soap and detergent consumption increases,
resulting in increased nutrients and other environmental pollution and higher
treatment costs in the community.  Where water softening is practiced,
treatment costs rise with the degree of hardness.  Dissolved solids and
hardness also play a role in corrosion, scaling of metal water pipes and
heaters, and acceleration of fabric wear (U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency 1976b).

    Description of the impact of total dissolved solid concentrations on
irrigation waters in arid and semiarid areas is presented in Table 31 (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency 1976b).  Mean annual TDS values for Cold
Spring Creek and Sand Creek, and occasionally at Donkey Creek and in the
Little Missouri River at Marmarth, North Dakota, have not been in excess of
the 500 mg/1 limit for the time period 1971-78.  Mean annual TDS levels in
excess of 2,000 mg/1, i.e., that can be used only for tolerant plants on
permeable soils, have been reported in the Belle Fourche River below
Rattlesnake Creek, near Piney, Wyoming, at Elm Springs, South Dakota, and in
Horse Creek near Vale, South Dakota.  However, information at the uppermost
Wyoming stations in the Belle Fourche River is based on limited data because
of the intermittent nature of the river above Keyhole Reservoir.

   Excessive salinity in irrigation water reduces crop yields, limits the
types of crops grown in an area, and can affect soil structure, permeability,

                                    72

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TABLE 31.  TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS HAZARD FOR IRRIGATION WATER (mg/1)
           (Modified from U.S. Environmental  Protection Agency 1976b)
Description                                           TDS
Water from which no detrimental  effects will           500
usually be noticed

Water that can have detrimental  effects on            500-1,000
sensitive crops

Water that may have adverse effects on many crops     1,000-2,000
and requires careful management practices

Water that can be used for tolerant plants in         2,000-5,000
permeable soils with careful management practices
and aeration.  Salt adversely impacts plants primarily by decreasing osmotic
action and thereby reducing water uptake.   The effects of salinity on
irrigation are determined not only by the  total  amount of dissolved solids
present but also by the individual  ionic composition  of the water (Utah State
University 1975).  Certain plants are sensitive to  high concentrations  of
sulfates and chlorides.  Large amounts of  calcium can inhibit potassium
uptake.  Sodium causes plant damage at high concentrations because it
increases osmotic pressure and is toxic to some metabolic processes.  It can
also affect soils adversely by breaking down granular structure,  decreasing
permeability, and increasing pH values to  those of  alkaline soils.  In  1954
the U.S. Salinity Laboratory proposed that the sodium hazard in irrigation
water be expressed as the sodium absorption ratio (SAR),
                        SAR = Na /A(Ca +  Mg)

where Na, Ca, and Mg are expressed as concentrations  in milliequivalents  per
liter of water (McKee and Wolf 1963).

    Sodium levels are moderate to high thoughout much of  the study area.   The
National Academy of Sciences (1973) suggested  270 mg/1 as the maximum
recommended sodium level in drinking water supplies.   Between 1971 and 1978,
mean sodium levels exceeded this recommended level  in many of the tributaries
in the study area, including all of the stations in the Little Missouri  River
Basin except at the mainstem river at Camp Crook, South Dakota.  In the Belle
Fourche Basin, excessive mean annual  sodium concentrations were reported  in
Horse Creek, Donkey Creek, Raven Creek, and the mainstem  Belle Fourche River
below Rattlesnake Creek, near Piney, and below Moorcroft.  Sodium absorption
ratios are generally low throughout the basins:   the  maximum value reported
in STORET at the USGS stations was SAR = 16, which  is considered within the
usable range for general crops and forages (U.S. Environmental  Protection

                                     73

-------
Agency 1976b).  However, the Missouri River Basin Commission (1978a)  reports
SAR levels do exceed acceptable limits for irrigation in the Little Missouri
River during periods of low flow when the discharge is comprised almost
entirely of ground-water releases.

    Throughout many of the intermittent flowing tributaries in the study
basins, water is used almost exclusively for stock-watering purposes.  Total
dissolved solid concentrations in the basins are not generally restrictive to
livestock (Table 32).


TABLE 32.  TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS HAZARD FOR WATER USED BY LIVESTOCK
           (mg/1)  (Modified from National Academy of Sciences 1973)
TDS Content  in
 Water
 (mg/1)
                         Comment
<1,000


1,000-2,999
3,000-4,999
5,000-6,999
7,000-10,000
>10,000
Relatively low level  of salinity.
classes of livestock  and poultry.
Excellent for all
Very satisfactory for all  classes of livestock  and
poultry.  May cause temporary and mild  diarrhea in
livestock not accustomed to these salt  levels or watery
droppings in poultry.

Satisfactory for livestock, but may cause temporary
diarrhea or be refused at first by animals not
accustomed to these salt levels.  Poor  water for poultry,
often causing watery feces, increased mortality, and
decreased growth, especially in turkeys.

Can be used with reasonable safety for  dairy and beef
cattle and for sheep, swine, and horses.   Avoid use for
pregnant or lactating animals.  Not acceptable  for
poultry.

Unfit for poultry and probably for swine.  Considerable
risk in using for pregnant or lactating cows, horses,
or sheep, or for the young of these species.  In
general, use should be avoided although older ruminants,
horses, poultry, and swine may subsist  on them  under
certain conditions.

Risks with these highly saline waters are so great  that
they cannot be recommended for use under any conditions.
                                     74

-------
    Industrial users may be severely affected through use of water that is
high in total dissolved solids for cooling or washing purposes.   Such water
may result in corrosion and encrustation of the metallic surfaces of pipes,
condensers, or other machinery parts.  However, industrial  requirements for
purity of water vary considerably (Table 33).  Examination of IDS levels
throughout most of the Little Missouri  and Belle Fourche River Basins
(Appendix B) indicates that most industrial  needs could be met in those areas
without any water treatment efforts.  However, at the downstream Belle
Fourche stations near Sturgis and in Elm Springs, Horse Creek, and the Belle
Fourche River below Moorcroft, mean annual  IDS levels tend to be in excess of
1,500 mg/1 and some form of deionization would be required for some
industrial uses.  This factor could be limiting to future industrial
advancement in these regions of the study basins.


TABLE 33.  MAXIMUM TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS CONCENTRATIONS OF SURFACE WATERS
           RECOMMENDED FOR USE AS SOURCES FOR INDUSTRIAL WATER SUPPLIES
           (Modified from U.S. Environmental  Protection Agency 1976b)
         Industry/Use                       Maximum  Concentration
                                                    (mg/1)
         Textile                                      150
         Pulp and paper                             1,080
         Chemical                                   2,500
         Petroleum                                  3,500
         Primary metals                             1,500
         Copper mining                              2,100
         Boiler makeup                             35,000
    The impact of salinity on fish and  wildlife  is  highly  variable.   Many
fish, for example, tolerate a wide range of total dissolved  solid
concentrations; the whitefish can reportedly survive  in waters  containing
TDS levels as high as 15,000 mg/1, and  the stickleback can survive,, in
concentrations up to 20,000 mg/1 (U.S.  Environmental  Protection Agency
1976b).  Reproduction and growth may be significantly affected  during stress
periods, however.  The U.S. Environmental  Protection  Agency  (1976b)  reports
that generally water systems with TDS levels in  excess of  15,000 mg/1 are
unsuitable for most freshwater fish. In the Little Missouri  and Belle
Fourche River Basins, TDS levels are well  below  this  recommended maximum
figure.

Toxic Substances

Trace Elements—
    The primary sources of trace elements  in the Little Missouri and Belle
Fourche watersheds are mine drainage and surface runoff following

                                     75

-------
thunderstorms.  A major problem area is Whitewood Creek in the Belle Fourche
Basin where pollution from the Homestake Mining Company is responsible for
high concentrations of trace elements (Riis 1977).

    Energy development may influence trace element levels in several  ways.
Reduction of water quantity from energy developments and irrigation projects
may result in increased trace element concentrations in the basin waters.
Additional trace elements, particularly iron, aluminum, manganese, cobalt,
nickel, and zinc, may be added to the river through runoff from strip mine
tailings and coal storage (Wewerka et al. 1976) or through erosion of soils
in disrupted areas.  The South Dakota Department of Natural Resources
(Riis 1977) reports that pollution from the Homestake Gold Mine produces
elevated mercury, cyanide, and arsenic levels in Whitewood Creek and the
Belle Fourche River downstream from the mine.  Pollution impact is reportedly
so severe that Whitewood Creek below the mine cannot support any beneficial
uses (Riis 1977), and the natural aquatic fauna of the stream has been
completely eliminated (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1971a).  Indirect
runoff of effluents released from evaporative ponds to ground water or
through overflow during storms also poses a significant potential water
quality threat.  Buried deposits of mine tailings, such as occur along the
Belle Fourche below Homestake Mine, leach out and contaminate local
ground-water supplies (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1971a).  Finally,
trace elements in stack emissions from existing and future coal-fired
powerplants, particularly copper, mercury, cadmium, zinc, lead, arsenic, and
selenium may be deposited in the drainage basins and can then reach the river
through runoff (Northern Great Plains Resource Program 1974).

    Total mercury concentrations in USGS surface water samples from 1970 to
1978 exceeded the EPA's recommended criterion for aquatic life (Table 29)  in
the Little Missouri River near Watford City and in all seven of the mainstem
Belle Fourche stations between the headwaters and its confluence with the
Cheyenne River.  Maximum concentrations were highest in the Belle Fourche
River near Elm Springs (9.3 yg/1) and near Sturgis (1.3 yg/1) and in the
Little Missouri River near Watford City (1.2 yg/1).  Dissolved mercury
concentrations exceeding the criterion have been reported in the Little
Missouri River near Marmarth and in the Belle Fourche Basin at the Inlet
Canal and Horse Creek sites.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(1976b) aquatic life criterion of 0.05 yg/1 for mercury in water was
established to insure safe levels in edible fish; the Belle Fourche station
near Elm Springs was also in excess of recommended EPA criteria for mercury
levels in drinking water.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1971a)
reported that flesh samples from carp in Redwater River (Belle Fourche Basin)
contained mercury levels in excess of the recommended Federal Drug
Administration standard of 0.5 ppm (yg/g).  Those beneficial uses impacted by
mercury and other trace element total levels in excess of recommended
criteria throughout the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins are
presented in Table 34.

    The excessively high mercury levels observed in the Belle Fourche River
near Elm Springs probably represent the most harmful pollutant being
discharged into Whitewood Creek from the Homestake Mine.  Although Homestake
Mine discontinued the use of mercury in its milling process in 1970
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1971a), plant effluents still contain
                                     76

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TABLE 34.  PARAMETERS EXCEEDING U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (1976b)  OR NATIONAL ACADEMY OF
           SCIENCES (1973) WATER QUALITY CRITERIA, 1970-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STATIONS IN THE
           LITTLE MISSOURI AND BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASINS
Station
Number*
Little Missouri
3516 ~
3345
3346
3350
3355
3360
3370
Belle Fourche
425?
42578
4259
4264
4265
4278
4285
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380

3346
3350
3355
3370
4380
Sulfate

DW
DM
DW
DW
DW
DW
DW

DW
DW
DW
DW
DW
DW
DW
DW
DW
DW
DW
DW
DW
Chromium



DW.AL.I
OW.AL.I
Manganese



DW
DW.l
DM,1
DW
DW.l

DW.I
DW.l

DW.l
DW.l
DW.l
DW.I





DW.l
Copper



L.I
I
Iron




DW
DW.AL.1

DW.AL.I

DW.AL.
DW.AL.I


DW.AL.I
DW.AL
DW.AL.I





DW.AL.I
Nickel



I

Cadmium**

t





DW.l

DW.AL.I
DW.AL.I


DW.l
DW.l
DW.l





DW.l
Fluoride

I

DW.L.I

Lead**







DW.AL.L

DW.AL.L
DW.AL.L


DW.AL.L
OW.AL.L
OW.AL.L





DW.AL.L
Selenium



DW
DW
Dissolved
Mercury Aluminum Oxygen Cyanide





AL

AL L.I AL

AL
AL L.I AL


AL L.I AL
AL
AL AL

AL

AL
AL DW.AL
AL AL
Molybdenum Boron
I
I
I I


Arsenic







OW.L.I












DW.l
OW.L.I






 *For full station descriptions, see Table 26.  Beneficial  use codes are designated as follows:
  AL=aquatic life, DW=drinking water, L=livestock, I=irrigation.
**Many observed concentrations are below detection range; minimum detection valuse, however,
  exceed indicated criteria.

-------
some mercury as a result of leaching out from the ore fed to the Homestake
Mill.  Furthermore, the South Dakota Department of Natural  Resources  (Riis
1977) reports that regardless of attempts to eliminate future mining
discharges, mercury contamination will  continue to be a problem because  of
high concentrations accumulated in the bottom sediments of Whitewood  Creek
and the Belle Fourche River downstream.

    In 1975, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1975a) evaluated  the
then-proposed National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)  permit
limitations for mercury and other trace element discharges from the Homestake
Mine.  Revised permit restrictions were recommended by the EPA at this time
to assure the protection of a cold-water fishery in Whitewood Creek,  and in
1976 new permit limitations were implemented (Table 35).


TABLE 35.  RECOMMENDED REVISIONS OF 1975 NPDES PERMIT LIMITATIONS FOR
           TRACE ELEMENT DISCHARGES FROM THE HOMESTAKE MINE (Robert Hagen,
           EPA, Denver, Colorado, Personal communication, 1979)
         Element                  Proposed Maximum Discharge Value
         	(ug/1)	

         Cadmium                               0.25
         Copper                                9.00
         Zi nc                                 20.00
         Chromium                            850.00
         Lead                                280.00
         Mercury                               1.00
         Nickel                             1250.00
         Silver                                1.00
         Arsenic                             380.00
         Cyanide                              20.00
    Concentrations of iron in the study area are highly variable.
Nevertheless, between 1970 and 1978 total iron levels were reported in excess
of the recommended criteria for drinking water and aquatic life at all of the
mainstem Belle Fourche stations, except near Sturgis, and in the Little
Missouri River near Watford.  Dissolved iron concentrations exceeding the
criteria have been reported at Little Beaver Creek (600 pg/1) and in the
Little Missouri River at Marmarth (5700 yg/1).  The EPA drinking water
criterion for iron was established to prevent objectionable taste and laundry
staining (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1976b).  Iron levels in the
Little Missouri River at Watford and in the Belle Fourche near Piney, below
Moorcroft, at the Wyoming-South Dakota State line, and near Elm Springs also
periodically exceeded the recommended criterion for irrigation waters.  In
particular, iron reached tremendously high concentrations at the Belle
Fourche station near Elm Springs (maximum total value = 740,000 ug/1).

                                     78

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Extremely high concentrations of iron can  be  fatal  to  aquatic  organisms.
Mine drainage, ground water, and industrial wastes  are major sources  of iron
pollution.  In the Belle Fourche Basin,  tailings  from  several  bog-iron mines
throughout the drainage area contribute  to violations  of  recommended  criteria
for iron (Riis 1977).

    Manganese concentrations were also highly variable and frequently
exceeded the recommended criteria for irrigation  and domestic  water supplies
at all the mainstem Belle Fourche River  stations, at Donkey Creek, at the
Little Missouri River sites near Medora  and Watford City, and  at Little
Beaver Creek near Marmarth, North Dakota.   High dissolved manganese
concentrations, with maximum values  ranging from  60 to 1,200 yg/1, have been
reported in Box Elder Creek, Little  Beaver Creek, and  the Little Missouri
River at Marmarth and Medora.  The 50.0  yg/1  criterion for drinking water was
established by the EPA to minimize staining of laundry and objectionable
taste effects.  These undesirable qualities of manganese may increase in
combination with even low concentrations of iron  (U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency 1976b).

    Lead was reported at levels in "excess11 of recommended drinking water,
aquatic life, and livestock criteria throughout the mainstem Belle Fourche
River and in the Little Missouri  River near Watford City.  However, there are
problems in interpretation of much of the  data on total lead as a result of
interferences in analytical methods.  In many cases, data points are  reported
as "known to be less than 100."  Since the EPA criteria for drinking  water,
aquatic life, and livestock are under this minimum  detection value, it is
impossible to determine in those cases whether recommended limits have been
exceeded or not.

    Cadmium values equal to or in excess of criteria for aquatic life,
drinking water and irrigation were frequently reported at the  same stations
that reported high lead levels.  Maximum concentrations of several trace
elements and salts, including nickel, fluoride, selenium, cyanide, arsenic,
chromium, and copper, were occasionally  in excess of recommended levels in
the Little Missouri River at Watford City  and in  the Belle Fourche River near
Sturgis and Elm Springs.  The latter two stations,  situated below the
confluence of the Belle Fourche River with Whitewood Creek, at times
contained tremendously high total  concentrations  of arsenic (maximum  value =
22,000 yg/1) and cyanide (maximum =  200  yg/1)  during the 1970-78 study
period.  During 1975, the USGS reported  dissolved and  total arsenic
concentrations were higher in the Belle  Fourche River  at Elm Springs  than at
any station in their entire National  Stream Quality Accounting Network
(Briggs and Ficke 1977).

    Aluminum levels periodically exceeded  livestock and irrigation criteria
in the Little Missouri River near Watford  City, in  Raven Creek, and in the
Belle Fourche River near Piney.  Dissolved concentrations of molybdenum and
boron have periodically exceeded irrigation criteria in the Little Missouri
Basin in Box Elder Creek, Little Beaver  Creek, and  the Little  Missouri River
at Marmarth.  A complete listing showing the  number of times parameters in
total form exceeded recommended criteria at USGS  stations throughout  the
study area, as well as the maximum value observed for  these parameters, is
included in Appendix C.
                                     79

-------
Pesticides--
    Data on pesticides in the study area are limited.  Samples  have  been
collected by the USGS in the Belle Fourche River near Elm Springs, at  the
Wyoming-South Dakota State line, and in the Little Missouri  River near
Watford City.  Maximum values of dieldrin have exceeded the  EPA criterion
established for freshwater aquatic life in the Belle Fourche River at  the
Wyoming-South Dakota State line; the 0.003 yg/1 standard was proposed  by the
EPA to prevent hazardous levels of dieldrin bioaccumulation  in  aquatic
organisms used for human food (U.S. Environmental  Protection Agency  1976b).
Maximum lindane levels that are equal to the recommended criterion for
aquatic life have been reported in the Little Missouri River at Watford City.
However, data for both Belle Fourche River stations date back to the late
1960's and early 1970's. An update of information from the Belle Fourche
River, and an expansion of stations being tested in both river  basins, is
needed before an accurate evaluation of conditions can be made.  However,  it
might be expected that additional pesticides will  be contributed to  the river
system as a result of expanding irrigation activities.

Radioactive Substances—
    Radioactive elements are being monitored by the USGS at  only two stations
in the study area:  the Belle Fourche River above Dry Creek  near Piney and at
Raven Creek near Moorcroft.  Based upon these limited data,  it  appears that
radioactive elements are not a problem in surface waters of  this region,
since concentrations are below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(1976a) Drinking Water Regulations for radionuclides (Table  36). However,
more data are necessary before a reliable assessment of radioactivity  levels
in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins can be made.
TABLE 36.  U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS
           FOR SELECTED RADIONUCLIDES (Modified from U.S. Environmental
           Protection Agency 1976a)
Radionuclide                                              Allowable Level*
	(pCi/1)

Tritium (H3)                                                  20,000

Strontium-90                                                       8

Radium-226,228 (combined)                                          5

Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)                         15


*No specific limits for allowable concentrations have been set for
 radionuclides not shown on this table.  For these, it is merely
 specified that their combined dose should not exceed 4 mrem per year
 to the whole body or to any internal organ.
                                     80

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Suspended Sediments

    Suspended sediments are those organic and mineral  materials that are
released to a watershed from a combination of channel  erosion and overland
runoff and that are maintained in suspension by turbulent currents or through
colloidal suspension.  During periods of high flow,  bank erosion is escalated
and the greater water velocities provide increased energy for scouring and
transport of sediments.  Many inorganic elements such  as trace metals are
absorbed and adsorbed onto moving sediment particles making suspended
sediments an important transport mechanism.  Sediment  levels are also
important because of their potential  impact on light penetration, water
temperature and chemical solubility,  and aquatic biota (such as abrasive
action on aquatic life or the elimination of benthic habitats and spawning
areas by settlcable solids that blanket the streambeds).  In the Belle
Fourche and Little Missouri River Basins, suspended  sediment data are
relatively sparse (Appendix B) and concentrations appear to vary
substantially from drainage to drainage.

    Suspended sediments are reported  to be the primary water pollution
problem in the Black Hills and prairie regions of the  Belle Fourche River
Basin (Riis 1977).  Interference with fish reproduction through silting-in of
gravel spawning beds is a sediment-related problem of  particular concern in
the Belle Fourche area (Riis 1977).

    In the Little Missouri River, suspended sediment concentrations are
highly variable because of the great  fluctuations in flow.   Nevertheless,
during periods of high runoff large amounts of silt  from surface erosion are
deposited throughout the river streambed.  The mean  annual  suspended sediment
discharge in the Little Missouri River at Marmarth is  112 thousand
kg/km^/yr as opposed to an annual discharge of only  50 thousand kg/km^/yr
at Alzada (South Dakota Department of Natural  Resources 1972).  This high
sediment load has a particular impact on Garrison Reservoir; silt deposits
from 1.2 to 6.1 m deep have been recorded in the lower 64 km of the Little
Missouri River behind Garrison Dam (Northern Great Plains Resource Program
1974).

Nutrients

    Nutrient levels in the study area are generally  low except during periods
of high runoff from snowmelt and storms.  In the Little Missouri  River Basin,
high phosphorus levels reported at Medora can be primarily attributed to
agricultural and rangeland-related nonpoint runoff (Missouri River Basin
Commission 1978b).  In the Belle Fourche Basin, however, there exist several
point source problem areas.  Donkey Creek is a naturally ephemeral  stream
that now flows perennially as a result of sewage discharges from the
community of Gillette, Wyoming (U.S.  Department of Interior 1974).   Whitewood
Creek in South Dakota is also impacted by raw sewage discharges from the
towns of Lead and Deadwood (Riis 1977).

