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Chemical Modeling of Acid Waters Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation, Red River Valley Basin, New Mexico
Project Number: 8636-AK400
Project Chief: Nathan Myers
Cooperator: New Mexico Environment Department
Period of Project: June 2007 - present
The US Geological Survey and the New Mexico Environment Department entered into a Joint Powers Agreement as of April 30, 2001 to execute an investigation of baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality in the Red River Basin, New Mexico. The main objective is to infer the pre-mining ground-water quality at the Questa Molycorp mine site. This study was formulated because New Mexico law states that part of the closeout plan for mining sites must include compliance with ground-water quality standards unless it can be shown that prior to mining there existed ground-water quality that exceeded these standards. There are reasons to believe that such standards may have been exceeded before mining although no direct information exists. If these conditions can be reasonably demonstrated and found acceptable to the appropriate parties, then they may be used in lieu of the existing ground-water quality standards.
This investigation uses a multi-faceted approach to determining pre-mining ground-water quality that includes determination of the existing hydrogeologic and geochemical conditions at off-site analog areas, modeling of the hydrogeochemical conditions off site, determination of parameters that would have affected on-site controls of hydrogeology and geochemistry before mining, and appropriate scaling and modeling of on-site conditions.
USGS Participants
- NRP: Kirk Nordstrom, Philip Verplanck, James Ball, Blaine McCleskey, Sara LoVetere, Ann Maest, Dennis Eberl, Kirk Vincent
- GD: Geoff Plumlee, Eric Livo, Steve Ludington, Kathy Smith, Michael Powers, Stan Church, Jeff Lucius
- CO District: Rob Runkel, Katie Walton-Day
- UT District: Briant Kimball, Judy Steiger
- CA District : Charlie Alpers (External Reviewer)
USGS Questa Publications
Publications Completed
Lucius,
J.E., Bisdorf, R.J., and Abraham, J. (2001) Results of Electrical Surveys near Red River, New Mexico,
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-0331.
Livo,
K.E.and Clark, R. N. (2002) Mapped
Minerals at Questa, New Mexico, Using Airbourne Visible-Infrared Imaging
Spectrometer (AVIRIS) Data -- Preliminary Report, U.S.Geological
Survey Open-File Report 02-0026.
Powers,
M.H. and Burton, B.L. (2004), Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 1. Depth to Bedrock
Determinations Using Shallow Seismic Data Acquired in the Straight Creek
Drainage Near Red River, New Mexico, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1236.
McCleskey,
R.B., Nordstrom, D.K., Steiger, J.I., Kimball, B.A.,and Verplanck, P.L. (2003) Questa
Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 2. Low-Flow (2001)
and Snowmelt (2002) Synoptic/Tracer Water Chemistry for the Red River, New
Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-148.
Lovetere,
S.H., Nordstrom, D.K., Maest, A.S., and Naus, C.A. (2004) Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 3.
Historical Ground-Water Quality for the Red River
Valley, New Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report
03-4186.
Maest,
A.S.,
Nordstrom, D.K., and Lovetere, S.H. (2004) Questa
Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 4. Historical
Surface-Water Quality for the Red River Valley, New Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report
2004-5063.
Naus,
C.A., McCleskey, R.B., Nordstrom, D.K., Donohoe, L.C., Hunt. A.G., Paillet, F.,
Morin, R.H., and Verplanck, P.L. (2005) Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining
Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 5. Well
Installation, Water-Level Data, and Surface- and Ground-Water Geochemistry in
the Straight Creek Drainage Basin, Red River Valley, New Mexico, 2001-03.
U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5088.
Caine,
J.S. (2003) Questa Baseline and
Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 6. Preliminary Brittle Structural
Geologic Data, Questa Mining District, southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New
Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-280.
Plumlee,
G.S., Ludington, S., Vincent, K.R., Verplanck, P.L., Caine, J.S., and Livo, K.E.
(2006) Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 7. A
pictorial record of chemical weathering, erosional processes and potential debri-flow
hazards in scar areas developed on hydrothermally altered rocks. U.S. Geological
Survey Open-File Report 2006-1205.
