STUDY NUMBER ; 1.2 



ORGANIZATION ; Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG) 



TITLE OF STUDY ; Intensive Butte Area Groundwater Monitoring 



CONTACT ( S ) ; Ted Duaime - Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, 



Butte--496-4157 



OBJECTIVE: Assess the impacts to groundwater (quality and quan- 

 tity) caused by shutdown of mining activities in Butte. 



DURATION ; 1984 - Indefinite 



CURRENT STATUS ; Pumping of the underground mine workings on 

 Butte Hill ceased in April, 1982. Water is now flooding these 

 areas and the Berkeley Pit at a rate of 3,000 to 10,000 gallons 

 per minute. 



Comprehensive water quality sampling for common ions and 

 heavy metals was routinely conducted within the abandoned mine 

 shafts and from several shallow groundwater stations during the 

 first year of the study. The most recent comprehensive water 

 quality sampling of the mine shafts was conducted in October, 

 1986. However, monthly specific conductivity, temperature and 

 static water levels have been monitored for the last two years. 

 All monitoring efforts have been closely coordinated with the 

 Anaconda Minerals Company, the US Geological Survey and Montana 

 Department of State Lands. Samples from the Berkeley Pit were 

 collected in October, 1986. 



FUTURE ACTIVITIES : This project was originally funded by a grant 

 from the 1983 Montana Legislature. No additional funding for 

 comprehensive water quality sampling has been received, except 

 for a small grant from the Butte Silver Bow City-County govern- 

 ment. Consequently, future investigations will be limited. 

 One or two water quality sampling episodes will occur in the 

 spring of 1987. Less expensive monitoring, like monthly specific 

 conductivity, temperature and static water level measurements 

 will continue. 



PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS 



Data summaries are available from the Montana Bureau of Mines 

 and Geology. 