    The embayment of Garrison Reservoir (Lake Sakakawea) to which the Little
Missouri River discharges has been classified as mesotrophic by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (1976c).  In that study, total phosphorus
levels from 45 to 500 yg/1 were recorded in the Little Missouri River at

                                     81

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Garrison Reservoir during the 1974-75 water year.  Keyhole Reservoir,  on  the
Belle Fourche River below Donkey Creek, has been classified by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (1977b) as eutrophic.  Of the 14 Wyoming
lakes sampled in 1975 by the National Eutrophication Survey, 4 had lower
median total phosphorus concentrations than Keyhole Reservoir.

    Since agricultural runoff and sewage are the major sources of nutrient
loadings to this area, any future irrigation projects could contribute
additional nutrients to basin waters.  Increased sewage and urban runoff, a
result of the expected population expansion from proposed irrigation projects
and energy developments, could further increase nutrient concentrations  in
the rivers if not carefully controlled.

Temperature

    Temperature is a parameter of significance to the stability of aquatic
systems.  It controls the geographical dispersal of biotic communities,  is
related to ambient concentrations of dissolved gases, and affects the
distribution of chemical solutes in lentic water bodies through the
phenomenon of stratification.  Of particular interest in the Belle Fourche
River are variations in temperature as they relate to fisheries of the area.
Changes from a cold-water to a warm-water fishery occur if temperatures  are
directly lethal to adults or fry, cause a reduction in activity, or limit
reproduction (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1976b).  There are major
trout hatcheries on Spearfish Creek and Redwater River in the Belle Fourche
Basin that could be affected by large-scale temperature increases.  However,
most streams in the Belle Fourche drainage area are intermittent, with
elevated water temperatures, and are not suitable for maintenance of a cold-
water fishery.

    In general, raw data trends for temperature in the study basins indicate
that water temperature is highest in July, August, and September and lowest
in December, January, and February.  However, water temperatures in the
Little Missouri River Basin are highly variable (Appendix.B) and subject  to
rapid change particularly in the summer months.  Elevated temperatures in the
river become a problem in the unprotected shallow pools that form as surface
flows are reduced.

Dissolved Oxygen

    Waters in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins study region
are generally well aerated (Appendix B).  The dissolved oxygen minimum
established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1976b) for
maintaining healthy fish populations is 5.0 mg/1.  Dissolved oxygen levels
from 1970 to 1978 at the USGS stations dropped below this level in three
creeks of the study area including the Little Missouri River near Watford
City (3.8 mg/1 minimum value), Belle Fourche River above Dry Creek near Piney
(4.3 mg/1 minimum), and the Belle Fourche River below Moorcroft (4.7 mg/1
minimum).  For these three sampling sites, dissolved oxygen concentrations
below the water quality standard were reported only in December and January
and most likely reflect times of ice cover.  Values below 5.0 mg/1 have  also
been noted in the hypolimnion of Garrison and Keyhole Reservoirs during  the
summer and early fall stratification periods.
                                     82

-------
    It should be noted that dissolved oxygen was not  measured  at most of the
tributaries in the Little Missouri-Belle Fourche study  area, and it  is likely
that low oxygen conditions do occur seasonally at locations  in the basins
other than the sites mentioned above.  Riis (1977)  reports oxygen depletions
also occur in Whitewood Creek below the communities of  Lead  and Deadwood
where raw sewage is discharged.

pH and Alkalinity

    The ionic composition of water and, therefore,  biological  systems are
affected by pH.  Waters in the study area are basically alkaline with pH
values usually between 7 and 9 (Appendix B).  The only  exceptions to this
range were a few stations in the Little Missouri and  Belle Fourche Basins
where minimum pH levels occasionally reached 6.6 to 6.9 and  in the Belle
Fourche River at Elm Springs where a maximum value  of 10.2 was reported.

    Alkalinity is a measure of the ability of water to  resist  change in pH as
a result of the addition of acids.  It is influenced  primarily by carbonate
and bicarbonate but may also be affected by phosphates, hydroxides,  and other
substances to a lesser degree (Briggs and Ficke 1977).   Waters in the study
area are well buffered, and mean alkalinity values  were greater than 100 mg/1
throughout both basins.  In general, alkalinity mean  values  in the Little
Missouri River (Appendix B) were much higher than in  the Belle Fourche Basin.
However, data from USGS stations in the Little Missouri Basin  are much less
complete than in the Belle Fourche drainage, and this apparent difference in
chemical composition most probably reflects the inconsistency  of sampling
frequencies between the two basins.


IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT ON GROUND WATER

Ambient Levels

    Ground water in the shallow sandstone and alluvial  aquifers along major
streams in the Northern Great Plains area is of fair  to poor quality because
of high concentrations of dissolved solids.  The Missouri River Basin
Commission (1978b) indicates that mean TDS concentrations of 1,000 to 5,000
mg/1 are typical for water from the shallow aquifers  in northeastern Wyoming.
Water of this salinity is generally considered of marginal or  unsuitable
quality for human consumption.  However, in the Little  Missouri  and  Belle
Fourche River Basins the chemical quality of ground water is a factor that
must be considered in coordination with an evaluation of the supply.
Although ground-water resources in this region have most commonly been used
for stock and domestic purposes, many people in the study area drink water
with TDS concentrations in excess of 1,000 mg/1  because nothing else is
available (Wyoming State Engineers Office 1973).  In  the more  arid plains
regions of the basins, where surface water supplies are largely intermittent,
ground water is considered the single most important  natural resource.

    Local  ground-water quality variations (Table 37)  result  from differences
in water sources and soil permeability (Northern Great  Plains  Resource
Program 1974).  The more shallow alluvial  aquifers  respond more rapidly to
contamination of surface and near-surface waters than do the deeper  bedrock

                                     83

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    TABLE 37.  A PARTIAL LISTING OF GROUND-WATER SOURCES IN NORTHEASTERN WYOMING
               (Modified from Wyoming State Engineers Office 1973)
00

Geologic Period
Quarternary
Tertiary

Cretaceous







Jurassic
Triassic
Pennsylvanian
Aquifer/Formati
Sand and gravel
Wasatch
Fort Union
Lance
Fox Hills
Mesaverde
Cody
Frontier
Cl overly or Inyan
Kara or lakota or
Dakota
Sundance
Spearfish
Tensl eep/Amsden or
on
(unconsoli dated)
(sandstone)
(sandstone)
(sandstone)
(sandstone)
(sandstone)
(sandstone)
(sandstone)



(sandstone)
(sandstone)

Casper or Minneluska
Ordovician
Cambri an
Precambrian
Bighorn
Fl athead
Granite



Depth
3
12
46
46
61
12
30
21


76
122
6

73
0
20
<1
Range of Wells
(m)
30
- 305
- 183
- 366
- 701
- 914
- 335
- 610


- 1,829
- 213
- 274

- 1 ,981
61
- 1,798
5
TDS Range
(rag/1 )
106
160
484
450
1,240
550
6,392
390


218
894


255
427
124

- 3,340
- 6,620
- 3,250
- 3,060
- 3,290
- 34,793*
- 12,580
- 25,000*


- 18,706*
- 2,310
2,590

- 200,000*
- 3,219*
- 18,634*
63

    *Values from oil test waters

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(consolidated materials) aquifers.  Water in the deeper aquifers,  however,
deteriorates with increasing depth as a result of gradual  leaching of ions
through the formation (Northern Great Plains Resource Program 1974).   Since
only limited data are available from wells in the study area, a  complete,
reliable water quality appraisal  of the area is not  possible at  this  time.
The variability in quality of principal  ground-water aquifers in the  study
area, however, is shown in Table 38.  It appears that the  range  of TDS values
for the shallow aquifers is characteristic of shallow bedrock and  alluvial
aquifers (Missouri River Basin Commission 1978b). The chemical  quality of
water in the deeper Minneluska aquifer (found at depths greater  than  1,500 m)
is more variable; nevertheless, its mean TDS values  of 22,000 mg/1  and
conductivity from 10,000 to 20,000 ymho/cm (Missouri River Basin Commission
1978a) reflect its generally brackish nature.  A more complete presentation
of the availability and quality of ground water in the Little Missouri and
Belle Fourche River Basins in northeastern Wyoming is presented  on Table 39.

Man's Impact

    Water quality problems associated with mining include  acidity, increased
salt content, higher heavy metal  concentrations, and greater sediment loads
(Warner 1974).  Mines remain pollution sources even  after  closure, further
complicating pollution control.

    The current and proposed mining developments in  the Little Missouri  and
Belle Fourche River Basins could impact ground water in several  ways.  The
removal of overburden during mining and its replacement for land reclamation
expose additional minerals to oxidation and solution with  resultant
deterioration of ground-water quality (Missouri  River Basin Commission
1978b).  One problem is contamination of ground water by infiltration from
mining operations.  This effect could ultimately impact nearby intermittent
streams since water that infiltrates through the spoils materials  into
shallow aquifers eventually emerges as ground-water  discharges into streams.
The chemical composition of the coal bed, overlying rock strata,  and
surrounding soil types all greatly influence the nature and extent of
ground-water contamination (Harza Engineering Company 1976).  A  second
problem involves disturbance of saline and sodium-rich soils in  the study
area to a sufficient degree that leaching of salts to the  ground-water
aquifers is substantially increased.  Road construction is a secondary impact
related to mining activities that has particularly contributed to  surface
disturbance and resultant salinity problems in the mine-sensitive  soils  of
eastern Montana and Wyoming (North Great Plains Resource Program 1974).
                                    85

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TABLE 38.  CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A NUMBER OF GROUND-HATER AQUIFERS IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI
           AND BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASINS, WYOMING AND SOUTH DAKOTA (Modified from Wyoming State
           Engineers Office 1972, and Riis 1977)
Mean Parameter Concentrations
(mq/1)
Formation
Type
Alluvium
CT> Hasatch
Fort Union
Lance
Fox Mills
Inyan Kara
Minneluska
Pahasapa
Dakota
«of
Samples
16
17
19
12
4
28
25
4

Silica
16
12
9
12
10
9
8
12
19
Iron
2.1
2.1
1.6
1.8
0.2
1.3
0.3
0.03
30
Manganese
0.5
0.1
0.03
0.1
--
0.1
—
—
10
Calcium
134
124
75
99
29
58
648
226
8
Magnesium
48
87
31
30
13
19
178
34
3
Sodium
230
255
421
402
654
168
14
19
1.800
Potassium
9
6
6
4
4
5
8
4
8
Bicarbonate
398
457
894
612
749
922
377
216
1,500
Sul fate
646
783
453
673
958
328
2.330
446
19
Chloride
19
13
18
30
191
1,388
11.518
116
1.900
Fluoride
0.4
0.6
1.3
0.9
0.4
0.4
2.0
0.4
2.4 6
Boron
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.2
0.4
0.2
0.1
0.1
.600
TOS
1,352
1.630
1,483
1,618
2,432
3,592
22,621
988
4.510

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       TABLE  39.    AVAILABILITY  AND QUALITY  OF  GROUND WATtR  BY  BASIII  AND  TIME-ROCK  UNIT  IN  NORTHEASTERN
                        WYOMING  (Modified  from Wyoming  State Engineers Office  1972)	
               Quarternary Aquifers
          Tertiary Aquifers
     Pre-Tcrtlary Aquifers
00
                                                   LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER DRAINAGE AREA (POWDER RIVER BASIN-EAST)
       Flood  plain alluvium of the Little
       Missouri River and tributaries contains
       relatively shallow aquifers,  and small
       well yields are reported. The water Is
       very hard, contains relatively high
       concentrations of Iron, and Is moderately
       to highly mineralized.  The Little
       Missouri River flows across the Skull
       Creek  shale In much of the area, which
       probably Influences the mineral content
       of the ground water In the alluvium.
The Tullock sandstone of the Fort Union Formation
1s present  In a very small part of the study area,
along the county line between Campbell and Crook
Counties and south of the Little Missouri River.
The extremely local presence of this unit and the
absence of  other Tertiary units Implies that the
Tertiary Is not significant In this area, even
though the  Tullock does yield water to a few
stock and domestic wells.

(Note:  A small part of the area Is In-the region
of the Black Hills uplift).
In areas where the Lance Formation Is exposed
(western part of the study area), wells can
usually obtain small amounts of water from
relatively shallow depths (61 m).  Water
from the Lance may be soft, but highly
mineralized.  The Fox Hills sandstone will
yield small amounts of water to wells probably
of similar quality as found In the Lance.

In the valley of the Little Missouri River,
wells are drilled 38 to 91+ m Into the Inyan
Kara.  A high TDS content would be expected.

The availability of ground water In older
(deeper) aquifers would be similar to the
Belle Fourche River drainage area.
                                         BELLE FOURCHE  RIVER DRAINAGE AREA (POWDER RIVER BASIN-EAST AND BLACK HILLS UPLIFT)
       Flood plain alluvium yields small supplies
       to wells.  The water Is used mostly for
       stock and  domestic purposes, rarely for
       Irrigation.  Permeable beds In  the
       alluvium are relatively thin and of
       small areal extent.

       Ground water In the alluvium generally Is
       very hard, has a high concentration of
       Iron, and  Is moderately to highly
       mineralized.  The chemical character
       of the water differs and Is greatly
       Influenced by the bedrock underlying the
       alluvium.
West of the uplift, the Uasatch Formation yields small
to moderate amounts of water to wells from depths of
29 to 104 m. The water has a considerable range of TDS
concentration and hardness.  Iron  Is locally found In
objectionable quantities.

The Fort Union Formation yields water from depths of
152 to 914* m.  Water quality varies; the water Is
moderately to highly mineralized and usually (but not
always) hard.  Iron Is present In  low concentrations.
Cretaceous and older formations  crop out on the
uplift and disappear to the west,  dipping under
the Tertiary cover in the Powder River Basin.

Small yields are reported from depths of 46 to 61
m In the Lance Formation near the  outcrop.  The
water Is not as highly mineralized as that from
the Fort Union.  The Fox Hills sandstone yields
water to a well In the vicinity  of Gillette.
The depth of this well Is approximately 1U67 m.
A sample of the water was found  to be very soft,
to have 1,150 mg/1 TOS, and 8 mg/l fluoride.
There Is a great thickness of shale underlying
the Fox Hills, and other aquifers  are found some
914 to 1,524* m deeper In the geologic basin.

These same aquifers outcrop In the uplift and
yield water from relatively shallow depths In
the eastern part of the area. Numerous wells
have been drilled Into the Inyan Kara and yield
small amounts of water from depths of 49 to 305 m.
                                                                                                                                              (Continued)

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                                                                     TABLE  39.    (Continued)
                Ouarternary Aquifers
Tertiary Aquifers
Pre-Tertlary Aquifers
CO
CO
                                                 Wells 1n the valley of the Belle Fourche Klver
                                                 commonly flow.  Jurassic and Trlasslc sandstones
                                                 also yield  small  amounts of water to wells.
                                                 Hater from  the  Inyan Kara may contain
                                                 troublesome amounts of Iron.  Mater from
                                                 Jurassic and Trlasslc sandstones commonly are
                                                 highly mineralized, although water from the
                                                 Hulett sandstone  locally has a low TDS content.

                                                 In the uplift area the Hlnneluska Formation
                                                 yields water from depths approaching 213 m.
                                                 The water Is very hard and has a low TDS
                                                 content. West  of the uplift. In the vicinity
                                                 of Gillette, depth to the aquifer Is 2,743 m
                                                 and the water has a TDS content of 3,000 to
                                                 13,000 mg/1.

                                                 The Pahasapa yields large amounts of water to
                                                 wells, at least locally.  A large filming well
                                                 reportedly  was  constructed at Osage, while a
                                                 well 234 m  deep at Sundance was abandoned
                                                 after penetrating 53 m of Pahasapa.  Large
                                                 yields are  obtained from fissured or cavernous
                                                 limestone.   Depth to the limestone 1s about
                                                 366* m In the Belle Fourche River valley on
                                                 the uplift  and  Increases rapidly towards the
                                                 west and southwest.

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                9.  ASSESSMENT UF ENERGY  RESOURCE  DEVELOPMENT
IMPACT ON WATER QUANTITY

    In the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri  River  Basins,  surface  water
availability is expected to be a major factor limiting  growth  and development
patterns, including development of energy resources.  Surface  water supplies
in both basins are highly erratic and vary substantially  from  season to
season and from year to year.  In the Belle Fourche River,  it  is estimated
that 107 million m^/yr of water is available for reapportionment.   Most of
this is presently committed to agricultural  users.  In  the  Little Missouri
River, there is no known estimate on the quantity of  water  annually available
for consumption by authorized users.  Predictable surface flows occur only
during the early spring as a result of snowmelt, and  virtually all  this water
is committed to irrigation and stock usage.  During the summer months the
river becomes essentially a dry bed interspersed with small  evaporation
ponds.

    In the Belle Fourche Basin, the Keyhole and  Belle Fourche  Reservoirs have
tended to normalize the effects of the unpredictable  surface flows, but these
do not totally eliminate the impact of a drought year on  regional surface
water resources.  Energy development, particularly  surface  mining and the
subsequent conversion of coal into electricity,  requires  enormous amounts of
water.  Large quantities of water are also needed for reclamation projects  to
restore mined areas and for planned transportation  of coal  out of the
vicinity if coal slurry line is used.  This fact is significant since many  of
the streams in the coal-rich area of the Belle Fourche  watershed around
Gillette, Wyoming, are dry much of the year.   In both basins,  ground-water
supplies play a major role in supplementing surface flows during seasons of
low precipitation and, in fact, are the major source  of water  used  by the
energy development activities that are already ongoing.  However, increases
in mining and conversion activities in the basins will  prevent this source
from providing any large-scale cushion to surface water diversions  for an
extended period of time and may also impact the  quality of  shallow  aquifers
to the point that available water is unacceptable for most  beneficial uses.

    It is sometimes assumed that all water not otherwise  consumed is
available for diversion and energy utilization.   This attitude overlooks the
many ecological needs for the "unused" water:  instream flow maintenance for
the preservation of critical wetlands and riparian  habitats, conservation of
the native environment of endangered species,  etc.  The Little Missouri River
in North Dakota has been designated a State scenic  and  recreational river and
the maintenance of instream flows in that area is of  particular importance,
although the need is complicated by the fact that it  is not really  known how
much water is reliably available in the river  from  year to  year.  It is clear

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that in both basins the development of additional  storage facilities,  and
perhaps diversion of water from the Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers  through
aqueducts, will be necessary in the future to assure that sufficient water
will be available to meet anticipated energy development, irrigation,  and
recreational demands.
IMPACT ON WATER QUALITY

    Surface water quality in the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri  River
Basins is highly variable.  Tributaries throughout much of the study region
are ephemeral, and in these areas water quality is dependent on seasonal
variations in the primary source of flow (whether ground water or
precipitation) and the quantity of discharge.  In general, water quality  is
adequate for most irrigation, livestock watering, municipal, and industrial
needs of the region.  There exist, however, geographically localized problem
areas, as well as some specific parameters that are of concern throughout the
entire study basin.

    At present, salinity levels are a major concern to the basins.   During
low discharge periods, flow in the Little Missouri River and in the Belle
Fourche River above Keyhole Reservoir is largely from ground-water-discharges
that are usually high in salt content.  In the Little Missouri River, this
saline base flow, combined with high evaporation rates in numerous  small
ponds created by the intermittent summer discharge, often results in TDS
levels that are prohibitive to most beneficial uses.  Mining activities
around Gillette, as well as Wyoming oil field operations, contribute to
elevated salt concentrations, particularly chloride, sodium, and sulfate, in
the upper Belle Fourche River.  Sodium absorption ratios are commonly
reported in excess of acceptable limits for irrigation in the Little Missouri
Basin during low flow periods.  Frequently these highly saline waters are the
only source available for both livestock and human consumption during the low
discharge summer months.

    Sediment loading is a problem in some parts of the study area,  especially
in the Black Hills and prairie regions of the Belle Fourche Basin where
suspended sediments are considered the primary water pollution problem (Riis
1977).  Increases in sediment-related problems can be expected as a result of
growing resource development in the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri Basins,
particularly around Gillette, Wyoming, where expanded mining activities are
expected.  Any future industrial and agricultural projects will intensify
problems with erosion through construction activities, transport roads, and
removal of overburden for mining.  In the Belle Fourche Basin, high sediment
loading is of special concern because of its impact on fish reproduction; in
the Little Missouri Basin, sediment loading is more variable because of the
natural flow fluctuations but nevertheless has had a great impact on Garrison
Reservoir.

    Some increases in nutrient and trace element concentrations can also  be
expected as a result of flow reductions associated with energy development
activities in the study area.  Population expansion and accompanying
construction could further increase nutrient loading to the rivers  if not

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carefully controlled.  Nutrient concentrations,  and  associated  oxygen
reduction, are already a problem in Donkey Creek,  because  of  sewage
discharges from the energy area of Gillette,  and in  Whitewood Creek,  which
receives discharges from the Homestake Gold Mine.  Trace element
concentrations are also already extremely high in  the  Belle Fourche River
below the Homestake Mine, and increases resulting  from mining or  coal
conversion facilities could have an acute impact on  beneficial  utilization  of
that river.  The effect of the planned energy developments on temperature,
pH, and alkalinity are not expected to be substantial  and will, in  all
probability, be a result of reduced flows or  hydrological modifications
produced by supplemental reservoir construction.

