WATER CHEMISTRY OF NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS STRIP MINE AND LIVESTOCK WATER IMPOUNDMENTS1

The water from 34 strip mine and 9 livestock water impoundments on the Northern Great Plains was analyzed. In all areas the water was classified as slightly brackish or saline. The dominant ion sequence for the study ponds was Na>Ca>Mg>K and SO₄HCO₃CO₃Cl, which differs from most freshwater by the transposition of Na and SO₄. Even though mean concentrations of total filterable residue were consistently greater in strip mine ponds, statistically significant differences were not found at the p ≤ 0.05 level between strip ponds and livestock ponds. The macronutrients of nitrogen and phosphorus found in the ponds were neither limiting to primary productivity nor excessive for fresh water. Many ponds contain turbid water. Turbidity restricts light penetration and limits photosynthesis besides making the ponds visually unattractive. The source of water for the pond, whether surface runoff or groundwater, seems to have important bearing on turbidity. The most appropriate use of these strip mine ponds is for waterfowl, warm-water fisheries, and other wildlife associated with prairie wetlands. However, even these uses are jeopardized by detrimental concentrations of trace elements in the water (Anderson and Hawkes, 1984).