Introduction

Anaconda is often regarded as the center of smelting operations for mining that
took place in Butte. While the majority of ore processing for raw materials mined in
Butte in the twentieth century did take place in Anaconda, it was a local station
the Parrot smelter, situated near where the Civic Center stands today that refined
most ore from 1881 to 1899 (Tucci, 2010).
The length of time that the Parrot facility was active for was significantly less than
that of the Anaconda smelter, but its impact was nonetheless significant. In an era
where environmental stewardship was poor to nonexistent, few precautions were
taken in handling the waste produced by the smelting processes. In addition, the
facility itself, and portions of its disposal area, were near water sources. Metals from
the waste infiltrated the water table so noticeably that operations to extract metals
from contaminated water for profit began in 1890 (Tucci, 2010).
The Parrot smelter produced both slag and acid tailings. Copper, being the most
significant metal constituent of Buttes soil, was still highly concentrated in the
smelters refuse piles. Other contaminants found in high concentrations include
zinc, sulfate, and strontium. This is evidenced not just in the waste itself, but
importantly, in water samples taken from observation wells along the area of
contamination.
Buttes topography has changed dramatically from the period of time when the
Parrot smelter was active. Significant infrastructure has been built on top of and
along areas of contamination. Furthermore, historical documents do not provide a
clear picture of precisely where contaminants were situated, and what, exactly, was
present at each site. It is difficult, then, to have an entirely accurate idea of where
waste exists, in terms of ground-level contamination. Because contaminants from
the waste have long been working their way into groundwater, however, it is
possible to examine the area from the perspective of the water table, and use
information from contaminant concentrations in the water to better paint a picture
of where the tailings lie, and how to prevent the contaminants from spreading.
This report purposes to analyze groundwater information between the site of the
Parrot facility and Blacktail Creek, a local, open water body. Blacktail Creek empties
into larger waterways, which then empty into the Pacific Ocean. Large
concentrations of contaminants from the Parrot tailings reaching the creek could
prove hazardous.

Water table
The water table contour map was determined by the Static Water Levels (SWL)
measurements taken from some parts of uptown Butte, and in the Silver Bow Creek
valley. The wells used to create the contour data were all taken within the month of
October to generate a consistent data set. The data table includes both the deep
and shallow wells located at the same locations, where the water table contour map
only displays data taken from the shallow well. Based on the data, the contour map
was then drawn to represent the ground water flow. It was concluded that the Static
Water Level gradually drops as the wells get closer to the old Metro Storm Drain and
Blacktail Creek. It was then determined that the alluvial aquifer was influenced by
the Metro Strom Drain and Blacktail Creek. It was inferred that the alluvial aquifer is
recharging the two surface bodies of water.
Geologic cross-sections
Two geological cross sections were created based on GWIC well data for the area
affected by the Parrot Mine Tailings. One of the cross sections was oriented along
the direction of contaminant dispersion, ENE-WSW, essentially parallel to the storm
drain. The second cross section was oriented perpendicular to the storm drain, in
the alignment of WNW-ESE. Due to a lack of wells with sufficient data, the second
map was not nearly as detailed at depths as compared to the first orientation.
Although the cross sections show a basic trend, the composition is varied in certain
locations. For example, layers such as the peat layer in the second map, or the clay
pockets in the first map, show a good amount of heterogeny exists and that these
pockets of unique compositions are interspersed in the areas soils.
Despite this there was a fair amount of correlation between the two maps, showing
a somewhat consistent composition of the butte soils in this area. A surface layer of
fill and soils, necessary to cover the previously contaminated ground, existed in
every well cross section. This was followed by a layer of high alluvial sediments like
sand and gravel, then a layer of low-K alluvial sediments, and finally another layer
of high alluvial sediments. This is fitting of the two aquifer layers shown in both
shallow and wells in the area, for example the wells such as GS-41 or GS-46. The
water table is consistent across the two maps, with the exception of GS-33 which
has a much lower static water level than the other wells used.

Vertical gradients
In many locations on and around the contaminant plume, wells of different depths
(one shallow and one deep) were installed to observe vertical gradients and
differences in contaminants at different depths. It was observed that, while
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differences in SWL were generally very small between shallow and deep wells, the
overall trend was that of water traveling downward. This was most prominently seen
in GS-32S and GS-32D. The shallow well had a SWL 2 feet higher than that of the
deep well, and a vertical downward gradient of -0.11976 was calculated. This trend
indicates that contamination would travel downward into the water table, rather
than pushed back upwards to the surface. GS-30S and GS-30D had an upward
vertical gradient (0.025), but the difference in SWL between the two was so small
that it is likely that this is statistical noise. GS-46S and GS-46D also had an upward
gradient (0.01724), but those wells were located outside of the contamination zone
and do not represent the overall gradient of wells within the contaminated area.
Contaminant plumes
The well data used to construct the element concentration table was obtained
through Montanas Ground Water Information Center (GWIC), by using the most
recent chemistry data available. The elements Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) had
contour intervals in a logarithmic scale, and Sulfate (SO) used linear contour
intervals. The wells used to create the Contaminant Plume maps were scattered
throughout the whole area not just localized to the contaminated Parrot Tailings
area. The interpretation that was determined is that the sulfate has similar
concentration levels throughout the whole area; where the zinc and copper seem to
fallow the initial contaminate area. The source of the contaminant plume can be
assumed to start above and around the Butte Civic Center and then taper off down
about 1,400 feet below the Butte Civic Center.
Copper and zinc were found in higher concentrations in the shallow wells than in the
deep wells, indicating that the contaminants were traveling downward from the
surface. The contaminant plumes decreased as expected per the determined
vertical gradients and direction of groundwater transport; the contaminants were
higher in concentrations near the site of the smelter, and decreased in the direction
of Blacktail Creek. This indicates that contaminants are indeed traveling towards the
creek.

Aquifer transmissivity
It is important to understand and be able to quantify the transmissivity of the
affected aquifer(s), as the ease with which water can travel through soil has a large
impact not only affects the rate at which contaminants spread, but also the size and
pumping rate of the designed pump-and-treat facility.

Two equations were used for estimating the transmissivity of the soil, but one
equation was dependent on the soil being rich in limestone. Since the soil that was
being accounted for does not have significant quantities of limestone, the second
equation which is applicable to more common soil types was chosen. Both an
arithmetic and geometric mean were determined, and since the difference between
the two averages was less than an order of magnitude, the arithmetic mean was
chosen. This gave a value of 1075 ft2/day. As no quantitative transmissivity values
were able to be found in MGMB 590, this value could not be compared to any given
values.
Pump-and-treat facility
A pump and treat facility to capture and treat the contaminated groundwater plume
can be designed using the hydraulic gradient calculated in part 1, the map
constructed in part 1, and the transmissivity estimate calculated in part 2. These
three values are needed in order to use the following equations:
EQ 1:

()ymax = Q/(2Kbi)
or
Ymax = Q/(Ti)

EQ 2:

Xo = -Q/(2Ti)

EQ 3:

x = -y/tan(2Tiy/Q)

Where Q = flow, K = conductivity, i = hydraulic gradient, T = transmissivity

Using these equations, a series of wells can be designed and oriented in
order to contain the groundwater plume before it leaches into the river. In the case
of our project, 4 wells were deemed effective in order to capture the plume: one
well oriented in such a way that it follows the direction of the storm drain,
overlapping with the remaining 3 wells in locations of high importance.
It is essential to calculate the drawdown that results from the pumping rate
and guarantee that it is designed at a rate that will not negatively impact the
aquifer by causing excessive drawdown.