    The quality of ground water in the basins is fair  to poor because of  high
concentrations of dissolved solids.  Much of  the low-quality  water  is natural
to the basins, with dissolved solids and the  major ions leaching  into the
ground-water systems from the overlying shale.   However, energy developments
can intensify the problem.  In addition to reducing  the ground-water  levels
to supplement variable surface water flows, contamination of  the  aquifers is
possible.
                                    91

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            10.  RECOMMENDED WATER QUALITY MONITORING PARAMETERS


    An objective of water quality monitoring in the Little Missouri  and Belle
Fourche River Basins should be to assess the impact of energy resource
development, irrigation projects, and associated developments.  Toward this
end a determination of those parameters that will provide meaningful  data is
needed.  In this report, the nature and type of possible pollutants  from the
major activities in the basins were inventoried.  The possible effects of
these, as well as those parameters that are already being monitored,  were
reviewed and a proposed priority list of parameters of interest in the Little
Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins was prepared.


PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS

    The selection of water quality parameters that should be routinely
monitored in the Little Missouri-Belle Fourche study area is not obvious.
Physical data provide information on water temperatures, quantities  (flow),
osmotic pressures (salinity, conductivity), suspended sediment, and  other
factors that affect both the biota and the chemistry.  The utility of these
data must be considered when selecting parameters for measurement.
Similarly, the ambient level of a chemical, its effect upon the biota, and
interactions with other chemicals present must be known if a cost-effective
monitoring network is to be implemented.

    Knowledge of the substrate composition is also essential to provide a
thorough assessment of environmental pollution.  Many organic and inorganic
pollutants are adsorbed onto sediment particles or organic debris.  Other
pollutants, such as iron, may form flocculants or precipitates or may sink of
their own accord.  These materials may be deposited in areas of slow-moving
water or left as evaporites in the dry washes of the area.  They may,
however, be resuspended during periods of erosion or be released as  dissolved
constituents following a change in environmental conditions.  The deposited
sediments, therefore represent both a pollutant sink and a potential  pollution
source.

    As a means of identifying and setting priorities for those parameters
most appropriate for monitoring energy development, each potential pollutant
previously addressed is evaluated in terms of the projected impact on ambient
water quality with respect to beneficial water use criteria.  Also evaluated
are those "indicator parameters" that, although not in themselves pollutants,
either provide a direct or indirect measurement of environmental  disturbances
or are required for the interpretation of other water quality data.   The
following symbols are used for identifying those beneficial water uses
affected by existing or projected increases in parameter ambient levels:


                                     92

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         Symbol                   Beneficial  Water Uses

            I           =         Irrigation

            D           =         Drinking water (public water supplies)

            A           =         Aquatic life and wildlife

            W           =         Industrial  uses

            L           =         Livestock drinking


   Three priority classifications are developed based  on criteria given
below.  These are:

       • Priority I  (Must Monitor Parameters), which  should be collected
         regularly at energy development assessment monitoring stations
         (Table 40).

       • Priority II  (Major Interest Parameters), which would be desirable
         to monitor in addition to Priority I  parameters if resources  permit
         (Table 41).

       • Priority III  (Minor Interest Parameters), which are presently
         being monitored by the existing network but which will  provide
         little useful data for monitoring energy development impacts  on
         water quality in the Little Missouri  and Belle Fourche River  Basins
         (Table 42).

    This classification represents an attempt to: (1)  identify those
parameters that will be most effective in monitoring the impact of energy
development in the Little Missouri and Belle  Fourche River Basins; and (2)
permit the detection of increases in parameter levels  that may be deleterious
to designated beneficial water uses.*  This classification scheme is not
intended to preclude monitoring of low priority or unmentioned parameters for
special studies or for purposes other than assessment  of energy development
impact.  Neither does it require the elimination of those parameters already
being collected for baseline data that are very inexpensive to monitor.  The
priorities do not attempt to address sampling frequency.  However, monitoring
frequencies are discussed briefly in Section  11 and will be addressed  in
greater detail in subsequent documents in this energy  series.

    Parameters for use in the rapid detection  of short-duration events such
as spills, monitoring for permit discharge purposes, and intensive survey or
*A11 assessments relative to beneficial  water  uses  are  based  on  U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (1976b)  criteria  or drinking  water
regulations (U.S. Environmental  Protection  Agency 1975b).   In those cases
where EPA established criteria have not  presently been  defined,   National
Academy of Science (1973) recommended criteria are  used.

                                    93

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      TABLE  40.    PRIORITY  I,  MUST  MONITOR PARAMETERS FOR  THE ASSESSMENT OF  ENERGY  DEVELOPMENT  IMPACT ON
                     WATER  QUALITY  IN  THE  LITTLE MISSOURI  AND BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASINS
        Parametert
                              Primary Reason for Monitoring
Category and Beneficial
   Water Use Codett
vo
        Alkalinity, total
          (as CaCOa)

        Aluminum, total
        Arsenic, total
        Bicarbonate Ion
        Biological oxygen demand
          of sediments, 5 dayt

        Boron, total
        Cadmium, total
        Carbon, total organic
          In sedimentst

        Calcium, dissolved
        Chloride

        Chromium, totalt
        Specific conductance,
          at 25°C
Needed for Interpretation of Mater quality data.                                              1


Periodically exceeded recommended criteria for Irrigation and livestock In Belle Fourche River
above Moorcroft and In Little Missouri River near Watford City.                                 21,L

Periodically exceeded recommended levels for drinking water, livestock, and Irrigation In Belle
Fourche River below WMtewood Creek and In Little Missouri River near Watford City.  Dissolved
values exceeding criteria have been reported In Belle Fourche River near Sturgls;  may Increase
near gasification sites.                                                                   20,I,L; 30,I,L

Important anlon In the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche Rivers, may be affected by energy
development.                                                                             4

Measure of pollution Increases In the basins, sediment serves as an 1ntegrat1ve accumulator.       4


Dissolved form exceeded Irrigation criterion In Box Elder and Little Beaver Creeks and Little
Missouri River at Marmarth.                                                                21

Reported In excess of criteria for drinking water, Irrigation, and aquatic life throughout Belle
Fourche Basin and 1n Little Missouri River at Watford City. Levels may Increase at future
gasification sites.                                                                       2A.D.1; 3A.D.I

Provides Indlctlon of organic contamination, many elements and compounds are preferentially
absorbed Into organic debris.                                                               4

Dominant cation 1n Belle Fourche River below Keyhole Reservoir, may be affected by energy
development.                                                                             4

Increased levels anticipated from mine spoil drainage.                                         3D,I

Levels reported In excess of drinking water, aquatic life and Irrigation criteria In Little
Missouri River near Watford City, and Belle Fourche River near Elm Springs.                      2A.D.I

Useful Indicator of TOS, affects overall water chemistry.                                      4
       tUnmarked  parameters  are determined  in  water samples  only;  marked parameters include  both  water
         samples and  bottom sediments,  unless specified  for bottom  sediments only.
      ttFor full  explanation of category codes,  see Section  10.
                                                                                                                              (Continued)

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                                                                   TABLE  40.    (Continued)
           Parameter!
                                                              Primary Reason for Monitoring
                                                                                           Category and Beneficial
                                                                                               Water Use Code
to
en
Copper, total


Cyanide, totalt



Dissolved oxygen


Flow

Fluoride



Iron, totalt


Lead, totalt


Magnesium, dissolved!

Manganese, total


Mercury, totalt



Molybdenum, total


Nickel, total


Nltrate-nltrlte-N

Pesticides
Exceeded  Irrigation water criterion 1n Belle Fourche River at Elm Springs, and Irrigation and
livestock criteria 1n Little Missouri River near Watford City.                                    21,L

Exceeded  criterion for aquatic life In Belle Fourche River at WY-SD State line and  below
Whltewood Creek; exceeded drinking Mater criterion as well In Belle Fourche near Sturgls.
May Increase near future gasification sites.                                                     2A.O; 3A.O

Necessary for maintenance of aquatic life and affects water chemistry; at some stations In
study area, levels have been less than the EPA criterion for aquatic life.                         1; 2A; 4

Needed for Interpretation of water quality data.                                                  1

Reported  In excess of drinking water, livestock, and Irrigation criteria 1n Little  Missouri
River near Watford City.  Dissolved values exceeding Irrigation criterion have been reported
In Little Beaver Creek.                                                                         2D.I.L

Levels have frequently exceeded recommended criteria for aquatic  life, drinking water, and
Irrigation throughout the study basins, may Increase with expanding mining activities.              2A.O.I; 3A.D.I

Exceeded  drinking water, livestock, and aquatic life criteria In  both basins.  May  Increase
near future gasification sites.                                                                  2A,D,L; 3A.D.L

Important cation 1n study area, may be affected by energy development.                             4

Commonly  exceeded criteria for drinking water and Irrigation In both basins.  May be
Increased by gasification.                                                                      20,1; 30,1

Frequently exceeded EPA criterion for aquatic life throughout both basins; extremely high
value (9.3 ug/1) exceeding drinking water criterion reported In Little Missouri River at
Elm Springs.  Possible contribution from future powerplants and gasification plants.               2A,D; 3A.D; 4

Dissolved form reported In excess of Irrigation water criterion 1n Little Missouri  River at
Narmarth.                                                                                      21

Exceeded  Irrigation criterion 1n Little Missouri River near Watford City.  Could be Increased
near gasification sites.                                                                        21

Primary nutrient, expected to Increase, could approach health limits 1n the future.                3D, L

Maximum levels of dleldrln have exceeded EPA criterion for aquatic life In Belle Fourche River
at WY.-SD  State line, maximum llndane levels have exceeded aquatic life criterion In Little
Missouri  River near Watford City.  Increasing agricultural activity may lead to further Increases
In pesticides/herbicides In the basins.                                                          2A; 3A.D
       tUnmarked parameters are determined  in water samples  only;  marked  parameters  include  both  water
         samples  and  bottom  sediments.
                                                                                                                                        (Continued)

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                                                                   TABLE  40.    (Continued)
                                                                                                                            Category and Beneficial
         Parametert                                                Primary Reason for Monitoring                                  Water Use Code


         Petroleum hydrocarbons       Can be expected to Increase throughout the basin.                                               3A.D
           (Includes benzine, toluene,
           oil  and grease, napthalene,
           phenols, oleflns, thlophenes,
           and  cresols)

         pH                         Need for Interpretation of water quality data.                                                  1;  4

         Phosphorus, totalt          Primary nutrient contributing to algae and macrophyte growth, expected to Increase.                4

         Potassium, dissolved-        Important cation In study area, may be affected by energy development.                            4

         Selenium, totalt            Exceeded drinking Mater criterion In Little Missouri River near Watford City and Irrigation
                                    criterion as well In Belle Fourche River at Elm Springs.  Levels may Increase around future
                                    coal-fired powerplants from stack emissions.                                                    20,I; 3D,I

         Sodium,  dissolved           Major cation In Belle Fourche River above Keyhole Reservoir, Increased levels anticipated
                                    from mine spoil drainage and Increased use of water conditions.

         Sulfate, dissolved          Dominant anlon throughout both basins; commonly exceeded EPA criterion for drinking water
                                    throughout study area; may be affected by energy development.                                    20; 4
10
°^       Suspended sediments          Major transport mechanism. Indicator parameter, expected to Increase with energy development.       I; 3A,I; 4

         Temperature                 Needed for Interpretation of water quality data, could Increase with development.                  1; 3A; 4

         Total  dissolved solids       Indicator parameter; downstream salinity problems anticipated with Increasing Irrigation and
                                    energy development.                                                                           20,1; 3D,I; 4



        tUnmarked  parameters are  determined  in water  samples  only;  marked  parameters include  both

         water samples  and  bottom sediments.

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     TABLE 41.  PRIORITY  II,  PARAMETERS OF MAJOR  INTEREST FOR  THE  ASSESSMENT  OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IMPACT
                  ON WATER  QUALITY  IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI AND BELLE  FOURCHE  RIVER BASINS
       Parameter t
                                                   Primary Reason for Monitoring
                                                                              Category and Beneficial
                                                                                 Water Use Codett
vo
BOD, 5 day
COD, 1w level
Total hardness, CaC03

Kjeldahl-N. total
Sediment size distribution
Turbidity
May provide basic Information on Increased pollution.                                      7
May provide an Indication of pollution by oxygen consuming substances.                        7
Of Interest to both Industry and public, not a problem at present, but may became so In certain
areas as water consumption and Irrigation runoff Increase.                                  6D,I,M; 7
Primary nutrient, expected to Increase with development.                                    7
Provides data on stream velocity, stream habitat, sediment sources.                           7
Easy to measure, provides quick data about suspended sediment, etc.                           7
      tParameters (except for sediment size  distribution)  are determined  in water samples  only.
     ttFor full explanation  of category codes, see Section 10.

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VO
00
    TABLE 42.  PRIORITY III, PARAMETERS OF MINOR INTEREST THAT WILL PROVIDE LITTLE USEFUL DATA FOR THE
               ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IMPACT ON WATER QUALITY IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI AND BELLE
               FOURCHE RIVER BASINS
Parameter t
Beryllium, total
Barium, dissolved
Carbonate
Cobolt, dissolved
Silica
Gallium, dissolved
Germanium, dissolved
Lithium, total
N1trate-N\
NHrate-H/
Nitrogen, total
Phosphorus, dissolved
ortho
Sediment mineralogy
Silver, total
Strontium, dissolved
Tin, dissolved
Titanium, dissolved
Vanadium, dissolved
Z1nc, total
Zirconium, dissolved
Primary Reason for Monitoring
Recorded values very low (maximum 10 wg/1).
Difficult to measure, does not approach critical limits (maximum water sample 300 wg/1. maximum
In sediments 800 wg/1).
Generally low levels In basins, usually of little significance In alkaline waters. Levels
moderate In basins (maximum 300 wg/1), has few adverse effects at high levels.
Levels moderate In basins (maximum 300 vg/1), has few adverse effects at high levels.
Generally low throughout basins.
Values low (maximum 7 wg/1).
Values low (maximum 40 pg/1).
Values range from low to moderate (maximum 320 ug/1) total form, 300 pg/1 dissolved form).
Monitored simultaneously by M02-N03- If NO?- N03-N levels begin to approach 10,000 pg/1
then the N02 form would become a "must monitor" priority for health reasons.
Provides little practical Information.
Total phosphorus considered best measure of potential phosphorus available for biological
utilization.
-.- *».*•
May provide sediment source data.
Total form never measured, dissolved values very low (maximum 3 Mg/1).
Strontium levels high In Belle Fourche River (maximum 6,700 wg/1)
but has Uttle biological effect.
Very low levels (maximum. 30 ug/1). few adverse effects.
Reported values low (maximum 25 wg/1)'
Reported values very low (maximum 40 ug/1).
Values low to moderate (maximum 1,900 pg/1).
Reported values very low (maximum 7 pq/1).
Category and Beneficial
Water Use Codett
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
     tparameters are (except for sediment minerology)  determined  in water samples  only.
    TTFor full  explanation of category codes,  see Section 10.

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research projects are not considered in this report.   These concerns are
important and should not be neglected,  but they require considerations that
are beyond the scope of this report.

    The reasons for monitoring each parameter listed  on Tables 40-42 are
categorized by the following classification scheme:

Priority I - Must Monitor Parameters

    1.  Parameters essential for the interpretation of water quality
        data.  This consideration includes parameters such as temperature,
        pH, and flow, which are necessary to determine loadings,  chemical
        equilibria, biological response, or other factors  affecting other
        parameters.
    2,
        Parameters presently commonly exceeding  existing water quality
        criteria.  Consideration is of EPA water quality criteria for
        beneficial water uses (see codes presented  earlier).   In  cases where
        EPA criteria have not yet been defined,  criteria recommended  by the
        National  Academy of Sciences (1973)  are  used.

    3.  Parameters expected to increase to levels exceeding water quality
        criteria unless extreme care is taken.   This category includes
        organic chemical compounds that are  expected to  be present in future
        discharges from energy developments  and  that could reach  lethal,
        mutagenic, or carcinogenic levels unless extreme care is  taken.  The
        beneficial use symbols for water quality criteria expected to be
        exceeded are used here.

    4.  Parameters that are useful  "trace" or "indicator" parameters.  These
        include parameters that, although not causing  substantial  impact to
        the aquatic environment themselves,  are  used to  define pollution
        sources, estimate other parameters of concern, or provide general
        data on the overall quality of the water-  An  example would be
        conductivity, which provides an estimate of TDS  levels.

    5.  Parameters expected to be altered by energy development activities  so
        as to present a threat to a rare or  endangered species.   These
        include parameters that do not normally  affect aquatic life at
        encountered levels but that as a result  of  unique circumstances, may
        affect a threatened or endangered species.  In the Little" Missouri
        and Belle Fourche River Basins, this category  situation is not
        presently known to exist.

Priority II - Major Interest Parameters

    6.  Potential pollutants of concern.  This category  includes  parameters
        whose reported levels in the Little  Missouri and Belle Fourche River
        Basins are presently within acceptable limits  for beneficial  water
        uses but whose ambient levels could  be altered by planned regional
        developments to levels that impair those uses.  This  differs  from
        category 3 in that, while category 3 parameters  are expected  to

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        produce problems (either environmental  or abatement/disposal),
        category 6 are those which might be a problem only if unrestricted
        development were permitted.

    7.  Marginal "trace" or "indictor" parameters.  These are parameters  that
        may be used to provide general data on  overall quality of the water,
        to locate pollutant source areas, or to estimate other parameters.
        Such parameters are not presently routinely monitored, or they
        provide little advantage over other measurements being made.

Priority III - Minor Interest Parameters

    8.  Parameters that are present at very low levels and are unlikely
        to be significantly changed by planned  regional  development,  that are
        fairly easily monitored but have little  effect on beneficial water
        uses at encountered levels, or that provide little useful  data  for
        monitoring energy or other development.  Many of these parameters are
        currently being monitored on a regular  basis in the Little Missouri-
        Belle Fourche River study area;  however, for purposes of monitoring
        energy impact development, these parameters are not necessary.

    Priorities are arranged alphabetically within Tables 40-42.  The  order  of
their appearance is not intended to suggest a ranking of relative importance.

    Although frequency of measurement is not addressed by the priority
listings, whenever possible at least monthly collection is recommended  for
most water quality parameters.  Standard analytical techniques should be
utilized, and the data should be processed and  entered into data bases  as
soon as possible after collection.  It should be stressed that changing
conditions within the study area may cause some changes in the priority
listings, especially addition of currently unmonitored compounds for  which
little data are available.

    Analysis of bottom sediment samples on an annual or semiannual basis
should be performed.  Total organic carbon, BOD, grain size, and elemental
data should be determined.  Sediments from Keyhole Reservoir should also  be
sampled and analyzed on a regular basis.  Because extensive organic
extractions and analyses from sediment samples  are expensive, it is not
recommended that analysis for specific toxic organic compounds be performed
on a routine basis.  These analyses should be performed as special studies
rather than on a routine monitoring basis at the present time.  Bottom
sediment parameters of interest are included on Table 40.  Priority ranking
of parameters for sediment samples followed the same considerations used  in
establishing priorities for the water column.
BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

    The collection of biological data in the Little Missouri  and Belle
Fourche River Basins would be an effective complementary tool  for assessing
the impact of energy or irrigation development.  Biological  investigations


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are of special  significance in water quality monitoring programs because they
offer a means of identifying areas affected by pollution and. assessing the
degree of stress from relatively small  changes in physical-chemical
parameters.  Aquatic organisms act as natural  monitors of water quality
because the composition and structure of plant and animal  communities are the
result of the biological, chemical, and physical  interactions within the
system.  When only periodic physical-chemical  data are collected, an episodic
event such as a flash flood or spill may go undetected.  The biota affected
by an occasional event may require weeks or months to recover.  In addition,
many biological forms, which accumulate various chemicals preferentially,
serve as both integrative and concentration mechanisms that may permit
detection of pollutants not detected in the water itself.  Finally,  because
biota are affected by all materials and conditions present in the system,
they could be the first indication of a major hazard posed by some
unsuspected, unmonitored compound.

    Biological  monitoring should be initiated in a regular fashion within the
Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River systems.  It should not be viewed as
an alternative to other monitoring but as a complementary tool for improving
the efficacy of monitoring programs.  A comprehensive biological  monitoring
program is recommended to gather baseline data and to permit the eventual
refinement of techniques.  Such a monitoring effort should be designed to
obtain standardized, reproducible data that may be compared from station to
station across time.  Sampling methods and sites will  obviously differ for
the different biological communities and parameters.  However, for a given
community and parameter, sites that have similar characteristics should be
selected and the same sampling device and technique should be used for
collection efforts.  Replicate samples should be routinely collected and
analyzed separately for quality assurance purposes.  Of primary interest in
biological monitoring is the assessment of changes in community structure
over time and space; for such comparisons a minimum of a single year of
baseline data is necessary and the accumulation of several  year's data is
generally required to demonstrate natural temporal variations in the
communities in the basins.

    Taxonomic groups considered appropriate for biological  monitoring in the
Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins are discussed below.

Macroi nvertebrates

    These larger forms are relatively easy to collect, quantify, and identify
to a meaningful taxonomic level.  Being relatively stationary they are unable
to escape oncoming waste materials, and their life cycles are sufficiently
long to prevent an apparent recovery to periodic relief from pollution.
Seasonal sampling (based on stream temperature and flows)  should be
conducted, although annual or semiannual records could be beneficial if taken
during comparable seasons.  Care must be taken to allow sufficient time
between sampling of identical areas to permit disturbed populations  to
reestablish themselves (e.g., six weeks).  Exploratory macroinvertebrate
sampling in lakes should be conducted to determine if sufficient macrobenthos
exist to make monitoring them worthwhile.
                                    101

-------
Peri phyton

    The periphyton, like the macrobenthos, are unable to escape pollution
events.  Widespread, rapid growing, and easy to sample, they are the primary
producers in flowing systems and provide basic data on the overall  quality of
streams and lakes.

Fish

    Fish represent the top of the aquatic food chains and respond to the
cumulative  effects of stresses on lower forms as well as to direct stresses.
In  addition, they represent an element of intense public concern.  Unlike the
macroinvertebrate and periphyton communities, fish have considerable mobility
and may be  able to escape localized pollution events.  Fish are readily
sampled, and identification is not difficult in most cases.

