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Water Facts
• Separation of Ground Water Formations from Natural Gas Formations
• Coal fires
Information in this section was found at the 3M Project – Hydrologic Model Final Report, Colorado Division of Water Resource, USGS Robson/Wright report "Groundwater resources of the Florida Mesa Area", La Plata County Colorado.
Geologic studies show that beds of nearly impermeable shale separate sandstone beds and retard vertical water movement between deep and shallow aquifers. The Fruitland Formation in the San Juan Basin contains fairly low permeability rock units. The formation behaves like a classic confined aquifer system.
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Information in this section was found at: "The Fire Down Below," published by the Durango Herald, Sept. 3, 2000, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement of Oil and Gas Development on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, October 2000, and interviews with area geologists familiar with the fires.
Geologic evidence and investigations have shown that near-surface underground coal fires have occurred intermittently in the area for thousands of years. These fires are common in coal-bearing rocks and in areas of coal mining operations. Five underground fires are currently burning on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation where Fruitland coal seams are exposed at the surface. When air is drawn into the coal beds from the surface, it can trigger heating and cause the coal to oxidize underground. No other fires have been discovered. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is currently evaluating the characteristics of the fires. At present, these fires do not pose a significant threat to public health and safety. County emergency response personnel have been notified of the locations of the fires. Deep coal formations are isolated from oxygen and therefore cannot ignite and burn. Dewatering removes water from coal formations but does not introduce oxygen.
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