Condon Creek Proposed RNA Pond #2 



Climatic setting. The net annual precipitation balance for the 

 Condon Creek sites (from the MAPS database) is -8 inches, ranking 

 these sites toward the less evaporative end of the range shown by 

 sites of this classification. Mean monthly precipitation for the 

 Lindbergh Lake climatic station shows a relatively even 

 distribution with a January maximum. Annual precipitation totals 

 show the 3-year running average below the average for the period 

 of record throughout the 1980s. The running average recovered to 

 approximate the long-term average from 1990 to 1992. Data for 1993 

 were not recovered for this station. 



Geologic setting. The Condon Creek ponds are small glacial (?) 

 depressions in till of late Pleistocene age. The texture and 

 hydraulic characteristics of the till have not been described for 

 this area. Other glacial, fluvial and colluvial sediments may be 

 interbedded with till in the area. Any surficial sediments likely 

 include calcareous material derived from source areas underlain by 

 limestone and dolomite. 



The ponds occupy positions near the toe of the fault-bounded Swan 

 Range, which is underlain by argillitic and calcareous formations 

 of the Proterozoic Belt series. 



Hydrologic setting. The Condon Creek sites are glacial basins 

 lacking surface water outflow or discrete surface water inflow. 

 Dilute water chemistry suggests that water is supplied mainly by 

 precipitation and very local runoff. 



Basin characteristics. The Condon Creek ponds have very small 

 surface catchments and low catchment to wetland area ratios. 

 Depths of the ponds are unmeasured but probably shallow. 

 Topographic position suggests the possibility of ground-water 

 discharge to the ponds, but their dilute water chemistry is 

 probably inconsistent with volumetrically important ground-water 

 inflow. 



Water chemistry. At the time of sampling, water at the WET16 site 

 was very dilute, mildly acidic and calcium/bicarbonate in 

 character. Mineral eguilibria indicate substantial undersaturation 

 with respect to carbonate phases. Nitrate and ammonium 

 concentrations were lower than nearby WET15; nitrate was below 

 detection limits and in ammonium concentration the site ranked 

 toward the middle of sites in it's classification. The 

 orthophosphorous concentration reported was considerably higher 

 than for WET15 (ranking near the top for this site type), while the 

 total phosphorous concentration was considerably lower than at 

 WET15. The total organic carbon concentration was considerably 

 lower than for WET15 but still ranked near the top for sites of 

 it's class. 



Arsenic was reported at the detection limit; copper and iron 