Church,
S.E., Fey, D.L., and Marot, M.E. (2005) Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining
Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 8. Lake-Sediment Geochemical Record from
1960 to 2002, Eagle Rock and Fawn Lakes, Taos County, New Mexico. U.S.Geological
Survey Open-File Report 2005-5006.
Ludington,
S., Plumlee, G.S., Caine, J.S., Bove, D., Holloway, J.M., and Livo, K.E. (2004)
Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 10. Geologic
influences on ground and surface waters in the lower Red River watershed, New
Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5245.
Briggs,
P.H. Sutley, S.J., and Livo, K.E. (2003) Questa
Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigations. 11. Geochemistry
of alteration scars and waste piles, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File
Report 03-458.
Ball,
J.W., Runkel, R.L., and Nordstrom, D.K. (2005) Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation.
12. Geochemical and Reactive-Transport Modeling Based on Low-Flow and Snowmelt
Tracer Studies for the Red River, New Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific
Investigations Report 2005-5149.
Plumlee,
G.S., Lowers, H., Koenig, A.,
Ludington, S. (2005) Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality
investigation. 13. Mineral microscopy and chemistry of mined
and unmined porphyry molybdenum mineralization along the Red River, New Mexico:
Implications for ground- and surface-water quality. US Geological Survey
Open-File
Report 2005-1442.
Nordstrom,
D.K.,
McCleskey, R.B., Hunt, A.G., and Naus, C.A., (2005) Questa Baseline and
Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 14. Interpretation of
ground-water geochemistry in catchments other than the Straight Creek catchment,
Red River Valley, Taos County, New Mexico, 2002-2003. U.S. Geological
Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5050.
Blanchard,
P.J., Bartolino, J.R., Donohoe, L.C., McAda, D.P., Naus, C. A., and Morin, R.H. (2006) Questa Baseline and
Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 15. Methods of phase II and III
well installation and development and results of well logging, hydraulic
testing, and water-level measurements in the Red River Valley, New Mexico,
2002-04: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific
Investigations Report 2006-5246.
McCleskey,
R.B.
Nordstrom, D.K., and Naus, C.A. (2004) Questa
Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 16. Quality
assurance and quality control of water analyses. U.S. Geological Survey
Open-File Report 2004-1341.
Vincent, K. (2006) Questa Baseline and
Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 17. Geomorphology of the shallow
alluvial aquifer of the Red River valley, New Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey
Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5156.
Caine, J.S. (2006) Questa Baseline and
Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 18. Characterization of brittle
structures in the Questa caldera and speculation on their potential impacts on
the bedrock ground-water flow system, Red River watershed, New Mexico. U.S.
Geological Survey Professional Paper 1729, p. 37.
Smith, K.S. and others (2006) Questa
Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 19. Leaching studies
on scar and waste-rock materials: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigation Report
2006-5165.
Verplanck,
P.L., McCleskey, R.B., and
Nordstrom, D.K. (2006) Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality
Investigation. 20. Water chemistry of the Red River and selected seeps,
tributaries, and precipitation, Taos County, New Mexico, 2000-2004. U.S. Geological
Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5028.
Naus, C.A.,
McAda, D.P.,
Myers, N.C. (2006), Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 21.
Hydrology and water balance of the Red River Basin, New Mexico 1930-2004. U.S.Geological
Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5040.
McAda, D.P. and Naus, C.A. (2006), Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 22.
Ground-Water Budget for the Straight Creek Drainage Basin, Red River Valley, New
Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5165.
Kimball, B.A., Nordstrom,
D.K., Runkel, R.L., and Verplanck, P.L. (2006) Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water
Quality Investigation. 23. Quantification of mass loading from mined and
unmined areas along the Red River,
New Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5004.
Powers, Michael H., and Burton, Bethany
L., 2006, Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 24.
Seismic refraction tomography for volume analysis of saturated alluvium in the
Straight Creek drainage and its confluence with Red River, Taos County, New
Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigation Report 2006-5166, 19 p.