Phytoplankton

    Present in nearly all natural waters, phytoplankton are easily sampled
and can provide basic data on productivity, water quality, potential or
occurring problems, etc.  Phytoplankton sampling is recommended in lakes and
ponds  but is not recommended for stream monitoring in these basins.

Zooplankton

    Zooplankton include organisms that graze upon phytoplankton and in turn
provide a major food supply for higher forms.  The zooplankton can be
responsible for unusually low phytoplankton levels as a result of their
grazing activities.  These forms may provide basic information on
environmental regimes and, because of their relatively short life spans and
fecundity,  may be the first indication of subacute pollution hazards.
Zooplankton sampling is also recommended primarily for lakes and ponds in the
study  basins.

Microorganisms

    Coliform bacteria are generally considered to be indicative of fecal
contamination and are one of the most frequently applied indicators of water
quality.  Criteria exist for bathing and shellfish harvesting waters (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency 1976b).  Other microbiological forms may be
useful in the study basins, but these have not been identified and are not
discussed.

    An annotated list of parameters (Tables 43-44) is recommended for
monitoring  the impact of energy resource development in the Little Missouri
and Belle Fourche River Basins.  The Priority I category includes those
parameters  that generally demonstrate an observable response to the type of
stress conditions anticipated as a result of increased energy development
activities, and for which effective monitoring techniques have been
developed.  It is recommended that Priority I parameters be incorporated into
any water quality monitoring program developed in the basin for energy impact
assessment.  The Priority II parameters are those that may be of value to the

                                    102

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      TABLE  43.   PRIORITY I  BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS  RECOMMENDED FOR  MONITORING WATER QUALITY  IN THE  LITTLE
                    MISSOURI AND BELLE FOURCHE  RIVER  BASINS
           TABLE 43.  PRIORITY I BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS RECOMMENDED FOR MONITORING MATER QUALITY IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI AND
                    BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASINS
           Taxononlc Group
Parameters
Expressed As
Reason for Sampling
           Macrolnvertebrates     Counts and Identification    Total number/taxa/unit sampling
                                                        area or unit effort
                                                                Provides data on species present.
                                                                community composition, etc., that
                                                                may be related to Mater quality
                                                                or other environmental considerations
O
Co
                               Blomass
                          Weight/unit sampling area or unit effort     Provides data on standing crop
           Perlphyton
Blomass
Height/unit substrate
Provides data on standing crop
                               Growth rate
                         Height/unit substrate tin
                                      Provides data on productivity
                               Identification and
                               estimation of relative
                               abundances*
                         Taxa present
                                      Indicative of community composition
                                      that may be related  to Mater quality
                                      rate of recovery from a biological
                                      catastrophe, etc.
      *Gross estimates  of the  quantity or percent  of  each taxon should be made  rather than  specific
       count data/unit  area.
                                                                                                                           (Continued)

-------
                                                            TABLE 43.    (Continued)
            Taxononlc Group
Parameter
Expressed As
 Reason for Sampling
            Fish
Identification and
enumeration
Species  present**
(Includes measurement of size.
weight,  and sex determination)
Provides data on Mater quality, environmental
conditions,  and possibly on Mater uses.
Different species respond to different stresses.
                                 Toxic substances In tissue    Height substance/unit tissue might
                                                             (by species)
                                                                      Indication of biological  response to toxic
                                                                      pollutants, may provide an  "early Naming"
                                                                      of pollutants not detected  In the water, may
                                                                      pose a health hazard In Itself.
            Zooplankton
Identification and
count
Species  present
•Provides basic data on environmental
conditions.
                                                             Total unit volume or blonass
                                                             Number/species/unit volume
                                                                     Provides data upon community composition,
                                                                     environmental conditions, and available food
                                                                     size ranges.
*Count data  should be  provided for each species.
                                                                                                                               (Continued)

-------
                                                                      TABLE  43.    (Continued)
             Taxonomlc Group
Parameters
Expressed As
Reason for Sampling
             Hacrophytes
Species Identification        Areal coverage and connunlty
and community association
                                            Indication of stream stability, sedimentation,
                                            and other factors.   Spread of phreatophytes
                                            could be a problem In the basin because of their
                                            effect on water quality.  Initial survey and
                                            thereafter occasional  examination of aquatic and
                                            stream (lake) side  plants 1s recommended.
             Phytoplankton
O
en
Chlorophyll
ug/llter
Indication of overall  lake productivity-
excessive levels often Indicate enrichment
problems•
                                    Identification and
                                    enumeration
                             Nunber/taxa/un1t volume
                             Total number/sample (unit volume)
                             or blomass
                                            The presence of specific taxa In abundance
                                            1s often Indicative of water quality, and the
                                            taxa may In themselves pose  biological
                                            problems.
             Microorganisms
Total fecal conform
Number/unit volume
Indicative of fecal  contamination of water
supplies and probable  presence of other
pathogenic organisms.

-------
TABLE 44.   PRIORITY  II  BIOLOGICAL  PARAMETERS RECOMMENDED  FOR MONITORING WATER QUALITY  IN  THE LITTLE
               MISSOURI  AND BELLE  FOURCHE  RIVER  BASINS
      Taxonoralc Group
Parameter
Expressed As
Reason for Sampling
      Macrolnvertebrates     Toxic substances 1n tissue   Height substance/unit tissue weight
                                                                   Indicative of biological response to
                                                                   toxic pollutants, nay provide an "early
                                                                   warning" of pollutants not detected In
                                                                   the ttater Itself.
      Perlphyton
Chlorophyll a
Unit substrate area
Indicative of productivity of area and
general health of the perl phy ton community.
                           Taxonoralc counts
                           Number/taxa/unIt substrate area
                                        Provides additional data on perl phy ton
                                        community composition.
      F1sh
Blomass
Total weight/sampling effort
or unit volume
Indicative of secondary productivity of the
water body.
                           Flesh tainting
                           Rating scale (by species)
                                        Indicative of high levels of organic compounds
                                        Likely to be noticed by public.  Could Indicate
                                        pollution from several sources to be the result
                                        of other causes.
                                                                                                                         (Continued)

-------
                                                           TABLE 44.   (Continued)  /
Taxoncmlc Group
Parameter
Expressed As
Reason for Sampling
F1sh
Size
Length, weight/Individual, or range
and average size/species
Provides an Indication of the age of the
community, breeding  potential, and secondary
productivity rates.
                       Condition factor
                             Weight/length (by species)
                                            Indicative of general health of fish community
                                            and availability of food.
                       Growth rate
                             Age/length (by species)
                                            Provides data on overall health of the fish
                                            comminlty and environmental conditions.  Could
                                            Indicate the presence of subacute pollutants.
Zooplankton
Blomass
Weight/unit volume
Basic data on abundance and overall standing crop.
                       Eggs, Instars, etc.
                             Species present
                                            Provides basic  data on age distributions,
                                            presence of seasonal  forms, or the existence
                                            of cyclic pollution events.
                       Toxic substance In tissue     Height/unit tissue  (by species)
                                                                         May serve as bloconcentrator for specific
                                                                         compounds.

-------
basins but that are not generally considered to be as likely to provide
useful data as those in the Priority I category; these parameters should  only
be collected in addition to Priority I parameters if time and money are
available.

    It should be noted that the count and biomass determinations in Tables  43
and 44 are not productivity measurements.  Rather they are expressions  of
standing crops, and although indicative of general productivity, the
measurements are really quite different.  Productivity data are expressed in
units of mass/volume (or area)/unit time.
                                    108

-------
               11.  ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING MONITORING NETWORK


    Estimations can be made regarding the possible  impact  of  proposed
developments on water quality, but only after operation can the actual  impact
be assessed.  A wel1-developed sampling network  for the monitoring  of
environmental parameters is helpful, not only in controlling  and assessing
pollution from existing projects, but also in providing valuable information
for evaluating future projects.

    Twenty-two U.S. Geological Survey sampling stations in the  Little
Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins were analyzed to evaluate trends  in
surface water quality (Table 26).  There are a number of additional  stations
throughout the basins that are maintained by miscellaneous sources,  but it is
felt that the USGS stations examined in this report are in themselves well
situated for future investigation of surface waters impacted  by energy
development.  However, many of the stations in the  basin are  not regularly
monitored.  The uppermost Little Missouri River  station near  Alzada, Montana,
has not been sampled since 1970, and, in total,  data for only one year  were
collected there.  The Box Elder Creek and Little Missouri  River at  Camp Crook
stations were sampled only between 1972 and 1973.  The Medora station for the
Little Missouri River and the Indian Creek station  in the  Belle Fourche Basin
have not been monitored since 1976.  At the station on Raven  Creek  in the
Belle Fourche Basin, data on trace elements in bottom sediments were
collected during 1978, but no data were gathered on the water column except
temperature and flow.  Most of the information available from the Redwater
Creek station, except for sediment particle size, dates back  to 1970.   It is
apparent, then, that although the USGS network is well  laid out for
monitoring energy impact on the study area, it is presently not being
adequately maintained for this purpose.

    It should be noted that there is no known regional  ground-water
monitoring network in the study basins.  The USGS has for  the past  several
years been conducting periodic sampling of several  hundred wells in the
region for areal appraisals of the ground-water  aquifers but  is not
monitoring for trends or energy-related changes  in  the ground-water  system
(J. Moreland, USGS, Helena, Montana, Personal  communication,  1978).  It is
felt that the establishment of a regular ground-water monitoring network,
especially one that could measure for potential  trace element and organic
contamination related to mining activities, would be of great value.  Such a
program is most needed around underground mine and  in situ project  sites.

    Fairly good baseline data are available from the USGS  stations  at Elm
Springs in the Belle Fourche River Basin and at  Watford City  in the Little
Missouri Basin, and these locations should be considered for  weekly  sampling
of top-priority parameters.  More intensive sampling of the stations in the


                                     109

-------
Belle Fourche River above Keyhole Reservoir should be attempted since these
locations are well situated for observation of water quality degradation  as
the result of mining and coal conversion facilities.  If funding permits,
weekly sampling in the Belle Fourche River near Moorcroft would also  be
desirable.  In general, data for the Belle Fourche Basin are much more
complete than those for the Little Missouri Basin, presumably because of  the
highly variable flow in the latter river.  For this reason, future energy
development in the Little Missouri Basin would require greater modification
of the sampling network than would be required in the Belle Fourche Basin.

    Physical and chemical parameters monitored by the sampling network in the
Little Missouri and Belle Fourche River Basins, and their average annual
frequency of measurement are shown in Table 45.  This table was constructed
from data inventories present in STORET.  The average number of times a
parameter was sampled each year over the period of record is indicated for
each station.  Although the completed sampling network in the basins  should
be adequately located for monitoring the impact of energy development
activities in the basins, there are some data collection problems within  the
sampling net that reduce the interpretive utility of the accumulated  data.  A
good number of the parameters considered to have highest selection priority
(Table 40) for monitoring of energy development impact, particularly  the
trace elements and nutrients, are sampled only intermittently or
infrequently.  At many of the stations in the study area, trace element data
are not gathered at all; where they are collected, generally only the
dissolved form is available for analysis.  Valuable information on sediment
particle size distributions was gathered in the 1950's at many of the basin
stations, but sampling for these parameters has since been discontinued.
Even when data on major parameters such as the salts are regularly gathered,
the data are rarely collected on similar dates across the stations, making
spatial or temporal comparisons difficult.  A few other priority I
parameters, such as phenols, oils, and greases, are completely lacking from
the existing network or are sampled only rarely; most of the pesticide data
date back to the early 1970's and are not available for more recent years.
Very little biological data have been gathered by the existing monitoring
network in the basins.  These problems are aggravated by the unavoidable
periodic nature of many of the tributaries flowing through the study  area.

    If program restrictions on funding or personnel necessitate, the  number
of stations regularly sampled in the basins for purposes of monitoring the
impact of energy resource development could be substantially reduced.  Those
USGS stations indicated on Table 46 are recommended as having the highest
sampling priority in the Belle Fourche and Little Missouri River Basins for
monitoring energy development activities there.  The addition of stations on
Whitewood Creek and on the Belle Fourche River immediately upstream from
Whitewood Creek is recommended, as are the additions of a station in  the
Little Missouri Basin in its Wyoming headwaters and a station in Donkey Creek
above Gillette.  Of the 12 priority stations recognized in the study  area,
sites in the Belle Fourche River below Moorcroft and at Elm Springs are the
best located for the maintenance of any continuous monitoring activities.
                                    110

-------
TABLE 45.  SELECTED PARAMETERS  MONITORED  BY  THE U.S.  GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IN THE BELLE FOURCHE AND LITTLE
           MISSOURI RIVER BASINS  AND  THEIR AVERAGE ANNUAL FREQUENCY OF MEASUREMENT
                                                    USGS STATION NUMBERS




Parameter t
00010
00061
0009S
00300
00400
00410
00440
00445
00625
00630
00665
00666
00900
00915
00925
00930
00935
00940
00945
00950
00955
01002
01007
01012
01022
MATER
STREAK
CNDUCTVY
D.O.
PH
T ALK
HC03 ION
COS ION
TOT KJEL
N02 & N03
PHOS-TOT
PHOS-DISS
TOT HARD
CALCIUM
MGNSIUM
SODIUM
PTSSIUM
CHLORIDE
SULFATE
FLORIDE
SILICA
ARSENIC
BARIUM
BERYLIUM
BORON
TEMP
INST. FLOW
AT 25 C


CAC03
HC03
COS
N
N-TOTAL
P
P
CAC03
DISS
DISS
DISS
K, DISS
a
S04-TOT
F, DISS
DISS
AS, TOT
BA, TOT
BE, TOT
B. TOT
CENT
CFS
MICROMHO
HG/L
SU
MG/L
MG/L
MG/L
HG/L
HG/L
MG/L
MG/L
HG/L
HG/L
MG/L
MG/L
MG/L
HG/L
MG/L
MG/L
MG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
CO
«">


en
o
o
16
13
9
3
8
11
11
11
3
3
7

11
11
11
11
11
11
11


11
1

1
3
§
in
8
10
o
6
6
1*

—
1*
1*
.-


1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
i*

1*




o
o
o»
a
to
o
5
5
__

--
1*
1*
..


1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
1*
i*

!•




3
IO
o
13
15
6*

6*
6*
6*
6*


• —

6*
6*
6*
6*
6*
6*
.6*


6*




3
*

o
2
2
1

~
1
1
—


1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1


1




i
to
o
7
7
13

13
13
13
12


11
10
13
13
13
13
13
13
13


12




§
«»
to
o
10
9
15

14
14
14
13


12
11
15
15
15
15
15
15
15


13




§
o
%
*
to
o
11
11
12
10
13
8
8
7
7
6
10
7
9
9
9
7
7
9
10


7
2
1


 tParameters  are listed by STORET code, name, form, and unit.
 *Indicates parameter occurring only 1 year.
 --Parameter not  sampled.
                                                                                           (Continued)

-------
                                               TABLE 45.  (Continued)
                                                      USGS STATION NUMBERS
ro
Paranetert
01027
01034
01035
01042
01045
01051
01055
01062
01067
01075
01077
01092
01105
01132
01147
70301
71900
CADMIUM
CHROMIUM
COBALT
COPPER
IRON
LEAD
MANGANESE
HOLY
NICKEL
SILVER
SILVER
ZINC
ALUMINUM
LITHIUM
SELENIUM
OISS SOL
MERCURY
CO. TOT
CR, TOT
CO. TOT
CU, TOT
FE, TOT
PB. TOT
HN
TOTAL
NI-TOT
A6. DISS
AG. TOT
ZN. TOT
AL, TOT
LI. TOT
SE. TOT
SUM
HG, TOT
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
UG/L
HG/L
UG/L
OOOOOOO
o o co o o o o
o in to o in o o
v 3f *r in in 10 ^
fi PO co ro ro co 10
co co f> M co n f>
to to 10 10 10 10 IQ
o o o o o o o

i


3* 	
	 1 .... 4
3


3
4
3
.. T
^
7* 12 15 3 6 1 7
4

06425720
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

2
2
2
2
3
2
06425780
06425950
3 —
3 «
3 «
3 -
3 —
3 «
3 -
3 -

3 --
3 --
3 -
3 —
5 -
3 —
0 0
So
in
10 to
51 S
§ §
3
3
3
3
3
1* 3
3
3

3
3
3
3
4 8
3
06427850
3
3
3
5
2
3
3
3

3
3
3
3
13
3
SaSSSSlI?;
«*•**«*«»•*'» *
IO *G IO IO ^3 IO IO to
OOOOOOO O
1
1 __ __ -- .. -- -- 9*
1
1 __ .. ._ -- -_
3 - « 6* 	
1 —
1 	 1 -- 1 -
1
i


i
1
1
1 -- --
11 1* 1* 6* 10 1 12 13
2 _. 	 	 _. 	 „ i

06438000
2
4
3
3
3
3
3


1
3
1
3
6
2
     tParameters are  listed  by  STORE! code,  name, form, and unit.
     Indicates parameter occurring  only 1 year.
    --Parameter not sampled.

-------
TABLE 46.  U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STATIONS RECOMMENDED TO HAVE THE
           HIGHEST SAMPLING PRIORITY IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI-BELLE FOURCHE
           STUDY AREA FOR MONITORING ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
Station STORET
   Number
               Station Name
   06425720
   06426400
   06426500
   06428500
   not established
   not established
   06437000
   06438000
Belle Fourche River below Rattlesnake Creek, WY
Donkey Creek near Moorcroft, WY
Belle Fourche River below Moorcroft, WY
Belle Fourche River at WY-SD State line
Belle Fourche River above Whitewood Creek, SD
Whitewood Creek at mouth, SD
Belle Fourche River near Sturgis, SD
Belle Fourche River near Elm Springs, SD
   06334000
   06335500
   06336000
   06337000
Little Missouri River near Alzada, MT
Little Missouri River at Marmarth, ND
Little Missouri River at Medora,  ND
Little Missouri River near Watford City,  ND
                                    113

-------
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-------
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    Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.  1121 pp.

McKee, J. E., and H. U. Wolf.  1963.  Water Quality Criteria.  Resources
    Agency of California State Water  Quality Control Board, Publication #3-A,
    Second Edition.  Sacramento, CA.  548 pp.

McMillion, L. G.  1978.  Ground-Water Quality Mon'itoring of Western Coal
    Strip Mining:  Identification  and Prioritization of Potential Pollution
    Sources (draft).  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EMSL-Las Vegas,
    NV.  227 pp.

Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee.   1969a.  Comprehensive Framework
    Study-Missouri River Basin. Volume  2:  Historical Perspective of the
    Mississippi River.  Basin History of the Framework Study, Existing Water
    and Land Resources Development.  U.S. Government Printing Office,
    Washington, D. C.  75 pp.
                                    115

-------
Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee.  1969b.   Comprehensive Framework
    Study-Missouri River Basin.  Volume 6:   Appendices  - Land Resources
    Availability, Hydrologic Analyses, and  Projections.  U.S. Government
    Printing Office.  Washington, D. C.  317 pp.

Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee.  1971a.   The Missouri River Basin
    Comprehensive Framework Study.  #5233-0007.   Volume 1.  U.S. Government
    Printing Office, Washington, D. C.  273 pp.

Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee.  1971b.   The Missouri River Basin
    Comprehensive Framework Study:  Fish and Wildlife Tentative Needs and
    Problems, Western Dakota Tributaries Subbasin.   Task Force on Fish and
    Wildlife, Work Group on Needs and Problems.   104 pp.

Missouri River Basin Commission.  1978a.  Report on Yellowstone Basin and
    Adjacent Coal Area Level B Study.  Volume 6:  North Dakota Tributaries.
    North Dakota Study Team.  Omaha, NE.  352 pp.

Missouri River Basin Commission.  1978b.  Report on the Yellowstone  Basin
    and Adjacent Coal Area.  Volume 8:  Northeast Wyoming.  Northeast Wyoming
    Study Team.  Omaha, NE.  369 pp.

National Academy of Sciences.  1973.  Water Quality Criteria,  1972.  #EPA-
    R3-73-033.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D. C.
    594 pp.

North Central Power Study Coordinating Committee.  1971.   Report of  Phase 1,
    Volume 2:  Study of Mine-Mouth Thermal  Power Plants With Extra High
    Voltage Transmission for Delivery of Power  to Load  Centers.  U.S. Bureau
    of Reclamation.  Billings, MT.  456 pp.

North Dakota State Water Commission.  1975a. The West  River Study.
    Volume 1:  Main Report.  Information Series #30. SWC  Project
    #1543.  Bismark, ND.  274 pp.

North Dakota State Water Commission.  1975b. The West  River Study.
    Volume 2:  Appendices A-C, Basic Data,  Hydrology, Soils.   Information
    Series #30.  SWC Project #1543.  Bismark, ND.  294  pp.

North Dakota State Water Commission.  1975c. The West  River Study.
    Volume 3:  Appendices D-G, Mineral Resources, Potential Projects,
    Economic Value of Water, Environmental  Assessment.  Information
    Series #30, SWC Project #1543.  Bismark, ND.  279 pp.

Northern Great Plains Resource Program.  1974.   Water Quality  Subgroup
    Report (Draft).  530 pp.

Powder River Areawide Planning Organization.  1977.  Water Quality
    Management Plan, Campbell County, Johnson County, Sheridan County,
    State of Wyoming.  #EPA-908/3-77-003.  U.S.  Environmental Protection
    Agency.  Sheridan, WY.  295 pp.
                                    116

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Riis, M.  1977.  Resource Inventory of  the  Belle  Fourche  River  Basin.
    South Dakota Water Plan Volume  11-B,  Section  9.  Division of  Resources
    Management.  South Dakota Department  of Natural  Resources Development.
    186 pp.

Seager, 0. A., D. L. Blackstone,  Jr., G.  R. Downs, W. M.  Laird, and L. L.
    SIoss.  1942.  Stratigraphy of  North  Dakota.   In.:  Bulletin of the
    American Association of Petroleum Geologists  26(8):  1414-1423.

