Docket 107 Final Report 1981-02.Pdf
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
WATER QUALITY IN THE POPLAR RIVER BASIN International Joint Commission January 1981 Table of Contents Chapter Page LIST OF FIGURES V LIST OF TABLES vii SUMMARY X I INTRODUCTION 1 Events Leading to the Reference 1 Scope of the Inquiry 4 Unilateral Actions Occurring Beforeand During the 7 Course of the Inquiry Bilateral Actions OccurringDuring the 8 Course of the Inquiry Commission and Board Activities During the Course 8 of the Study I1 THE POPLAR RIVER BASIN 12 Surface Water Quantity and Quality 12 Groundwater Quantity and Quality 17 Aquatic Biologic Resources 21 I11 THE SPC PROJECT 22 22 23 24 The Power Plant 25 Ash Disposal System - The Original and 26 Current Designs Factors Affecting PoplarRiver Water Quality 28 Atmospheric Emissions 34 Cooling Water System 35 Cookson Reservoir 36 Natural Inflow to CooksonReservoir 36 Evaporation from Cookson Reservoir 37 Seepage from Cookson Reservoir 38 IVTHE BOARD'S INVESTIGATION 39 Surface Water Quality 40 Groundwater Quantity and Quality 41 Biological Resources 43 Uses and Water Quality Objectives 43 Plant, Mine and Reservoir Operations 45 Supplementary Report onthe Current Ash 46 Disposal System Summary of Effects 46 V PUBLICHEARINGS 52 Public Hearings on the Reference to the 53 Commission The September 1979 Hearings 55 The October 1979 Hearings 70 Supplementary Submissions 79 VI THE COMMISSION'SCONSIDERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 80 Baseline Water Quality 80 Measured Surface Water Quality 81 Total Dissolved Solidsand Boron in 89 the Poplar River System Groundwater 109 Existing and Reasonably Foreseeable Uses 112 Existing Uses 112 Reasonably Foreseeable Uses 116 Water Quality Requirements for Uses in the 125 Poplar River Basin Toxicity of Boron in Irrigation Water 127 Toxicity of TDS in Irrigation Water 137 Impacts of Water Uses, Apportionment and the 142 SPC Project on the Poplar River System Impacts of Cookson Reservoir on 144 Water Quality Predicted Impacts of Water Uses in the 148 Un i ted States Predicted Impacts of Water Apportionment 150 Impacts on Water Quality 150 Impacts on Biological Resources 156 Predicted Impacts of Cookson Reservoir 158 and the SPC Power Project Impacts on Water Quality 158 Impacts on Barley and Alfalfa Crops 173 Impact on Barley and Alfalfa Production 176 Other Considerations 181 Multipurpose Water Quality Objectives 181 Air Quality Aspects 186 Prior Notice and Consultation 188 Simultaneous Considerations of Water 188 Quality and Water Quantity PROPOSED COURSE OF ACTION 190 LIST OF APPENDICES A Text of Reference 210 B Directive to the International Poplar River 213 Water Quality Board C Membership of the International PoplarRiver 220 Water Quality Board D Membership of the Technical Committees 221 E Participating Organizations 223 F Correspondence between the Commission, the 224 Board and the Governments G Persons Presenting Briefs or Testimony at IJC 232 Public Hearings H Selected Boron References 236 I Additional Computer Runs 240 J The Helsinki Rules 26 5 - iv - List of Figures Title Page 11-1 PoplarRiver Basin 13 11-2 SchematicDiagram of GeologicFormations and 19 Groundwater Flows IV-1 Comparison of PredictedBoron and TDS 48 Concentrations for Original and Current Ash Disposal Systems East Fork at International Boundary IV-2 Comparison of PredictedBoron and TDS 49 Concentrations for Original and Current Ash Disposal Systems East Fork Near Scobey IV- 3Comparison of PredictedBoron and TDS sd Concentrations for Original and Current Ash Disposal Systems Poplar River Near Scobey IV-4 Comparison of Predicted Boron and TDS 51 Concentrations for Original and Current Ash Disposal Systems Poplar RiverNear Poplar VI-1 Schematic Diagram of Poplar River Basin and 82 Water Quality Sampling Stations VI-2 Model Predictions for TDS Concentrations in 95 the East Fork at the International Boundary Before Morrison Dam (x) Compared to Observed Historical Median Monthly Values(.) VI-3 Model Predictions for TDS Concentrations in 95 the Poplar River Near Poplar, Montana Before Morrison Dam (x) Compared with Observed Historical Median Monthly Values(.) VI-4 Model Predictions for TDS Concentrations (x) 96 in the East Fork at the International Boundary Compared with Observed Values(.) VI-5 Model Predictions for TDS Concentrations (x) 96 in the Poplar River Near Poplar, Montana Compared with Observed Values (.) VI-6 Comparison of Model Predicted Boronand TDS 97 Concentrations with Concentrations Measured Between 1975 and 1980 in the East Fork at International Boundary -v- VI-7 Comparison of Model Predicted Boronand TDS 98 Concentrations with Concentrations Measured Between 1975 and 1980 in the East Fork Near Scobey VI-8 Comparison of Model Predicted Boron and TDS 99 concentrations with Concentrations Measured Between 1975 and 1980in