Nordstrom, D.K., 2007, Questa baseline and
pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 25. Summary of results and
baseline and pre-mining ground-water geochemistry, Red River Valley, Taos
County, New Mexico, 2001-2005: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1728,
p. 183.
Reports in Progress
Lovetere, S.H. and
Nordstrom, D.K. (2006) Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality
Investigation. 9. Historical seep, spring, underground, and tributary water
quality for the Red River valley, New Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific
Investigations Report 2006-XXXX [in preparation].
Abstracts and Other Publications
Hunt,
A.G., Naus, C.A., Nordstrom, D.K., and Landis, G.P.(2004) Use of
3-helium/tritium ages to determine chlorofluorocarbon degradation associated
with naturally occurring acid drainage, Questa, New Mexico, in Geological
Society of America, 2004 annual meeting.: Abstracts with Programs - Geological
Society of America: Boulder, CO, p. 574.
Maest,
A.S., Nordstrom, D.K., and LoVetere, S.H. (2004) Influence of hydrologic
conditions on historical water quality in a stream affected by natural and
mining-related sources, 1965-2001, in Geological
Society of America, 2004 annual meeting.: Abstracts with Programs - Geological
Society of America: Boulder, CO, p. 86.
Nordstrom,
D.K., Naus, C.N., McCleskey, R.B., Verplanck, P.L. (2004) Contrasting
ground-water geochemistry between acidic debris-flow waters and neutral-pH
bedrock waters in mineralized volcanics, Red River valley, New Mexico, in
Geological Society of America, 2004 annual meeting.: Abstracts with Programs -
Geological Society of America: Boulder, CO, p. 465
McCleskey,
R.B., Verplanck, P.L., and Nordstrom, D. K. (2004), Storm
and diel surface-water chemistry variation in the Red River near Questa, New
Mexico, in Geological Society of America, 2004 annual
meeting.: Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America: Boulder, CO,
p. 29.
Ball,
J.W., Runkel, R.L., and Nordstrom, D.K. (2004) Geochemical and
reactive-transport modeling based on low-flow and snowmelt tracer studies for
the Red River, New Mexico, in Geological Society of
America, 2004 annual meeting.: Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of
America: Boulder, CO, p. 29.
Verplanck,
P.L., Nordstrom, D.K., Manning, A.H., Caine, J.S., Plumlee, G.S., Hunt, A.G., and Bove, D. (2004) Linking geochemical and hydrologic models of
ground water in two Rocky Mountain catchments: Straight Creek, NM and Handcart
Gulch, CO, in Geological Society of America, 2004
annual meeting.: Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America:
Boulder, CO, p. 539.
Plumlee,
G.S., Ludington, S., Caine, J.S., Bove, D.J., Holloway, J.M., Lowers, H.A., and
Livo, K.E. (2004) Environmental geology of erosional scar areas developed above
Climax-type molybedenite deposits in the Red River watershed, New Mexico, in
Geological Society of America, 2004 annual meeting.: Abstracts with Programs -
Geological Society of America: Boulder, CO, p. 465.
Nordstrom,
D.K., 2005, A river on the edge – Water quality in the Red River and the USGS
background study, in Price, L.G., Bland, Douglas, McLemore, V.T., and Barker,
J.M., eds., Mining in New Mexico, Decision-Makers Conference 2005, Taos region,
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Socorro, New Mexico, 64-67.
Nordstrom, D.K.,
Verplanck, P.L., Naus, C.A., McCleskey, R.B., 2002, The Questa baseline and
pre-mining ground-water quality investigation: preliminary data. [abs.]:
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs v.34, no. 6, p. 51.
Nordstrom, D.K. ,Verplanck,
P.L., Naus, C.A., Plumlee, G.S., McCleskey, R.B., 2003 A baseline and pre-mining
ground-water quality investigation at the Questa molybdenum mine site, New
Mexico, USA. [abs.]: 7th International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of
Trace Elements, Uppsala, Sweden, June 15-19, 2003
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