Smith, J. B. 1972.  Strippable Coal  Reserves of Wyoming:  Location, Storage,
    and Characteristics of Coal and Overburden.   U.S. Bureau of Mines
    Information Circular #8538.  U.S. Department  of  Interior, Washington,
    D. C. 51 pp.

South Dakota Department of Natural  Resources Development.   1972.  Resource
    Inventory of the Little Missouri River  Basin. South  Dakota Water Plan
    Volume II-B, Section 1.  Division of  Resources Management.  92 pp.

U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. 1974.   Crow-Ceded Area Coal Lease -
    Westmoreland Resources Mining Proposal, Final Environmental
    Statement #EIS-MS-74-0178-F.  Billings, MT.   353pp.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.  1972.   Appraisal  Report on Montana-Wyoming
    Aqueducts.  Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program.   47 pp.

U.S. Department of Interior.  1974. Proposed  Development of Coal Resources
    in the Eastern Powder River Basin Final  Environmental Impact  Statement.
    Volume IV.  U.S. Bureau of Land Management.   #FES 74-55.
    U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,  D.  C.  479 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.   1971a.  Report on  Pollution
    Affecting Water Quality of the  Cheyenne River System, Western South
    Dakota.  Office of Enforcement, Division of Field Investigations,
    Denver, CO.  89 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.   1971b.  The 1968 Inventory of
    Municipal Waste Facilities.  EPA Publication  #OWP-1,  Volume 9.  U.S.
    Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.  93 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.   1975a.  Evaluation of Proposed NPDES
    Permit Limitations for Homestake Mining Company.  #EPA-330/2-75-006.
    Office of Enforcement, Denver,  CO.  26  pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.   1975b.  Water Programs:  National
    Interim Primary Drinking Water  Regulations.   Federal  Register 40(248):
    59566-59574.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.   1976a.  National Interim Primary
    Drinking Water Regulations.  #EPA-570/9-76-003.  Office of Water Supply,
    Washington, D. C.  159 pp.
                                    117

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  1976b.   Quality Criteria  for Water.
    #EPA-440/9-76-023.  Washington, D. C.  501  pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  1976c.   Report  on  Lake  Sakakawea,
    Dunn, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Mountrail, and Williams  Counties,
    North Dakota.  Working Paper #575.  CERL-Corvallis, OR,  and
    EMSL-Las Vegas, NV.  64 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  1977a.   Advanced Fossil  Fuels  and
    the Environment.  #EPA-600/9-77-013.  U.S. EPA Decision  Series.
    Research and Development Technical Information Staff, Cincinnati,  OH.
    23 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  1977b.   Report  on  Keyhole Reservoir,
    Crook County, Wyoming.  Working Paper #888.  CERL-Corvallis, OR,
    and EMSL-Las Vegas, NV.  40 pp.

U.S. Geological Survey.  1975a.  Proposed Plan of Mining  and Reclamation,
    Belle Ayr South Mine, Amax Coal Company, Coal  Lease W-0317682, Campbell
    County, Wyoming.  Final Environmental  Statement #FES75-86, Volume  I.
    U.S. Department of Interior.  193 pp.

U.S. Geological Survey.  1975b.  Proposed Plan of Mining  and Reclamation
    Cordero Mine, Sun Oil Company, Coal Lease W-8385,  Campbell  County,
    Wyoming.  Final Environmental Statement #DES 75-65.  U.S.  Department  of
    Interior.  331 pp.

U.S. Geological Survey.  1977a.  Proposed Mining and Reclamation Plan,
    East Gillette Mine, Kerr-McGee Corporation, Coal Leases  W-311810,
    W-312311, and W-313668, Campbell County, Wyoming.   Draft Environmental
    Statement.  U.S. Department of Interior, Washington,  D.  C.  390  pp.

U.S. Geological Survey.  1977b.  Proposed Mining and Reclamation Plan,
    Pronghorn Mine, Campbell County, Wyoming.   Draft Environmental Statement.
    U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, D. C.  87 pp.

University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation.  1977a.  Energy from  the
    West:  A Progress Report of a Technology Assessment of Western Energy
    Resource Development.  Volume II:  Detailed Analyses  and Supporting
    Materials.  #EPA-600/7-77-072b.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
    Office of Research and Development, Washington, D. C. 805 pp.

University of Oklahoma and Radian Corporation.  1977b.  Energy from  the
    West:  A Progress Report of a Technology Assessment of Western
    Energy Resource Development.  Volume III:   Preliminary Policy
    Analysis.  #EPA-600/7-77-072c.  U.S. Environmental Protection
    Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington,  D. C.
    176 pp.

Utah State University.  1975.  Colorado Regional Assessment  Study.
    Part II:  Detailed Analysis:  Narrative Description Data,  Methodology
    and Documentation.  Contract #WQ5AC054.  Logan, UT.  479 pp.

                                    118

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Warner, D. L.  1974.  Rationale and Methodology for Monitoring Ground
    Water Polluted by Mining  Activities.  #EPA-680/4-74-003.  U.S.
    Environmental  Protection  Agency,  Las Vegas, NV.  76 pp.

Water Resources Council.  1968.  The  Nations Water Resources.  U.S.
    Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.  388 pp.

Wewerka, E. M., J. M. Williams, P. L. Wanek, and J. D. Olsen.  1976.
    Environmental  Contamination from  Trace Elements in Coal Preparation
    Wastes:  A Literature Review and  Assessment.  #EPA-600/7-76-007.  U.S.
    Environmental  Protection  Agency.  Research Triangle Park, NC.  69 pp.

Wyoming Geological Association Technical Studies Committee.  1965.  Geologic
    History of Powder River Basin.   In:  Bulletin of the American
    Association of Petroleum  Geologists  49(11): 1893-1907.

Wyoming State Engineers Office.  1972.  Water and Related Land Resources
    of Northeastern Wyoming.   Wyoming Water Planning Program Report #10.
    Cheyenne, WY.  243 pp.

Wyoming State Engineers Office.  1973.  The Wyoming Framework Water Plan.
    Wyoming Water Planning Program.   Cheyenne, WY-  243 pp.
                                    119

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    APPENDIX A
CONVERSION FACTORS
       120

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    In this report, metric units are frequently abbreviated using the
notations shown below.  The metric units can be converted to English units by
multiplying the factors given in the following list:
    Metric unit
     to convert
    Centimeters (cm)
    Cubic meters (m^)
    Cubic meters/sec (m3/sec)
    Hectares (ha)
    Liters/kilogram/(l kg)
    Kilograms (kg)
    Kilograms (kg)
    Kilometers (km)
    Liters (1)
    Liters
    Meters (m)
    Square kilometers (km^)
    Square Kilometers
Multiply by
0.3937
8.107 x 10~4
35.315
2.471
239.64
2.205
1.102 x lO-3
0.6214
6.294 x ID'3
0.2642
3.281
247.1
0.3861
English unit
   to obtain
Inches
Acre-feet
Cubic feet/sec
Acres
Gal Ions/ton
Pounds
Tons (short)
Miles
Barrels (crude oil)
Gallons
Feet
Acres
Square miles
                                    121

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       APPENDIX B
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL DATA
           122

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ro
co
   TABLE B-l.  DISSOLVED SOLIDS, SUM OF CONSTITUENTS (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
               SAMPLING STATIONS IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
Station
Nunber* 1971
x (•ln-»«x) D*
3340 —
3345 —
3346 —
3350 —
3355 479(220-887)6
3360
3370 884(549-1220)2
1972
x (•in-wx) n
—
1387(1060-1860)9
1098(576-1580)11
1830(-)1
1415(1400-1430)2
1250(-)1
1152(422-1480)9
1973
x (min-«ax) n
—
1133(683-1700)16
962(389-1760)20
1057(974-1140)2
1101(926-1330)5
1350(1090-1610)2
—
_ 1974
x (aln-Mx) n
—
—
—
1329(987-1530)4
1141(517-2120)10
1429(888-1970)2 ;
1492(883-2730)10
1975
x (ntn-oax) n
—
—
—
^1073(600-1640)10
990(469-1510)2
1600(-)1
1180(368-1880)9
1976
x (•in-max) n
—
—
—
1420(961-1880)2
1259(698-1600)3
1900 (-)l
1226(549-1940)11
1977 1978
x (mln-«ax) n x («ln-«ax) n
— —
_ _
_ _
702(607-796)2 —
1062(434-1690)2 —
_ _
1098(530-1600)10 553 (-)l
    *For full  description  of  station locations, see Table 26.
    Tx  represents  the mean for all  samples, the range is given  in parentheses, and
     n  indicates the  total  number of samples collected.

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ro
     TABLE B-2.   CONDUCTIVITY (wmho/cm at 25°C),  1971-78,  AT  U.S.  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY SAMPLING  STATIONS
               ,  -   IN  THE  LITTLE MISSOURI  RIVER BASIN
Station
Number* 1971
x* (Nin-BBx) n
3340 —
3345
3346 —

1972
x (win mar) n
—
1867(1450-2450)9
1626(891-2290)11

1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978
x (oln-ux) n x (nln-oax) n x (aln-vax) n x (Bin-vox) n x (Mln-Mx) n x («in-»ax) n
— _______
1555(967-2250)16 ______
1395(624-2340)20 _____
       3350   1300(930-1570)3   1595(216-2360)13 1323(630-1750)16  1657(1070-2450)12 1665(924-2600)12  1622(610-2500)14 1347(890-2200)13  1128(261-2000)11

       3355    823(350-1460)9   1682(250-2540)14 1354(660-1880)15  1809(750-3600)13 1895(635-3800)14  1777(630-3550)16 1566(600-3150)16  1200(262-2350)10

       3360    977(510-1640)3   1645(376-2700)13 1623(560-2280)15  2032(860-4200)13 1550(640-2500)12  2600(-)1            —             —

       3370   1098(740-1740)3   1689(635-2610)13 1749(1080-2520)11 2092(940-5000)13 1777(790-2700)9   1668(840-2200)11 1442(720-2050)13   544(400-820)4
     *For full  description  of station locations,  see  Table 26.
     tx  represents  the mean for all  samples,  the  range is given  in parentheses, and
      n  indicates the total  number of samples collected.

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     TABLE B-3.   DISSOLVED CALCIUM (mg/t),  1971-78,  AT  U.S.  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
     	IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN	
     Station
     Nuaber*      1971          1972           1973            1974           1975            1976           1977           1978
            x* (Bln-Bix) n    x (Bin-Bax) n    x (Bin-Bax) n    x* (Bin-Bax) n    x (Bin-Bax) n    x  (Bin-Bax) n    x (mln-max) n    x (Bin-Bax) n
      ^^An         _            	                            _^             ^_             ^^             ^^             ^^
      jj*nt        —            ^^             ^^             ^^             ^^             ^^             ^^             ^^
I—1
£>    3345        —        105(85-140)9    95(50-140)16         ______
      3346        —         38(26-53)11    46(23-89)20          _____
      3350        —         86(-)l         52(45-60)2       70(45-120)4      52(37-83)10     54(52-57)2       38(31-44)2          —
      3355    40(22-67)6       67(61-73)2     65(48-76)5       44(21-72)10      36(35-38)2      46(39-55)3       47(44-50)2          —
      3360        —          92(-)l         64(49-80)2       64(51-78)2       64(-)l         75(-)l             —             —
      3370    70(55-85)2       74(48-100)9        —         76(41-140)10      68(24-110)9     72(28-130)11     60(31-94)10     38(-)l

     *For full description of station locations, see Table  26.
     tx  represents the mean  for all  samples, the range  is given  in  parentheses,  and
      n  indicates the total  number of samples  collected.

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ro
    TABLE B-4.  DISSOLVED SODIUM  (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
                IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
Station
timber* 1971
x (ain-BBx) n
3340 —
3345 —
3346 —
3350 —
3355 92(35-190)6
3360 —
3370 176(93-260)2
1972
x (Bin-Max) 'n
__
269(190-360)9
309(130-460)11
370(-)1
325(290-360)2
243(-)l
247(66-330)9
1973
x (mln-Bax) n
__
204(92-340)16
235(67-490)20
255(240-270)2
254(190-330)5
305(250-360)2
—
1974
x" (mln-oax) n
__
—
—
335(250-390)4
294(120-610)10
355(200-510)2
368(210-710)10
1975
x" (Bin-Bax) n
_
—
—
257(130-400)10
256(91-420)2
400 (-)l
278(83-450)9
1976 1977 1978
x (nln-nax) a x (Mln-BBx) n x (Bin-vox) o
______
_ _ —
— — —
370(240-500)2 170(120-220)2 —
340(130-460)3 260(71-450)2 —
500 (-)l — —
279(140-430)11 266(110-390)10 100(-)1
    *For full description  of station locations, see Table 26.
    tx  represents  the mean for  all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
     n  indicates the total  number of samples collected.

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ro
    TABLE B-5.   DISSOLVED MAGNESIUM (mg/1),  1971-78,  AT  U.S. GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
                IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI  RIVER BASIN
Station
Number* 1971
x (aln-aax) n
3340 —
3345 —
3346 —
3350 —
3355 17(8-30)6
3360 —
3370 29(19-39)2
1972
x (mln-Bax) n
—
46(37-65)9
28(16-41)11
79(-)l
46(45-48)2
48(-)l
36(15-54)9
1973
x (•In-oax) n
—
41(21-62)16
29(11-71)20
42(38-45)2
34(24-39)5
46(31-60)2
—
1974
x (aln-«ax) n
—
—
—
34(12-47)4
30(16-47)10
36(23-50)2
39(16-61)10
1975 1976
x (aln-Bax) n x (Bln-Mx) n
_ _
— —
_
38(24-59)10 43(36-50)2
26(16-35)2 29(25-35)3
41(-)1 44(-)l
32(12-57)9 36(12-60)11
1977 1978
x (•in-oax) n x («ln-«ax) n
— —
__
_ _
22(18-27)2
24(15-33)2
_ __
26(11-41)10 25(-)l
    *For full  description of station  locations,  see Table  26.
    tx represents the mean for all  samples,  the  range  is given  in  parentheses, and
     n indicates the total  number of  samples collected.

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TABLE  B-6.   DISSOLVED POTASSIUM  (mg/1),  1971-78,  AT  U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY  SAMPLING STATIONS
               IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
  Station                                           .
  HuBber*      1971          1972           1873            1974           1975            1976           1977           1978
         x (Bln-Bax) n    x (Bin-sax) n    x" (ain-aax) n    x" (Bln-Bax) n    x" (_in-«ax) n   x (Bin-Bax) n    x" (_ln-ux) n    x~ (sin-Box) n
   3340       _________
   3345       —         10.6(8.5-13.0)9  10.2(7.2-15.0)16                    —             —             —             —
   3346       —          6.0(5.2-7.9)11   6.2(4.6-9.3)20       ______
   1350       —          5.8(-)l         5.8(5.1-6.5)2     5.6(4.2-7.7)4   6.1(4.9-8.0)10    8.4(6.9-10.0)2   5.4(4.7-6.0)2        —
   3355    6.4(4.6-7.7)6     6.6(6.4-6.8)2    6.7(4.7-8.8)5     7.9(4.9-16.0)10 6.4(4.4-8.5)2     9.6(8.3-12.0)3   9.0(4.9-13.0)2       —
   3360       —          7.3(-)l         9.4(7.8-11.0)2    4.4(1.8-7.1)2   7.3(-)l         9.6(-)l            —             —
   3370    8.0(6.8-9.2)2     8.3(5.5-11.0)9      —         11.2(7.4-17.0)10 9.6(5.6-13.0)9    10.9(9.1-14.0)11  9.1(4.8-13.0)10  7.3(-)l

*For full  description of  station locations,  see  Table 26.
TX represents the mean  for  all  samples,  the  range  is given  in  parentheses,  and
  n indicates  the  total  number of samples  collected.

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TABLE B-7.
IN5
VO
                BICARBONATE  ION  (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
                IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
Station
Number*
1971
« .
x (Bln-Mx) n
3340 —
3345 —
3346 —
3350 —
3355 140(86-311)6
3360 —
3370 223(149-298)2
1972
x (Bin-sax) n
—
348(227-509)9
476(171-808)11
71(-)1
330(124-535)2
316(-)1
305(156-432)9
1973
x (mln-Bax) n
--
252(75-449)16
350(122-795)20
468(442-494)2
366(249-520)5
272(130-413)2
—
1974 1975
x (oln-nax) n x («ln-ma:c) n
_
— —
_ _
498(400-660)4 427(70-724)10
292(109-580)10 282(118-445)2
261(127-395)2 331(-)1
414(196-947)10 324(127-589)9
1976.
x (Bln-nax) n
—
—
—
435(427-443)2
402(234-558)3
443(-)l
373(198-648)11
1977 1978
x (aln-max) n x (mln-«ax) n
_
_ _
_ __
261(255-267)2 —
218(119-317)2 —
— —
300(130-470)10 160(-)1
    *For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
    tx  represents  the mean  for  all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
     n  Indicates the total  number of samples collected.

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CO
o
    TABLE B-8.  SULFATE ION (rag/1), 1971-78,  AT U.S.  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  SAMPLING  STATIONS  IN THE
                LITTLE MISSOURI  RIVER BASIN
Station
NuBber*
3340
3345
3346
3350
3355
3360
3370
1971
x~ (Bin-Mac) n
—
—
—
—
238(93-440)6
—
470(290-650)2
1972
Ic («ln-max) n
—
761(590-1000)9
457(270-620)11
1230(-)1
775(650-900)2
687(1)1
613(200-830)9
1973
x (nln-uax) n
—
639(400-950)16
449(190-940)20
450(400-500)2
538(430-670)5
765(660-870)2
—
1974
x (Bin-mix) n
—
—
—
615(420-810)4
590(280-1100)10
815(530-1100)2
768(480-1300)10
1975
x fain-Box) n
~
—
—
490(240-720)10
510(250-770)2
900 (-)l
610(170-920)9
1976
at (•in-max) n
—
—
—
690(380-1000)2
597(340-730)3
1000(-)1
624(250-970)11
1977 1978
x (nin-Max) n x* (aln-oax) n
— —
— —
— —
320(270-370)2 —
590(230-950)2
_
566(290-820)10 290 (-)l
    *For full  description of station locations,  see Table 26.
    tx represents the mean for all  samples,  the  range is given in parentheses, and
     n indicates the total number of samples collected.

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TABLE B-9.  CHLORIDE (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS IN THE
            LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
Station
Umber*
3340
3345
3346
3350
3355
3360
3370
1971 1972
7 (Bin-Box) n x~ (Bin-Box) n
_ _
— 15.8(8.6-26.0)9
— 16.3(5.2-37.0)11
13.0W1
7.6(1.4-25.0)6 18.4(6.8-30.0)2
7.0(-)1
12.4(2.9-22.0)2 7.4(0-15.0)9
1973
x (sin-Box) n
—
9.8(3.3-18.0)16
15.0(4.5-45.0)20
7.6(5.7-9.4)2
11.8(7.5-19.0)5
16.0(15.0-17.0)2
—
1974 1975 ,1976 1977 1978
x* (Bin-Box) n x (min-BOx) n x (Bin-Box) n x* (Bin-Box) n x" (Bin-Box) n
_________
_______
_________
8.5(5.6-13.0)4 7.7(4.2-9.5)10 10.2(7.5-13.0)2 8.0(4.0-12.0)2 —
10.5(5.7-19.0)10 12.3(5.6-19.0)2 12.0(5.9-16.0)3 10.4(2.9-18.0)2 —
12.7(3.4-22.0)2 .O.U(->1 1«.0(-)1 — —
11.3(4.8-22.0)10 10.8(4.4-33.0)9 9.8(4.5-18.0)11 9.1(4.6-16.0)10 5.8(-)l
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
Tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses,  and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

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      TABLE B-10.   DISSOLVED  SILICA (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY  SAMPLING STATIONS
       	IN  THE  LITTLE MISSOURI  RIVER BASIN	
       Stntion
       Ninrtier*       1971          1972            1973            1974           1975            1976            1977           1978
               x (Bin-Box) n   x (•In-ux) n    x (aln-oax) n    x (aln-n-x) n    i" (nln-ux) n    x*  (mln-max) n    jT (aln-B-x) n    x (aln-vax) n
        334Q        __              -             	              __             	             	              ,              __
J^      3345        ~         7.4(3.0-11.0)9   7.4(2.9-15.0)16       —             —             —              —             —
ro
        3346        —         8.6(6.3-11.0)11   8.6(5.7-12.0)20       ______
        3350        —         9.4(-)l         8.5(5.0-12.0)2   5.0(2.9-7.1)4    5.8(1.5-11.0)10   6.8(1.5-12.0)2   8.2(6.9-9.5)2*        —
        3355    6.9(4.7-9.3)6    8.2(7.4-9.1)2    7.7(4.8-11.0)5   5.5(2.4-8.6)10   1.6(1.3-2.0)2    5.5(1.9-9.9)3    4.8(3.0-6.5)2        —
        3360        —         6.8(-)l         7.5(5.2-9.8)2    7.7(7.1-8.3)2    2.4(-)l         6.1(-)1              --
        3370    8.6(7.7-9.4)2    9.5(7.6-11.0)9       —         9.9(6.5-14.0)10  8.5(5.3-11.0)9    8.6(5.8-12.0)11  8.6(5.3-12.0)10   7.5(-)l

      *For full  description of station locations,  see  Table 26.
      tx  represents the mean  for  all  samples,  the  range is given  in  parentheses, and
       n  indicates  the total  number of samples  collected.

