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The Roubidoux aquifer in Ottawa County Oklahoma is used extensively as a source of water for public supplies, commerce, industry, and rural water districts. Water in the Roubidoux aquifer in eastern Ottawa County has relatively low dissolved- solids concentrations (less than 200 mg/L) with calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate as the major ions. The Boone Formation is stratigraphically above the Roubidoux aquifer and is the host rock for zinc and lead sulfide ores, with the richest deposits located in the vicinity of the City of Picher. Mining in what became known as the Picher mining district began in the early 1900’s and continued until about 1970. The water in the abandoned zinc and lead mines contains high concentrations of calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, sulfate, fluoride, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc. Water from the abandoned mines is a potential source of contamination to the Roubidoux aquifer and to wells completed in the Roubidoux aquifer.
Water samples were collected from wells completed in the Roubidoux aquifer in the Picher mining district and from wells outside the mining district to determine if 10 public supply wells in the mining district are contaminated. The chemical analyses indicate that at least 7 of the 10 public supply wells in the Picher mining district are contaminated by mine water. Application of the Mann-Whitney test indicated that the concentrations of some chemical constituents that are indicators of mine-water contamination are different in water samples from wells in the mining area as compared to wells outside the mining area. Application of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the concentrations of some chemical constituents that are indicators of mine-water contamination were higher in current (1992-93) data than in historic (1981-83) data, except for pH, which was lower in current than in historic data. pH and sulfate, alkalinity, bicarbonate, magnesium, iron, and tritium concentrations consistently indicate that the Cardin, Commerce 1, Commerce 3, Picher 2, Picher 3, Picher 4, and Quapaw 2 wells are contaminated.
Abstract
Introduction
Purpose and scope
Acknowledgments
Description of the Study Area
Definition of the Roubidoux Aquifer
Geohydrology
Stratigraphy
Structural Geology
Hydraulic Properties
Potentiometric Surface
Well Construction
History of Abandoned Zinc and Lead Mines
Background Water Quality
Roubidoux Aquifer
Abandoned Zinc and Lead Mines
Comparison Between Water in the Roubidoux Aquifer and the Abandoned Mines
Water-Quality Field Investigation
Investigation Design
Field Procedures
Quality-Assurance Sampling
Blank Samples
Duplicate Samples
Analysis of Environmental Data
Descriptive Statistics
Comparison of Picher Mining District to Background Water Quality
pH
Alkalinity
Calcium
Magnesium
Bicarbonate
Sulfate
Cadmium
Copper
Iron
Lead
Manganese
Nickel
Zinc
Comparison of Current to Historic Water Quality
pH
Alkalinity
Calcium
Magnesium
Bicarbonate
Sulfate
Cadmium
Copper
Iron
Lead
Manganese
Nickel
Zinc
Tritium Concentration
Contamination of Wells by Mine Water
Comparison of Produced Water to Water-Quality Standards
Summary
References
Appendixes
1. Physical properties and concentrations of major ions and trace elements in water samples from wells
2. Concentrations of major ions and trace elements in quality-assurance blank samples
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