the Poplar River Below Scobey VI-9 Comparison of Model Predicted Boron and TDS 100 Concentrations with Concentrations Measured Between 1975 and 1980in the Poplar River Near Poplar VI-10 Comparison of Model Predicted Boron and TDS 101 Concentrations with Concentrations Measured Between 1975 and 1980 in the Middle Forkat International Boundary VI-11 Comparison of Model Predicted Boron and TDS 102 Concentrations with Concentrations Measured Between 1975 and 1980in the Middle Fork Above Scobey VI-1 2 Comparison of Model Predicted Boron and TDS 103 Concentrations with Concentrations Measured Between 1975 and 1980in the West Forkat International Boundary VI-13 Comparison of Model Predicted Boron and TDS 104 Concentrations with Concentrations Measured Between 1975 and 1980 in the West Fork Near Bredette VI-14 Generalized Vertical Variation in Selected 111 Chemical Constituents in Geologic Formations VI-15 Measured Boron and TDS Concentrations 146 6r (Cookson Reservoir and East Fork at Boundary) 147 and Monthly Mean Flows (Eastand Middle Forks at Boundary) Between 1975 and 1980 VI-16 Schematic Summary of Model Components Used to 160 Assess the Impactof the Poplar River Project on Water Quality VI-17 predicted Effect of SPC Plant and Cookson 167 Reservoir on Mean Boronand TDS Concentrations in the East Fork at International Boundary - vi - VI-18 Predicted Effect of SPC Plant and Cookson 168 Reservoir on Mean Boron and TDS Concentrations in the East Fork Near Scobey VI-19 PredictedEffect of SPCPlant and Cookson 169 Reservoir on Mean Boronand TDS Concentrations in the Poplar River Below Scobey VI-20 PredictedEffect of SPCPlant and Cookson170 Reservoir on Mean Boronand TDS Concentrations in the Poplar River Near Poplar VI-21 PredictedRelationship Between Crop Loss for 179 Barley Grown Along East Forkand Mean Boron Concentrations in East Fork at International Boundary VI-22 Predicted Relationship Between CropLoss for 180 Barley Grown Between Confluenceof East and Middle Forks and Fort Peck Indian Reservation and Mean Boron Concentrations in East Fork at International Boundary - vii - List of Tables "." Title Page 11-1Long-Term Flows at the International Boundary 14 11-2 Geologic Formations in tile PoplarRiver Basin 18 11-3 Estimated Hydrologic Characteristics of 20 Generalized Aquifer Layers of Upper Poplar River Basin, Saskatchewan and Montana VI-1Measured TDS, Boron, SAR and Flows inthe East Fork 84 at the International Boundary Prior to the Closure of Morrison Dam VI-2 Measured Concentrations (mg/l) of Major Ions in the 86 East Fork at the International Boundary Prior to the ?losure of Morrison Dam VI-3 Measured Values for Nutrients (mg/l), Oxygen (mg/l) , 87 pH and Temperature in the East Fork at the International Boundary Prior to the Closure of Morrison Dam VI-4 Measured Concentrations (mg/l) of Metals in the East 88 Fork at the International Boundary Prior to the Closure of Morrison Dam VI-5 Boron and TDS Concentrations in Nine East-Central 90 Montana Streams, October 1975-October 1977 VI-6 Computed Pre-Development and Historic Baseline 91 (1975) TDS Concentrations for Selected Sites in the Poplar River Basin VI-7 Computed Pre-Development and Historic Baseline (1975) 92 Boron Concentrations €or Selected Sites in the Poplar River Basin VI-aaExisting Consumptive Water Uses in thePoplar River 114 Basin (cubic decametres) vI-abExisting Consumptive Water Uses inthe Poplar River 115 Basin (acre-feet) VI--9aTotal Projected Future Water Uses in the Poplar 117 River Basin: Saskatchewan (cubic decametres) - viii - VI-9b Total Projected Future Water Uses in the Poplar 118 River Basin: Saskatchewan (acre-feet) VI-loa TotalProjected Future Irrigation in Montana, 121 Exclusive of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation (1985 and 2000) (cubic decametres) VI-lob Total Projected Future Irrigation in Montana, 122 Exclusive of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation (1985 and 2000) (acre-feet) VI-lla Total Projected Future Uses in the Poplar River 123 Basin Fort Peck Indian Reservation (cubic decametres) VI-llb Total Projected Future Uses in the Poplar River 123 Basin Fort Peck Indian Reservation (acre-feet) VI-12 The Effect of Boron Concentrations on the Yield 129 of Selected Plant Species (expressed as dry weight (gm) per treatment) VI-13 AverageRelative Concentration Factors for Soil 130 Water Compared to Irrigation Water VI-14 Critical Boron Concentrations (mg/l) for Various 131 Crops VI-15 Predicted PercentReduction in Barley Yields 132 for Several Boron Concentrationsin the East Fork at the International Boundary VI-16 Effects of Boron on Barley Yields (expressed as 135 barley kernels (gm) per pot) at Several Soil pH Levels VI-17 Maximum Long-Term Boron Concentrations in 136 Irrigation Water for Full Protection of Selected Crops VI-18 Effect of TDS on CropProduction 138 VI-19