-------
CO
CO
    TABLE B-ll.  TOTAL HARDNESS (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS IN THE
                 LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
Station
Number*
3340
3345
3346
3350
3355
3360
3370
1971
x (Bln-nax) n
—
—
—
—
171(87-290)6
—
295(220-370)2
»1972
x (nln-mmx) n
—
450(360-620)9
207(150-260)11
540(-)1
340(300-380)2
430(-)1
334(180-450)9
1973
x (nin-max) n
—
412(210-610)16
234(100-510)20
305(270-340)2
302(220-350)5
350(250-450)2
--
1974
x (Bin-max) n
—
—
—
315(240-350)4
233(120-340)10
310(220-400)2
350(170-600)10
1975
x (nin-Mx) n
—
—
—
289(190-450)10
195(160-230)2
330(-)1
302(110-510)9
1976
x (aln-Mx) n
—
—
—
315(280-350)2
223(200-250)3
370(-)1
328(120-570)11
1977 1978
x (nln-oax) n x («in-nax) n
— —
_
_ _
185(150-220)2
215(170-260)2 —
_ _
257(120-400)10 200 (-)l
    *For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
    tx  represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
     n  indicates the total number of samples collected.

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10
    TABLE B-12.  TEMPERATURE (C°) 1971-78, AT U.S.  GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS  IN  THE
                 LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
Station
Nuaber*
3340
3345
3346
3350
3355
3360
3370
1971
x (mln-*ax) n
—
—
3.0(0-8.0)3
5.2(0-15.5)5
4.0(0-11.0)3
2.9(0-10.0)8
1972
x" (nin-wx) n
9.3(0-20.0)3
9.6(0-20.0)6
7.2(0-22.0)14
8.5(0-24.0)14
6.9(0-25.9)18
9.0(0-24.0)31
1973
x" («ln-Mx) n
13.1(0-22.0)8
9.8(0.5-22.5)6
8.9(0-24.5)16
11.7(0.5-25.0)15
10.4(0-27.0)15
12.3(0-27.0)21
1974
x (•in-Moc) n
—
—
9.0(0-28.0)14
10.8(0-30.0)13
9.6(0-30.5)13
9.5(0-24.5)13
1975
x (•in-vax) n
5.3(0.5-9.5)3
~
8.6(0-22.0)12
10.6(0-29.0)14
12.0(1.0-27.0)12
10.4(0-22.0)9
1976
x (mln-nax) n
11.2(0-28.5)10
—
8.6(0-24.0)14
10.3(0-27.0)16
0(-)1
11.0(0-23.0)11
1977
x (aln-Mx) n
10.8(0-21.0)9
—
7.1(0-20.0)14
10.2(0-26.0)16
—
11.0(0-24.5)13
1978
x (aln-vax) n
—
—
5.8(0-24.0)11
6.8(0-28.0)10
—
4.7(1.0-9.0)5
    *For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
    tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses,  and
     n indicates the total number of samples collected.

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to
en
    TABLE B-13.  pH, 1971-78,  AT U.S.  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  SAMPLING STATIONS IN  THE  LITTLE MISSOURI

                 RIVER BASIN
Station
Number* 1971
x (ain-BBx) n
3340 —
3345 —
3346 —
3350 —
3355 7.2(6.9-7.9)6
3360 —
3370 7.8(7.5-8.0)2
. 1972
x (Bin-Box) n
—
8.0(7.5-8.3)9
8.0(7.5-8.4)11
7.1(-)1
7.8(7.4-8.2)2
8.1(-)1
7.7(7.3-8.0)9
1973 ' 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978
x (Bin-Box) n x (Bin-Box) n x (ain-BOx) n x (min-max) n x (Bin-sax) n x (aln-max) n
______
8.0(7.7-8.3)16 ______
7.8(7.4-8.3)20 ______
8.2(8.2-8.3)2 8.4(8.4-8.5)4 8.3(8.0-8.7)10 8.6(8.5-8.8)2 8.5(8.5-8.5)2 —
8.2(8.0-8.3)5 8.1(7.1-8.5)10 8.4(8.1-8.6)2 8.6(8.4-8.8)3 8.5(8.5-8.5)2 —
8.1(8.0-8.3)2 8.0(7.8-8.3)2 8.5(-)l 8.4(-)l — —
— 8.4(7.9-8.6)10 8.3(7.9-8.6)9 8.5(7.8-8.9)11 8.4(8.2-8.6)10.0 8.3(-)l
    *For full  description of station locations,  see Table  26.

    tx represents the mean for all  samples,  the  range is given in parentheses,  and
     n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
CO
   TABLE B-14.   TOTAL  ALKALINITY  (CaC03, mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING
                 STATIONS  IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
Station
NuBber* 1971 .
x (sln-max) n
3340 —
3345 ~
3346
3350 —
3355 115(71-255)6
3360 —
3370 182(121-244)2
1972
x (Bin-Bex) n
—
286(186-417)9
392(140-663)11
58(-)l
270(102-439)2
259(-)l
250(128-354)9
1973
x (ain-Bax) n
—
207(62-368)16
287(100-652)20
390(374-405)2
302(204-427)5
227(107-347)2
—
1974
x (Bln-max) n
—
—
—
421(340-541)4
252(89-487)10
214(104-324)2
347(161-777)10
1975
x (mln-Mx) n
—
—
—
352(65-594)10
232(97-368)2
272(-)l
272(104-483)9
1976
x (ain-max) n
—
—
—
387(374-400)2
360(197-498)3
400(-)1
300(162-531)10
1977 1978
7 (Bln-Bax) n x (nUn-max) n
_
_
—
216(212-219)2 —
194(98-290)2
_ —
251(110-390)10 130(-)1
    *For full  description  of  station locations, see Table 26.
    tx represents the mean for all  samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
     n indicates  the  total  number of samples collected.

-------
GO
    TABLE  B-15.   DISSOLVED  SOLIDS,  SUM OF CONSTITUENTS  (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
                 SAMPLING STATIONS  IN THE BELLE  FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
StacioD
Number*
4257
42578
4259
4264
4265
4278
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971 1972
x (mln-Mx) o x (nln-max) n
_ _
— —
— —
__ _
— —
1185(449-1740)11 1134(520-1700)12
1199(428-2290)11 1367(634-2080)12
_ _
— —
_ _
878(465-1000)10 894(589-1180)16
— —
1924(660-4260)10 3004(973-5820)17
1396(466-2490) 13 1687 (761-3250) 17
— 2068(1370-3100)5
1973
x (aln-Bax) n
—
—
—
—
—
1092(564-1470)12
1102(620-1650)12
—
—
—
891(570-1030)13
—
2657(1490-4740)18
1519(714-3220)21
1472(1050-2920)9
1974
x (Bln-Mx) n
—
—
—
—
—
1062(520-1550)12
1307(706-2160)12
224(-)l
496(-)l
—
974(532-1560)9
964(-)l
1554(1360-5640)11
1835(945-3450)11
2330(1910-3070)3
1975
x" (Bin-Box) n
4000(3880-4120)2
3690(-)1
—
—
1621(544-2150)5
1060(554-1470)12
1381(863-2070)11
—
—
—
908(635-1050)11
—
2830(594-5510)11
1714(924-2890)11
1726(734-3360)12
1976
x~ (ain-Bax) n
4412(2900-7870)4
2117(1240-3000)7
—
—
1456(290-3050)11
1091(628-1530)12
138 / (928-2 120)11
—
—
—
969(869-1170)12
—
3405(760-6520)13
1716(462-2900)13
1702(677-3080)12
1977
x (aln-Bax) n
2585(1130-3100)4
1453(182-2970)8
—
350(-)1
1311(617-2700)10
1126(635-1630)13
1363(686-2010)16
—
—
—
899(615-1090)11
—
3351(815-6190)12
1914(585-2980)10
1809(670-3670)13
1978
x (Bln-vax) n
1050(809-1290)2
1441(751-2820)3
—
1384(460-2630)5
1547(379-2540)5
1176(417-1610)3
1495(440-1880)4
—
—
—
702(354-1040)4
—
4188(394-6140)3 .
1735(443-3010)5
1603(401-2640)4
    *For full  description of  station  locations,  see Table 26.
    tx represents the mean for all  samples, the  range is given in parentheses, and
     n indicates the total  number of  samples  collected.

-------
TABLE B-16.  CONDUCTIVITY (vmho/cm at 25°C), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY  SAMPLING  STATIONS
             IN THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Number*
4257
42578
4259
4264
4265
4278
4285
4295
,4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971
x (aln-sax)n
—
—
—
—
—
1477(627-2100)11
1510(580-2900)15
—
—
—
1150(684-1400)16
—
2406(622-5910)17
1675(743-2880)20
2115(712-4420)20
1972
x (aln-Bax) n
—
—
—
—
—
1448(793-2060)12
1716(938-2360)16
—
—
—
1187(850-1460)16
—
3524(1390-6320)17
2082(1080-3780)17
2526(888-4200)13
1973
x (Bln-Bax) n
—
—
—
—
—
1413(881-1820)12
1394(894-1970)15
—
—
—
1197(845-1320)13
—
3150(1940-5680)18
1913(1000-3900)21
1933(990-4150)19
1974
ic (Bln-Bax) o
~
--
—
—
—
1432(828-1910)12
1464(1020-2470)9
395(-)l
772 (-)l
—
1359(800-1970)9
1560(-)1
4268(1850-7000)11
2413(1210-5200)11
3130(2840-3620)3
1975
x" (Bin-sax) n
5100(5000-5200)2
5000 (-)l
—
—
2258(690-3500)5
1481(830-1900)12
1617(1350-2000)3
—
—
—
1270(980-1500)11
—
3472(735-6400)12
2255(1290-3950)11
?227 (1280-4000) 12
1976
x (aln-aax) n
4940(3600-8000)5
2675(650-4200)8
—
—
2114(480-4000)11
1421(890-1900)12
1625(1450-1900)4
—
—
—
1270(1100-1500)12
--
3488(1260-5900)13
2091(750-3600)13
1885(390-3420)12
1977
x (Bin-sax) n
3175(1100-4000)4
1660(300-2600)8
—
2668(1830-3300)4
1726(950-3800)10
1470(910-2400)11
1726(1000-2400)7
—
—
—
1239(800-1500)10
—
3758(1440-7200)12
2468(875-4000)10
2308(1150-4300)13
1978
x (sin-sax) n
2217(1100-3800)3
2075(1100-3100)4
—
2014(740-3750)5
2250(610-3500)7
770(-)1
1324(570-2200)5
—
—
—
1135(685-1650)4
--
4893(580-7100)3
2344(680-3500)5
2200(700-3500)4
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
oo
vo
    TABLE B-17.  DISSOLVED CALCIUM (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
                 IN THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Nunber*
4257
42578
4259
4264
4265
4278
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971
x (Bin-Box) nf
__
—
—
—
—
203(67-310)11
202(88-410)11
--
—
—
160(93-200)16
—
177(42-360)17
169(78-250)20
210(80-510)12
1972
x (Bln-aax) n
—
—
—
—
—
180(62-290)12
230(90-410)12
—
—
—
172(99-260)16
—
249(86-430)17
214(90-380)17
236(77-370)10
1973
x (aln-Bax) n
—
—
—
—
—
178(61-270)12
183(100-300)12
—
—
—
174(110-210)3
—
127(130-350)18
208(120-400)21
196(130-300)9
1974
x (Bln-wx) n
—
--
—
—
—
164(53-260)12
213(99-370)12
55(-)l
120(-)1
—
186(96-260)9
200(-)1
285(200-450)11
238(140-420)11
293(250-380)3
1975
x («ln-B»x) n
370(370-370)2
380 (-)l
—
—
68(30-130)5
165(64-230)12
i
244(120-420)11
—
—
—
173(110-210)11
—
244(56-440)11
223(89-360)11
222(83-370)12
1976
x (Bin-Box) n
390(310-530)4
230(150-340)7
—
—
92(39-220)11
178(69-270)12
234(130-380)11
—
—
—
201(160-240)12
—
273(84-440)13
228(71-370)13
212(100-360)12
1977
x (Bln-oax) n
280(120-340)4
180(32-370)8
—
146(77-190)3
97(56-180)10
176(57-280)13
212(71-350)16
—
—
—
180(96-230)11
—
270(78-430)12
239(81-390)10
221(70-430)13
1978
x (aln-Bax) n
122(95-150)2
169(82-340)3
916(13-180)2
108(45-180)5
108(44-160)5
207(62-300)3
262(60-370)4
—
—
—
142(64-220)4
—
284(43-410)3
217(53-340)5
199(50-330)4
    *For full description of-station locations, see Table 26.
    t5c represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
     n indicates the total number of samples collected.

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TABLE B-18.  DISSOLVED SODIUM (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
             IN THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Nunber*
4257
42578
4259
4264
O 4278
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971
x (•ln-max) n
_
—
—
—
76(29-100)11
77(17-140)11
—
—
_
38(13-68)16
_
252(30-770)17
112(26-260)20
181(29-410)4
1972
x (nin-uajt) n
—
—
—
—
79(50-110)12
89(55-120)12
—
_
—
35(19-66)16
—
402(120-830)17
148(72-340)17
181(88-310)7
1973 1974
x (Bin-Mx) n x (Blii-Max) n
_ —
_ _
—
—
79(50-98)12 93(40-150)12
72(37-96)12 94(50-140)12
- K-)l
3(-)l
_ —
34(20-51)13 45(22-100)9
- 24(-)l
355(130-700)18 488(110-940)11
124(46-280)21 159(63-360)11
128(69-320)9 223(180-310)3
1975
x* (Bin-«ax) n
515(510-520)2
470(-)1
—
—
412(100-580)5
86(27-130)12
89(40-130)11
—
—
—
41(18-76)11
—
382(88-800)11
145(49-280)11
158(64-330)12
1976
x (*la-*ax) a
600(350-1200)4
254(140-350)7
—
—
320(40-630)1
88(48-140)12
99(59-140)11
—
—
—
33(11-72)12
—
462(96-1000)13
147(36-280)13
160(42-280)12
1977
x (*in-*ax) n
310(120-410)4
164(13-330)8
—
350(250-430)3
260(97-550)10
103(34-140)13
117(54-150)16
—
—
_
38(17-96)11
—
470(92-1000)12
172(44-300)10
174(67-370)13
1978
x (ala-aax) n
135(100-170)2
173(100-320)3
282(13-550)2
246(47-530)5
316(570)5
89(27-120)3
107(39-130)4
—
—
—
28(20-36)4
—
635(56-950)3
164(43-280)5
174(48-280)4
*For full description of station locations,  see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all  samples, the  range is given  in  parentheses, and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
.ABLE B-19.  DISSOLVED MAGNESIUM (mg/1),  1971-78,  AT  U.S.  GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
             IN THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Number 1971
x (Bln-»ax) IT
4257 —
42578 —
4259 —
4264 —
4265 —
4278 57(20-80)11
4285 59(19-110)11
4295 --
4299
4305
4345 43(21-53)16
4167 —
4368 123(21-170)17
4370 76(25-160)20
4380 97(12-260)12
1972
x (•In-Bax) n
—
—
—
—
—
60(25-95)12
67(31-120)12
—
—
—
45(27-61)16
—
191(53-390)17
104(39-210)17
113(27-200)10
1973
x (uln-ux) n
—
—
—
—
—
57(25-82)12
56(34-93)12
—
—
—
47(31-53)13
—
167(84-330)18
92(40-210)21
85(53-180)9
1974 1975
x (Bin-Bjut) n x (Bln-aax) n
240(230-250)2
210(-)1
_ _
_
— 50(23-77)5
52(14-78)12 53(26-79)12
65(29-110)12 61(38-110)11
20(-)1 --
29(-)l
_
41(25-79)9 47(32-60)11
54(-)l -
235(75-380)11 178(34-350)11
117(50-230)11 104(54-180)11
153(120-210)3 106(36-230)12
1976
x (aln-Bax) n
268(160-530)4
112(64-170)7
—
—
53(13-120)11
51(25-74)12
63(41-95)11
—
—
—
49(41-63)12
—
218(39-430)13
106(22-200)13
103(32-190)12
1977
x (Bln-«mx) a
145(70-190)4
82(9-170)8
—
116(67-150)3
56(12-130)10
54(27-78)13
64(33-110)16
—
—
—
45(29-54)11
—
220(46>420)12
122(37-210)10
116(28-240)13
1978
x (B!B-MX) n
50(35-65)2
78(36-160)3
108(7-210)2
79(33-130)5
71(23-110)5
53(27-69)3
59(24-83)4
—
—
—
36(17-55)4
—
279(18-410)3
113(21-200)5
99(16-180)4
*For full description of station locations,  see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all  samples, the  range is given  in  parentheses, and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
TABLE B-20.  DISSOLVED POTASSIUM (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
             IN THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Number*
4257
42S78
4259
4264
4265
4* 4278
ro
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971 1972 1973 1974
x (mln-max) n x (Bin-sax) n x (mln-max) n x (mln-max) n
______
_____
_ _ _ _
1975
x (aln-Bax) n
31.5(23.0-40.0)2
30.0(-)1
—
1976
x (mln-max) n
24.2(17.0-45.0)4
17.0(12.0-19.0)7


x
12
12

1977
(mln-
.0(8.
.4(5.
—
•max) n
9-15.0)4
8-19.0)8

— — — — — — 15.0(11.0-22.0)3
_____
6.8(5.1-8.1)11 7.3(5.8-8.4)12 6.6(5.1-7.2)12 7.1(5.8-9.3)12
7.3(3.1-9.5)11 8.0(6.3-9.5)12 7.3(5.8-8.4)12 8.0(6.3-9.5)12
- 0.7(-)1
- 1.4(-)1
_ _ _ _
5.4(3.6-7.6)16 4.8(3.3-6.8)16 4.6(3.5-6.4)13 5.6(3.3-11.0)9
- - - 3.4(-)l
9.1(5.8-20.0)17 9.8(5.8-14.0)17 10.1(6.9-14.0)18 11.6(9.4-16.0)11
14.0(7.8-30.0)20 14.1(8.8-20.0)17 14. 3(5. 7-34/0)21 17.8(11.0-30.0)11
17.0(8.8-34.0)4 13.8(8.6-17.0)7 12.2(8.6-20.0)9 20.3(16.0-25.0)3
10.7(7.7-13.0)5
7.0(6.1-7.9)12
8.2(6.5-9.8)11
—
—
—
5.1(3.0-8.0)11
—
10.0(4-.7-14.0)ll
15.1(11.0-22.0)11
14.9(7.5-24.0)12
10/6(8
7.0(4
8.2(5



4.8(2

11.2(6
15.4(7
14.6(8
.2-16.0)11
.9-8.8)12
.6-9.3)11



.7-8.4)12

.8-18.0)13
.0-28,0)13
.5-22.0)12
11
7
8



4

9
15
15
.4(7.
.1(4.
.1(4.

—
—
.5(3.
_
.8(0.
.0(11
.3(9.
7-18.0)10
4-8.8)13
2-10.0)16



3-8.2)11

9-18.0)12
.0-18.0)10
6-21.0)13
x
8
11
10
13
12
4
6



5

11
10
1978
(Bin
.0(6
.2(6
.9(6
.4(8
.5(6
-max)
.4-9.
n
6)2
.6-20.0)3
.8-15.0)2
.0-19.0)5
.0-17
.2(0.2-6.
.9(5.6-8.






.1(3.2-8.


.0(4.9-14
.1(5.5-15
10.9(5.8-15
.0)5
6)3
5)4



5)4

.0)3
.0)5
.0)4
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tX represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

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TABLE B-21.  BICARBONATE ION (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
             IN THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Number*
4257
42578
4259
4264
,_, 4265
CO 4278
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971 1972 1973
x(oin-max) n x (Bin-Box) n x (mln-nax) n
__ _ _
_____
_____
_ — _
— __ —
222(92-342)11 „ 227(113-352)12 220(155-289)12
183(49-348)11 207(146-323)12 182(115-246)12
_ _ _
_ _ _
— — —
189(129-231)16 218(146-284)16 220(188-286)13
— — —
205(101-400)16 293(127-561)17 245(173-387)18
191(148-294)20 237(129-425)17 233(174-493)21
254(128-601)4 282(163-441)7 210(128-365)9
1974
x (Bin-Mx) n
__
—
—
—
—
252(186-365)12
211(122-378)12
262 (-)l
276 (-)l
—
225(147-310)9
297 (-)l
332(188-593)11
271(164-561)11
270(209-376)3
1975
x* (Bln-awc) n
316(222-410)2
356(-)l
—
—
542(169-678)5
228(140-350)12
222(130-330)11
—
—
—
214(153-291)11
—
278(94-526)11
255(114-434)11
235(96-499)12
1976
x (Bln-aax) n
302(225-362)4
229(106-386)7
—
—
464(99-820)11
233(130-320)12
216(170-280)11
—
—
—
232(187-289)12
—
310(135-366)13
260(147-431)13
215(161-376)12
1977
x (•ln-Mx) n
259(110-370)4
269(63-520)8
—
520(360-601)4
378(160-705)10
237(170-330)13
204(79-340)16
—
—
—
226(190-297)11
—
338(100-706)12
268(140-467)10
233(88-501)13
1978
x (mln-BOx) n
135(110-160)2
253(120-500)3
—
384(90-739)5
442(92-780)5
193(110-310)3
227(128-310)4
—
—
—
182(73-280)4
—
383(69-550)3
240(80-390)5
220(81-390)4
*For full description of-station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
TABLE B-22.  SULFATE (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS IN THE BELLE
             FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Number*
4257
42578
4259
4264
4265
4278
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971
x (Bln-ux) n
—
—
—
—
—
719(260-1100)11
744(233-1400)11
—
—
—
489(290-600)16
—
1224(200-3300)17
786(240-1600)20
1084(260-2600)12
1972
x («ln-_ax) n
—
—
—
—
—
679(260-1000)12
847(340-1300)12
—
—
—
512(330-680)16
—
1903(590-3700)17
1049(450-2000)17
1137(350-1900)10
1973
x (•ln-max) n
—
—
—
—
—
646(290-890)12
672(340-1000)12
—
—
—
506(290-590)13
—
1693(930-3000)18
930(390-2000)21
909(640-1800)9
1974
x (Bin-oax) n
~
—
—
—
—
607(250-900)12
807(430-1300)12
4(-)l
190(-)1
—
560(290-1000)9
502(-)1
2261(840-3600)11
1125(550-2100)11
1467(1200-1900)3
1975
_• «*»_.> n
2650(2500-2800)2
2400(-)1
—
—
786(260-1100)5
622(270-890)12
743(130-1300)11
—
—
—
521(350-620)11
—
1796(340-3500)11
1046(560-1800)11
1080(440-2100)12
1976
x (nln-aax) n
2950(1900-5400)4
1371(730-1900)7
—
—
719(130-1600)11
636(310-910)12
B59(510rl300)ll
—
—
—
552(480-720)12
—
2157(440-4300)13
1052(240-1800)13
1078(400-2000)12
1977
x (nln-au) n
1688(750-2000)4
867(85-1800)8
—
927(580-1200)3
636(290-1300)10
645(290-960)13
845(340-1200)16
—
—
—
503(320-610)11
—
2092(500-3700)12
1186(320-1800)10
1135(410-2300)13
1978
x (»ln-«iflx) n
660(510-810)2
867(440-1700)3
972(43-1900)2
638(220-1200)5
710(200-1100)5
707(230-950)3
882(230-1100)4
—
—
—
385(190-580)4
—
2640(220-3900)3
1062(250-1900)5
975(230-1600)4
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses,  and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
tn
   TABLE  B-23.   CHLORIDE  (mg/1),  1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS IN THE
                 BELLE  FOURCHE RIVER  BASIN
Station
Number*
4257
42578
4259
4264
4265
4278
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971 1972
x (•in-nax) n x" (Min-vax) n
_ _
_ _
— —
- —
— _-
6(3-10)11 6(2-8)12
6(3-10)12 6(3-10)12
— —
_ _
_ _
5(3-8)16 4(3-9)16
_ _
41(8-130)17 73(18-160)17
16(4-39)20 21(7-50)17
23(5-60)12 23(7-41)10
1973
x (atn-max) n
—
—
—
—
—
7(5-10)12
6(4-9)12
—
—
—
5(2-10)13
—
56(10-120)18
17(6-42)21
18(10-61)9
1974 1975
x (in-™.) n 7 (*«-«x) „
— 34(29-38)2
22(-)l
_ —
_
— 17(14-19)5
7(4-13)12 7(4-11)12
6(4-11)12 8(4-11)11
!(-)! -
3(-)l
_ _
5(4-9)9 5(3-8)11
4(-)l -
74 (16-190) 11 60(4-120)11
22(8-50)11 25(9-62)11
31(22-48)3 22(9-48)12
1976
x (nln-wax) n
30(19-55)4
12(8-20)7
_
—
24(6-53)11
9(4-21)12
10(5-27)11
—
—
—
5(3-10)12
—
84(15-230)13
19(4-35)13
24(6-41)12
1977
x (Bln-Mx) n
17(9-22)4
9(2-14)8
—
154(63-230)3
56(6-170)10
13(5-30)13
12(4-32)16
—
—
—
6(3-12)11
—
81(15-190)12
26(9-46)10
26(10-58)13
1978
x (nln-nax) n
5(4-6)2
9(4-15)3
8(2-13)2
98(23-190)5
100(10-180)5
8(6-10)3
11(5-13)4
—
—
—
4(3-6)4
_
106(9-160)3
26(6-42)5
28(6-48)4
    *For full  description of station locations,  see  Table 26.
    tx represents the mean for all  samples, the  range  is given  in  parentheses, and
     n indicates the total  number of samples  collected.

-------
TABLE B-24.  DISSOLVED SILICA (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING  STATIONS
             IN THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Rtaelon
Number* 1971
_ t
4257 —
42578 —
4259 —
4264 —
4265
4278 7.5(0.9-11.0)11
4285 8.8(4.6-11.0)12
4295 —
4299 —
4305 —
4345 9.2(5.6-12.0)10
4367 —
4368 6.9(3.4-8.2)10
4370 7.8(6.0-10.0)13
4380 —
1972
x (oln-nax) n
—
—
—
—
—
7.3(2.6-11.0)12
10.1(5.5-13.0)12
—
—
—
10.5(5.0-17.0)16
—
5.9(2.4-11.0)17
7.4(4.6-11.0)17
5.3(3.8-6.9)5
1973
x (•la-Max) n
—
—
—
—
—
6.6(0.5-11.0)12
8.8(5.7-11.0)2
—
—
—
11.4(8.7-17.0)13
--
5.5(1.2-14.0)18
8.2(4.4-13.0)21
6.9(3.8-8.3)9
1974 1975
x (.in-«x) n I (^n-«x) «
— 5.0(1.2-8.8)2
5.9(-)l
— —
~
— 8.5(8.0-9.6)5
6.5(0.7-11.0)12 6.4(0.3-10.0)12
8.5(3.7-15.0)12 7.9(3.7-11.0)11
13.0(-)1
12.0(-)1 -
_ __
7.6(2.0-12.0)9 9.2(6.9-12.0)11
10.0(-)1 -
4.4(0.9-9.2)11 5.0(1.5-8.9)11
7.6(2.4-12.0)11 7.3(4.0-11.0)11
6.2(5.1-7.1)3 6.8(3.6-10.0)12
1976
x (Bln-aax) n
4.2(0.3-7.3)4
4.0(0.3-8.4)7
--
—
7.1(3.7-11.0)11
5.2(0-10.0)12
7.1(4.0-11.0)11
—
—
—
8.3(5.9-10.0)12
—
4.3(0.9-8.8)13
6.6(5.3-9.0)13
5.3(4.0-8.0)12
1977
x (Bln-wpc) n
5.1(0.2-7.1)4
4.5(0.4-8.8)8
—
5.7(3.9-9.2)3
6.6(3.8-11.0)10
6.9(1.0-17.0)13
7.1(3.4-12.0)16
—
—
~
8.6(5.4-10.0)11
—
5.7(2.3-8.4)12
7.4(5.7-9.6)10
6.5(4.4-9.2)13
1978
x (mln-««x) n
4.1(3.9-4.3)2
6.9(4.4-11.0)3
—
11.2(6.0-18.0)5
10.4(5.9-16.0)5
9.7(6.1-13.0)3
11.5(8.9-13.0)4
—
—
—
8.6(5.6-11.0)4
—
5.5(1.4-9.3)3
9.0(5.2-11.0)5
7.8(4.6-10.0)4
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given  in  parentheses,
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.       *
and

-------
TABLE B-25.  TOTAL HARDNESS (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING  STATIONS  IN
             THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Number*
4257
42578
4259
4264
4265
4278
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971
••• +
x (Bin-wax) D
—
—
—
—
—
745(280-1100)11
747(300-1400)11
—
—
—
575(320-720)16
—
942(190-2400)17
742(300-1300)20
1044(300-2400)7
1972
it fain-nut) n
—
—
—
—
—
699(260-1100)12
847(350-1400)12
—
—
—
614(360-900)16
—
1414(430-2700)17
964(390-1800)17
1051(300-1700)10
1973
x (•in-woc) n
—
—
—
—
—
862(260-930)12
693(400-1100)12
—
—
—
626(400-740)13
—
1250(770-2200)18
899(460-1900)21
841(540-1500)9
1974
x (Bln-Mx) n
—
—
—
—
—
927(240-980)12
807(380-1400)12
202 (-)l
420 (-)l
—
676(340-970)9
720(-)1
1674(810-2400)11
1075(560-2000)11
1367(1100-1800)3
1975
x~ (>in-Mx) n
1950(1900-2000)2
1800(-)1
—
—
376(210-640)5
634(270-880)12
865(460-1300)11
—
—
—
628(410-730)11
—
1344(280-2500)11
981(450-1600)11
992(360-1900)12
1976
ic (•in-aax) n
2050(1400-3500)4
1037(640-1600)7
—
—
444(150-1000)11
652(270-970)12
841(490-1400)11
—
—
—
704(570-800)12

1582(370-2700)13
993(270-1700)13
959(380-1700)12
1977
x (•in-Bax) n
1298(590-1600)4
791(120-1600)8
—
843(470-1100)3
474(200-980)10
632(250-1000)13
870(320-1300)16
—
—
—
638(360-800)11
—
1592(380-2800)12
1100(360-1800)10
1030(290-2100)13
1978
x (•in-nax) n
510(380-640)2
737(350-1500)3
680(61-1300)2
596(250-980)5
562(200-850)5
727(270-1000)3
912(250-1200)4
—
—
—
502(230-780)4
—
1860(180-2700)3
1028(220-1700)5
908(190-1600)4
*For full description of-station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
TABLE B-26.  TOTAL IRON (yg/1), 1972-78, AT IkS. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING  STATIONS  IN  THE
             BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Numbar* 1972t 1973
x (Bin-Mx) n+ x" (Bin-Box) n
4257 — —
42578 — —
4259 — —
4264 — —
4265 — —
4278 — —
4285 — —
4295 — —
4299 — —
4305 — —
4345 — —
4367 — —
4368 — —
4370 — —
4380 — —
1974 1975
x" (mln-Mx) n x* (sin-Box) n
— 340(-)1
370(-)1
_
— —
— 5035(770-9300)2
895(190-1600)2
_
— —
_ _
— —
_
_ _
_
_ _
300(-)1 72,367(1100-200,000)3
1976 1977 1978
x* (uin-Mx) n x" (Bln-Bax) n x (Bin-sax) n
2180(840-4700)3 450(440-460)2 870(860-880)2
534(120-1700)5 9078(420-33,000)4 1315(630-20000)2
_____
_____
3540(460-8100)4 1195(260-2000)4 450(-)1
645(170-1500)4 1027(80-1600)3 —
— 880(-)1 37,000(-)1
— — —
— — —
_ __ _
_ _ _
_ _ _
_ __ _
_ _ _
263,400(200-740,000)3 205,823(190-460,000)4 240(-)1
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses,  and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
vo
    TABLE B-27.  TOTAL MANGANESE  (ug/1) 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS
                 IN THE  BELLE  FOURCHE  RIVER BASIN
Station
Number* 1971 1972
x(uln-aax) n x (min-Bax) n
4257 — —
42578 — —
4259 — —
4264 — —
4265 — —
4278 — —
4285 —
4295 ~ —
4299 —
4305 — —
4345 — —
4367 — —
4368 — ~
4370 ~ —
4380 — —
1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978
x (mln-aax) n x (nin-Bax) n x (oln-nax) n x (Bln-mox) n x (mln-m*x) n x (nin-nax) n
— — 90(-)1 970(510-1400)3 215(210-220)2 260(250-270)2
— — 2600 (-)l 596(50-2400)5 305(80-430)4 1110(220-2000)2
_ _ __ _ __ __
— — — — 350(-)1
— — 250(250-250)2 492(110-1000)4 245(140-410)4 1900 (-)l
— — 190(70-310)2 130(50-240)4 117(50-190)3 —
— — — — 140(-)1 2000(-)1
_ _ _ _ — _
_ _ _ _ __
_ __ _ __ __ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
______ ______
______ __ __ _
_____ __ _
— 170(-)1 913(150-2100)3 7855(160-29.000)4 5635(140-13,000)4 500(-)1
    *For full  description  of  station  locations, see Table 26.
    'x  represents the mean for  all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
      n  indicates the total  number  of  samples collected.

-------
TABLE B-28.  TEMPERATURE (C°), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY  SAMPLING  STATIONS  IN  THE
             BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Nunber*
4257
42578
4259
4264
4265
Cn 4278
0
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971
x (nln-wax) n
—
—
10.0(0-21.5)11
10.2(0-24.5)16
—
—
8.5(3.0-14.0>4
14. 6(0-2$. 5)5
—
13.1(0-22.5)5
14.6(0-25.0)8
10.0(0-26.0)27
1972
x (mln-nax) n
—
—
10.0(0-24.5)12
8.1(0-22.0)16
—
—
9.5(0-18.0)11
7.5(0-20.0)4
—
7.2(0-20.0)5
7.2(0-24.5)6
7.7(0-20.0)22
1973
x (Bin-tux) n
	
—
8.4(0-24.0)12
9.7(0-22.5)15
—
—
9.4(2.0-18.0)11
12.6(0-19.5)7
—
12.0(0-24.0)10
10.7(0-26.0)12
12.2(0-27.0)19
1974
x (aln-max) n
—
—
9.2(0-19.5)13
9.8(0-23.5)12
11.5(-)1
12.5(-)1
9.8(0-18.0)12
11.9(0-28.0)9
0(-)1
12.1(0-26.0)11
10.7(0-25.0)11
5.0(0.5-9.0)3

x
5
21
10
8
4
10
8
12

11
13
10
1975
(nln-mox) n
.0(4.0-6.0)2
.2(3.0-31.0)5
.3(0-27.0)12
.6(0-29.0)13
.2(0-9.5)4
.8(9.5-12.5)3
.3(1.0-18.5)16
.7(0-28.0)10
—
.1(0-26.5)11
.0(0-25.5)10
.0(0-25.5)12

1976
x (mln-nax) n
7.
11.
10.
10.
11.
5(0-25.0)12
1(0-32.0)15
0(0-28.0)17
3(0-28.0)12
5(0-25.5)24
7.0(0.5-16.5)12
14.
10.
10.
17.
11.
10.
9.
2(9.5-26.0)11
5(0.5-20.5)23
9(0-22.5)12
0(0.5-27.5)3
9(0-27.0)13
5(0-24.5)13
5(0-24.0)15
1977
x (nin-na

x) n
14.5(0-24.0)5
11.3(0-27.0)9
6.6(0-14)4
11.7(0-25
7.8(0-21
8.8(0-23
7.3(0-15
—
.0)14
.5)14
.0)24
.0)9

1978
x (mln-Bax) n
16.8(14.0-22.5)3
13.2(0-25.0)4
2.7(0-7.8)6
8.4(0-19.0)7
6.4(0-14.0)5
6.7(0-18.0)6
—
—
12.0(0.5-24.5)18 —
10.0(0-21
—
10.7(0-24
9.7(0-23
11.0(0-25
.0)11

.5)12
.0)10
.5)23
1.2(0-2.5)4
—
3.8(0-11.0)3
5.0(0-19.5)5
2.9(0-7.0)4
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses,  and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
TABLE B-29.  DISSOLVED OXYGEN (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S.  GEOLOGICAL SURVEY  SAMPLING  STATIONS
             IN THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Hinber* 1971 1972 1973 1974
x~ (Bin-Box) n x (•in-nax) n x (_ln-iux) n x (min-Bax) n
4257 — — — —
42578 — — — —
4259 — — — —
4264 — — — —
4265 ______
4278 — — 11, 8 (11. 6-12. 0)2 8.7(6.8-11.2)13
4285 9.4(8.0-10.2)4 10.4(8.8-12.7)4 9.8(7.5-12.4)4 8.2(7.2-9.5)4
4Z95 — — — —
4299 — — — —
4305 — — — —
4345 — — —
4368 _ _ _ _-
4370 _____
4380 9.1(6.1-12.9)11 9.4(7.5-12.7)10 9.5(7.8-12.6)10
1975 1976 1977 1978
x (nln-woc) n x" (_ln-»ax) n x" (nln-max) n x (_ln-»ax) n
10.3(8.8-11.8)2 9.7(9.1-10.0)4 8.6(6.3-11.0)4 9.9(8.2-12.0)3
6.5(-)l 9.4(4.3-11.9)7 10.2(6.8-17.4)8 9.1(8.8-9.3)4
— — — —
— — 10.2(4.8-15.2)4 9.6(7.6-11.3)5
8.0(5.4-10.6)5 7.9(4.7-12.6)11 9.2(7.0-11.2)10 8.8(7.6-11.0)7
9.5(6.9-12.0)12 9.6(7.1-12.0)12 9.6(7.4-11.2)10 —
10.4(6.4-11.8)4 9.5(7.3-10.6)4 10.8(7.9-12.8)7 10.4(7.8-13.2)5
— — — —
— —• — —
— — — —
— — — —
_ _ _ _
_______
— 9.9(-)l 8.5(7.6-9.6)3
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses,  and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
TABLE B-30.  pH, 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAMPLING STATIONS IN THE BELLE FOURCHE
             RIVER BASIN
Station
Number*
4257
42578
4259
4264
4265
4278
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971 1972 1973 1974
x (mln-nax) n x" (min-nax) n x" (aln-nax) n x" (nln-nax) n
_____
_____
_ _ __ _
______
______
7.8(7.5-8.2)11 7.8(7.5-8.1)12 8.0(7.7-8.3)12 8.0(6.8-8.4)12
7.7(6.6-8.2)15 7.9(7.4-8.3)16 8.0(7.6-8.3)15 8.0(7.7-8.3)9
_____
_ _ _ _
_____
7.8(7.4-8.2)16 7.9(7.4-8.2)16 8.0(7.6-8.2)13 7.9(7.5-8.1)6
_ _ __ _
7.8(7.5-8.4)17 7.9(7.5-8.3)17 8.0(7.6-8.3)18 8.0(7.6-8.3)8
7.7(7.2-8.1)20 7.9(7.3-8.2)17 8.0(7.7-8.2)21 7.9(7.5-8.1)8
7.9(7.4-8.6)22 8.1(7.6-10.2)19 8.0(7.3-8.3)18 7.8(7.7-7.9)2
1975
x (nln-'ux) n
7.9(7.7-8.1)2
7.4(-)l
—
—
8.0(7.6-8.3)5
8.0(7.6-8.2)12
7.4(-)l
—
--
—
8.2(8.0-8.5)9
—
8.0(7.6-8.8)11
8.1(7.1-8.7)10
8.1(6.9-8.7)12
1976
x (nln-_ax) n
7.8(7.3-8.4)4
8.0(7.3-8.7)7
—
—
7.7(7.3-8.3)11
7.9(7.5-8.2)12
--
—
—
—
8.1(7.5-8.5)11
—
7.9(7.2-8.6)13
8.0(7.4-8.8)12
8.1(7.5-8.9)11
1977
x" (nln-max) n
7.9(7.6-8.4)4
7.8(7.4-8.2)8
—
8.0(7.6-8.4)4
8.1(7.7-8.6)10
8.0(7.7-8.4)9
7.8(7.4-8.1)4
—
—
—
8.1(7.3-8.4)11
—
8.0(7.3-8.5)12
8.0(7.3-8.3)10
8.2(7.8-8.5)13
1978
x (aln-Bax) n
7.9(7.5-8.1)3
7.8(7.3-8.4)4
—
7.7(7.3-8.1)5
7.6(6.7-8.2)7
8.2(-)l
7.6(7.3-8.2)5
—
—
—
7.9(7.8-8.0)4
—
7.7(7.6-7.8)3
7.8(7.6-8.0)4
8.1(7.7-8.7)4
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses, and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
TABLE B-31.  TOTAL ALKALINITY (CaC03, mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY  SAMPLING
             STATIONS IN THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER BASIN
Station
Number*
4257
42578
4259
4264
4265
4278
4285
4295
4299
4305
4345
4367
4368
4370
4380
1971
x (aln-Bax) nt
—
—
—
—
—
182(75-281)11
150(40-285)11
—
—
—
155(106-189)16
—
170(83-331)16
157(121-241)20
208(105-493)4
1972
x («ln-«ax) n
—
—
—
—
—
186(93-289)12
170(120-265)12
—
—
—
179(120-233)16
—
241(104-460)17
194(106-349)17
232(134-362)7
1973
x (min-Bax) n
—
—
—
—
—
180(127-237)12
150(94-202)12
—
—
—
180(154-235)13
—
201(142-31,7)18
191(143-404)21
172(105r299)9
1974
x (•in-aax) n
—
—
—
—
—
206(153-299)12
173(100-310)12
215(-)1
226(-)l
—
185(121-254)9
244(-)l
272(154-486)11
222(135-460)11
221(171-308)3
1975
x (Bin-flax) n
259(182-336)2
292 (-)l
—
—
445(139-556)5
187(115-287)12
182(107-271)11
—
—
—
175(126-239)11
—
228(77-431)11
209(94-356)11
193(79-409)12
1976
x (mln-nax) n
248(185-297)4
189(87-317)7
—
—
380(81-673)11
192(107-263)12
177(139-230)11
—
—
—
190(153-237)12
—
254(111-464)13
213(121-354)13
177(132-308)12
1977
x (aln-oax) n
212(90-300)4
220(52-430)8
—
430(295-506)4
311(130-578)10
196(139-271)13
167(65-279)16
—
—
—
186(160-244)11
—
278(82-579)12
219(110-383)10
191(72-411)13
1978
x (nln-nax) n
110(90-130)2
206(98-410)3
—
315(74-610)5
363(75-640)5
158(90-254)3
186(105-254)4
—
—
—
149(60-230)4
--
312(57-450)3
197(66-320)5
182(66-320)4
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses,  and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
TABLE B-32.  SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS (mg/1), 1971-78, AT U.S.  GEOLOGICAL SURVEY  SAMPLING  STATIONS
             IN THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
Station
ihrnber*
3370
4257
42578
4265
4305
4370
4380
1971
x tain- *ax) n't
12373(2200-32299)3
—
—
—
310(24-1160)4
—
—
1972 1973 " 1974
x taln-nax) n H tain-aax) n -x tain-Mx) n
12036(200-40399)9 4445(82-18800)8 126(81-183)3
__
_ —
__ _ _
87(14-246)12 654(23-4990)12 256(22-1900)12
_ _
341(297-385)2
1975 1976
x taln-Mx) n x tain-Max) n
7538(128-14600)7 2453(117-13100)6
69(30-151)8
— 925(3-3340)9
— 1766(12-7890)8
180(12-1700)13 48(19-86)10
21500(-)1
1022(144-4479)12 2155(202-7960)7
1977 1978
x" tain-sax) n x tain-«ax) n
3880(84-14100)7 6419(81-40399)43
37(-)l 65(30-151)9
37(-)l 836(3-3340)10
2098 (106-10500) 6 1908 (12-10500) 14
62(18-152)9 230(12-4990)72
21500(-)1 —
1335(144-7960)21 —
*For full description of station locations, see Table 26.
tx represents the mean for all samples, the range is given in parentheses,  and
 n indicates the total number of samples collected.

-------
                                 APPENDIX  C
                 PARAMETERS EXCEEDING WATER QUALITY  CRITERIA


    Contents of this appendix are organized by basin and  station  as  described
in Table 26 of this report.

    Those parameters for which water quality criteria have  been exceeded  in
the study area during the years 1974-77, and the maximum  parameter value
observed during those years, are listed for each station.   Also presented are
the number of violations observed for each parameter and  beneficial  use,  and
total  number of data points collected per parameter  during  the specified  time
frame.  Beneficial  use codes presented represent the following:
AL=aquatic life, DW=drinking water, I=irrigation, L=livestock.
                                    155

-------
    TABLE  C-l.
PARAMETERS EXCEEDING WATER QUALITY CRITERIA IN THE BELLE FOURCHE AND LITTLE
MISSOURI RIVER BASINS AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF OBSERVED VIOLATIONS
en
StreaB, Station Nuaber.
and Beneficial Use

Little Missouri River
06339000
AL
DH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
NAXINUN VALUE
•
06339900
AL
DN
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE

•
06336000
AL
ON
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE

•
06337000
AL
DH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE

Belle Fourche River
06439720
AL
DN
I .
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
NAXINUN VALUE

I
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• ••
• ••
• ••
• ••
•*•
0.0
UG/L

•*•
•••
•••
•••
•••
o.o
UO/L


•••
•••
•••
••*
•••
0.0
UO/L


• 11
•ao
•11
•••
•ao
10000.0
UO/L


••i
••s
•••
•••
••s
4700.0
UO/L

T
•aa
aaa
•••
•••
•••
0.0
UG/L
.

•••
•*•
•»•
••*
•••
0.0
UG/L
•

•••
•••
aaa
aaa
•••
0.0
UO/L
•

•20
•20
•••
•20
•ao
300.0
UG/L
•

••9
••3
•••
••S
••8
aoo.o
UG/L
                                                                                   (Continued)

-------
                                                              TABLE C-l.   (Continued)
         StreaB, Station Ninber,
         and Beneficial Use
                                                                     Nuaber of Times Criteria Exceeded
06429780
AL
DH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
u
s
I
                                                                                5
                                       o.o
                                      UG/L
                   0.0
                  UG/L
               ••1
              10.0
              UG/L
         0.0
        UG/L
                  • 19
                 20.0
                 NG/L
                                                                                  §
                                                                                  d
                 ••3
                40.0
                UG/L
                                                                   1
                                                                                                               ••1
                  ••9
                 60.0
                 UO/L
                 0.0
                NG/L
                 • 19
                17.4
                NG/L
                                                                          g      I'
                                                                          a      s
                         ••3     «»9
                         ••6     »»9
                         ••1     •••
                         •••     »»9
                         ••9     «*9
                 0.0 33000.0   100.0
                MO/L    UG/L    UG/L
01
•vl
06425950
AL
OH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
       06426400
       AL
       DM
       X
       L
       TOTAL  OCCURRENCES
       MAXTNUN VALUE
   •••
   •••
   •••
   •••
   •••
   0.0
  UG/L
                         •••
                         •••
                         •••
                         •••
                         •••
                         0.0
                        U6/L
                                                                       ••*
                                       0.0
                                      UG/L
       0.0
      UG/L
 0.0
UG/L
  0.0
 UG/L
 0.0
UO/L
                                          ••1
                                          •••
  0.0
 NG/L
 0.0
UO/L
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
NO/L
 0.0
NG/L
 0.0
NG/L
   0.0
  UG/L
  0.0
 UG/L
                                                                                              ••1
                                                                                              ••1
           0.0
          00/L
       0.0
      UO/L
 0.0
UG/L
  0.0
 UG/L
 ••t
10.0
UO/L
  ••3
230.0
 NG/L
 ••1
 9.0
UG/L
 ••1
10.0
UO/L
 0.0
NO/L
 ••3
IB.2
NG/L
 0.0
NO/L
   0.0
  UG/L
  ••1
  ••1
100.0
 UG/L
06426900
AL
DM
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXTNUN VALUE
                               •••
                                                               •V
                                                                                                               ••t
                                                       *••
                               ••1
                               ••1
                               ••9
                            6700.0
                              UG/L
           0.0
          PG/L
       0.0
      UG/L
 ••3
10.0
UG/L
  0.0
 UO/L
 •••
10.0
UG/L
  •29
170.0
 NG/L
 ••4
10.0
UG/L
 •••
30.0
UG/L
 0.0
NG/L
 •29
12.6
NG/L
 0.0
NG/L
   ••9     «*9
   ••9     ««9
   ••1     •••
   •••     ««9
   ••9     «»9
•100.0   100.0
  UG/L    UG/L
06427190
AL
OK
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
NAXINUN VALUE
   •••
   •••
   •••
   •••
   • 10
1300.0
  UG/L
                                                                       *••
                                        0.0
                                      UG/L
       0.0
      UG/L
 ••2
10.0
UG/L
  •23
290.0
 UO/Ci
 •••
10.0
UG/L
  •4*
 30.0
 NG/L
                                                                                                                               • •4
                                                                                                                               ••6
                                                                                              • 10
                                                                                              • 10
 ••1
10.0
UG/L
 • 10
20.0
00/L
 0.0
NG/L
 •46
12.0
NG/L
 0.0
NG/L
                                                                                                             (Continued)
           • 10
   ••9     MO
1600.0   100.0
  UG/L    UG/L

-------
                                                                 TABLE C-l.    (Continued)
          StreaM, Station Number,
          and Beneficial Use
                                                               Number of Tlaes Criteria Exceeded
§u
-H
•H C
J8500 3 5
Barlua
Beryllium
§ I
S S
1 b
I -5
! 3
ChroaluBt
1
s
Cyanide
Dissolved
Oxygen
Fluoride
a
o
b
W
V
AL
DH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
                                ••1
                              6SO.O
                               UO/L
                                 0.0
                                UG/L
         0.0
        UG/L
 0.0
UG/L
  ••4
360.0
 UO/L
                                                                        ••t
 ••1
10.0
UG/L
 •49

NG/L
10.0
UG/L
 ••i
30.0
UG/L
 0.0
NG/L
 • II
ia.i
MG/L
 0.0
MO/L
                                                                                                                                ••1
  ••1
180.0
 UO/L
  ••1
  ••1

  ••1
  ••1
100.0
 UG/L
CJl
00
       06439500
       AL
       DH
       I
       L
       TOTAL OCCURRENCES
       MAXIMUM VALUE
06439900
AL
DM
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
                                0.0
                               UG/L
                                 0.0
                                UG/L
         0.0
        I1G/L
                                0.0
                               UG/L
                                 0.0
                                UG/L
         0.0
        UG/L
 0.0
UO/L
                                                        *••
 0.0
Ufl/L
  0.0
 UG/L
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
MO/L
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
MO/L
 0.0
MG/L
 0.0
MG/L
  0.0
 UO/L
  0.0
 UG/L
  0.0
 UG/L
 0.0
UG/L
 •••
 0.0
MG/L
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
UO/L
 0.0
MO/L
 0.0
MC/L
 0.0
NO/L
  0.0
 DO/L
  0.0
 UG/L
        06434500
        AL
        DN
        I
        L
        TOTAL  OCCURRENCES
        MAXIMUM VALUE
                         0.0
                        UO/L
                                        0.0
                                       UG/L
         0.0
        UG/L
 0.0
UO/L
  0.0
 UG/lt
 0.0
UG/L
 ••.•

 •43
ta.o
MQ/L
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
DG/L
 0.0
MG/L
 0.0
MG/L
 0.0
MG/L
  0.0
 UG/L
  0.0
 UO/L
        06436700
        AL
        DH
        I
        L
        TOTAL  OCCURRENCES
        MAXIMUM VALUE
                         0.0
                        Ufl/L
 0.0
UG/L
                                                0.0
                                               UG/L
 0.0
UG/L
  0.0
 UG/tf
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
MO/L
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
NG/L
 0.0
MG/L
 0.0
MG/L
  0.0
 UG/L
                                                                                                                  (Continued)
  0.0
UG/L

-------
                                                TABLE  C-l.   (Continued)
Ul
10
Stream, Station Number,
and Beneficial Use
064)6800
Ab
DN
I
b
TOTAb OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VAbUE
06437000

ON

1,
TOTAb OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VAbUE
06438000
Ab
tiu
I/if

TOTAt OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VAbUR
1
»••
•••
*••
0.0
UG/b

•••
•••
•••
•••
0.0
UG/b
•••
•••

•••
0.0
UG/b
• * •
2*2 Ataenlc
•••
0.0
UG/b

•••
•••

»*•
0.0
UO/b
•••
»••
•••
•••
0.0
UG/b
* * •
522 Barium
•••
0.0
UG/b

»••
•••
•••
•••
0.0
UG/b
•••
•••

0.0
UC/b
* * * Beryllium
•••
0.0
UG/b

*••
••»
•••
•••
•••
0.0
UQ/b
•••
•••
•••
0.0
UG/b
«••
•••
•••
0.0
UG/b

*••
•••
•••
*••
0.0
UG/b
••»

•••
0.0
UG/b
Number
•••
»»»
•••
0.0
UG/b

•••
*••
•••
••*
0.0
UG/b
•11
•••
•••
•11
10.0
UO/b
of Tinea
2*2 Chloride
•••
•46
aso.o
NG/b

•••
«••
•••
•••
•44
63.0
NG/b
•••
•••
•••
•39
98.0
MO/b
Criteria Exceeded
• * •
22* Chromium
•••
0.0
UO/b

•••
•••
•••
•••
0.0
UO/b
••4
••4
«••
• 10
330.0
UO/b
:::
•••
•••
0,0
UG/b

•••
•••
•••
•••
0.0
UO/b
•••
••3
•••
•11
410.0
UG/b
«
1
•••
•••
•••
0.0
NO/b

••4
•••
•••
•••
••4
o.a
NO/b
•«•
•••
•••
0.0
NO/b
• * 2 Diaaolved
* * • Oxygen
•••
•••
0.0
NG/b

•••
•••
*••
•••
0.0
NG/b
:::
•••
•••
••i
9.9
NG/b
222 Fluorlde
•••
0.0
NO/b

•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
0.0
NO/b
•••
•••
•••
•••
0.0
NO/b
§
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
0.0
UO/b

•••
•••
•••
•»•
0.0
UG/b
••8
••8
••6
•••
• 10
40000.0
UG/b
1
«••
0.0
UG/b

•••
•••
•••
•••
0.0
UG/b
• 11
• 11
•••
• 11
• 11
soo.o
UG/b
                                                                                    (Continued)

-------
                                                     TABLE C-l.   (Continued)
Streaa, Station Umber,
and Beneficial Use
                                                       timber of Tiawa Criteria Exceeded
* Little Missouri River
06335000
i I
3 1
i I
s
Holybdenua
Nickel
Nitrate-N
z
41
V4
AJ
8
! O
. in
I
Sulfate
M
AL
DH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
                                                                                                      • 16
                      0.0
                     UG/L
                                 0.0
                                UO/L
                 0.0
                110/L
                  0.0
                 no/L
                 0.0
                UG/L
                 • 14
                 0.6
               NG/L
                 0.0
                MG/L
 • 17
 t.e
su
 0.0
UO/L
 OiO
UG/L
   • 17
1000.0
  MG/L
 0.0
UG/L
06335500
AL
DH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
                                      ••*
                                                                                                      • 14
                       0.0
                     UG/L
                                 0.0
                                UO/L
                  0.0
                UG/L
                   0.0
                  IIG/I
                 0.0
                UO/L
                 •12
                 0.6
                MG/L
                  0.0
                MG/L
 • 16

SU*
 0.0
UO/L
 ••1
 1.0
UG/L
   • 16
1100.0
  MG/L
 0.0
UG/L
06336000
AL
DH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
                              *••
                                                                                                      ••3
                       0.0
                      UG/L
                                 0.0
                                UG/L
                  0.0
                 UG/L
                   0.0
                  UO/L
                 0.0
                UG/L
                 ••2
                 0.2
                NO/L
                  0.0
                 NO/L
 ••3
 I.S
SU
 0.0
UO/L
 ••1
 t.o
UO/L
   ••3
1100.0
  NG/L
 0.0
UG/L
06337000
AL
DH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
NAXIMUM VALUE

•  Belle Fourche River

06425720
AL
DH
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
                                 •••
                                 • 17
                                 ••9
                                       • 15
                                                                                      ••1
                                                                                                      •37
                                                      ••3
                       •••      »20
                     320.0  11000.0
                      UO/L     UO/L
                               ••S
                               ••5
                                         •15
                                         1.2
                                        UG/L
                                       ••2
                          ••7
                         10.0
                         UG/L
                         650.0
                          UG/L
                         0.0
                        MG/L
                         0.0
                        NG/L
                         • 39
                         •.9
                         SU
         • 15
        11.0
        UO/L
         0.0
        UG/L
         • 39
      1300.0
        MG/L
           •20
        1900.0
          UO/L
                                                                                                      ••9
  ••5
310.0
 UG/L
   ••5
1400.0
  UG/L
 ••2
 0.5
UG/L
 ••5
 3.0
UG/L
  ••5
100.0
 UG/L
                                                               0.0
                                                             MG/L
                                                                         0.0
                                                                        MG/L
 ••9
 • .4
SU
 ••2
 1.0
UG/L
 0.0
                                                                                                      ••9
                                                                                                   5400.0
                                                                                                                 ••5
                                                                                                                60.0
                                                                                               UG/L    NG/L    UG/L
                                                                                                      (Continued)

-------
                                                    TABLE C-l.   (Continued)
   Stream,  Station Nuaber
   and Beneficial Uae
                                                       Nuaber of Tlaea Criteria Exceeded
199710 -"
t
a
«
'
fr
I
Molybdenun
Nickel
Hltrate-N
I
B
2 ?
1
a
«
. u>
«-4
•H

-------
                                                               TABLE  C-l.   (Continued)
             Stream, Station Nuaber,
             and Beneficial Use
                                                       Nuaber of Tlcea Criteria Exceeded
g
X
I2SSOO 3
a
8,
1
t
9
0
U
1
£
•H
£
t-t
.3
U
£
I 1
• -H
b u
u u
SB 2


4
|

«
M *J

r-l «H
•H 0
W V)
l
l
U
5
N
AL
DM
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
                                            ••1
                                                                                                                    • 48
                                    • •1
                                   90.0
                                   UG/L
  ••1
140.0
 UG/L
                                         0.0
                                        UG/L
         •••
         •••
         ••1
         2.0
        ua/L
         ••l
        so.o
        UO/L
         •34
         9.2
        NG/L
         0.0
        NG/L
         •11
         I'.J
        SU
         ••1
         1.0
        UO/L
         0.0
        UO/L
         •49
      1300.0
        MO/L
         ••1
        40.0
        UG/L
01
ro
           06429500
           AL
           DM
           Z
           L
           TOTAL OCCURRENCES
           MAXIMUM VALUE
06429900
AL
DN
Z
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
                         0.0
                        IIG/L
  •••
  0.0
 UG/L
 0.0
UO/L
 •••
 0.0
UG/L
                                                                    0.0
                                                                   UG/L
         0.0
        NG/L
         0.0
        NG/L
         0.0
        SU
         0.0
        UG/L
                                                                                                    ••*
         0.0
        UG/L
         0.0
        NG/L
         0.0
        UO/L
                                            *••
                                                    •••
                                                    •••
                                    0.0
                                   UG/L
  0.0
 UG/L
                                         0.0
                                        UG/L
         0.0
        UG/L
         •••
         0.0
        UQ/L
         0.0
        NO/L
         •••
         o'.o
        NO/L
         0.0
        SU
         0.0
        UG/L
         0.0
        UO/L
         0.0
        NG/L
         0.0
        ua/L
06434SOO
AL
DN
Z
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
MAXIMUM VALUE
                                                                                                            ••*
                                                                                                                    • 42
                                    *••
                                    0.0
                                   UG/L
  0.0
 UG/L
 0.0
UG/I.
 0.0
UG/L
                                                         0.0
                                                        UG/L
         0.0
        NG/L
         0.0
        NG/L
         •36
         • .5
        SU
         0.0
        UO/L
         0.0
        ua/L
         •42
      1000.0
        NG/L
         0.0
        UO/L
06436700
AL
DN
I
L
TOTAL OCCURRENCES
NAXIMUN VALUE
                                    0.0
                                   UG/L
  •••
  0.0
 UG/L
 0.0
IIG/L
                                                                    •*•
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
MO/L
 0.0
MO/L
 0.0
SU
 0.0
UG/L
 0.0
UQ/L
 0,0
NQ/L
 0.0
UO/L
                                                                                                              (Continued)

-------
                                                              TABLE C-l.   (Continued)
               Streaa, Station Number                                   Rubber of Ti*e> Criteria exceeded
               and Beneficial Dae
                                                                                       I
                                                                                                       •H       **

                                                                               JB       as       a.       en       «
                          I        i      I      i       '        *       3
06436800                  j        3      2       3
Mi                       •••     •••     •••      •••     •••     •••      •••      •••
ON                       •••     •••     •••      ••*     •**     •**      ***      *•*
I                        ««•     •••     *••      •••     •••     •••      •••      •••
fa                        ••#     •••     •••      •••     •••     •••      ••*      ***      ***     ***      •**
TOTAb OCCURRENCES        •••     •••     •••      •••     •••     *••      •••      •*'      ***     ***   ..  ***     ..  .
MAXIMUM VAbUE            0.0     0.0     0.0      0.0     0.0     0.0      0.0      8.8      0.0     0.0   4300.0     0.0
                        UG/b    UG/b    UG/b    UO/b    UG/b    HG/b     NO/b     »U      UG/b    UO/b    MG/b    UG/b

•

06437000
                                         ••4
             UW                       www     www     www     www     www     w
             X


             fOTAb OCCURRENCES        •••     •••     »»4     •••     •••     •••     •••     »39     •••     »»*     »44

             MAXIMUM VAbUE            0.0     0.0     1.3     0.0     0.0     0.0     0.0     8.8     0.0     0.0  2100.0     0.0

                                     UQ/b    UG/b    UG/b    UG/b    t'G/b    »G/b    MG/b    SO      UO/b    UO/b    MG/b    UO/b
at
             06438000

             *b                       •••     •••     ••'                                              	
             OK                       ••*     »H     ••!     ••«     •••     •••     •••     •••     ••!     •••     *3'


             t                        «••     •«•     •••     •••     •••     •••     •••     •••     •••     **•     ••*

             TOTAb OCCURRENCES        •••     •!!     »»7     •••     •••     •••     •••     «37     »10     •••     •»»  ..J!1!
             MAXIMUM VAbUE            0.0 39000.0     9.3     0.0     0.0     0.0     0.0     8.9    33.0     0.0  3300.0  1100.0

                                     UC/b    UQ/b    00/b    UQ/b    00/b    MG/b    MQ/b    SU      UO/b    00/b    MO/b    PQ/b

-------
                                   TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
                            (Please read Instructions on the reverse before completing)
1. REPORT NO.
    EPA-600/7-79-234
                                                           3. RECIPIENT'S ACCESSION NO.
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
  ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCE  DEVELOPMENT IMPACT ON
  WATER  QUALITY:   The Belle Fourche and Little Missouri
  River Basins
             5. REPORT DATE
                         1Q7Q
             6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7. AUTHOR(S)
 S.M.  Melancon*, B.C. Hess, and  R.W.  Thomas
 *University of Nevada, Las Vegas,  NV
             8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
 Environmental  Monitoring and  Support Laboratory,
 U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency, and Biology
 Department, University of Nevada,  Las Vegas, NV
             10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.


                INE625
             11. CONTRACT/GRANT NO.
12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
 U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency-Las Vegas, NV
 Office of Research and Development
 Environmental  Monitoring and Support Laboratory
 Las Vegas. NV   89114	
             13. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED

               Final	tr>  1Q7ft	
             14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
                EPA/600/07
15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
16. ABSTRACT
          The Belle Fourche and  Little Missouri River Basins are key areas  in  the
 Nation's search for untapped resources to supplement increasing energy demands.  The
 basins  contain vast beds of low-sulfur, strippable coal that potentially  will  support
 a  large number of coal-fired powerplants and gasification and liquefaction complexes
 for conversion of coal into commercially usable power.  However, utilization of these
 energy  resources, especially if maximum levels of expansion are realized, is expected
 to have considerable impact on water resources in the Little Missouri and Belle Fourche
 River Basins.  It appears unlikely  that there are sufficient surface or ground-water
 supplies to meet projected needs  in the area without creation of additional  reservoir
 storage and or diversion of surface water via aqueducts from other sources.   Decreased
 flows from energy developments will  accompany increased salt and sediment loadings.
 The resultant lowered water quality will  further reduce water usability for  municipal,
 industrial  and irrigation purposes  and will  have adverse impacts on the aquatic eco-
 system.  Water quality monitoring needs in the basins are addressed with  priority
 listings of parameters for measurment to detect changes in water quality  as  a result of
 energy  resource development, and through definition of those U.S. Geological  Survey
 sampling stations that are best situated for monitoring activities.
17.
                                KEY WORDS AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
                  DESCRIPTORS
b. IDENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS  C. COSATI Field/Group
 Water  resources
 Water  pollution
 Monitoring 17B
 Little Missouri River
 Belle Fourche River Basin
 Coal  Strip mining
   08H
   13B
   48A
   68D
18. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT


 RELEASE TO PUBLIC
19. SECURITY CLASS (This Report)
 UNCLASSIFIED	
21. NO. OF PAGES
   178
20. SECURITY CLASS (Thispage)

 UNCLASSIFIED
22. PRICE
EPA Form 2220-1 (R«v. 4-77)   PREVIOUS EDITION is OBSOLETE
                                                       * US. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1979— 683-091/2207

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