"It's very difficult, and it's the same with the aquifer," he said.
When the water is removed from the aquifer, the rock collapses and becomes more compact, which closes up the holes and spaces that would be needed to pump the water back in.
"Now, almost in a wink of time, we're pumping hundreds of millions of gallons of water out of that coal," said Merschat. "And it's almost impossible—if it is possible—to get the water back in, in a short period of time."
Studies Underway
Based on current levels of annual rainfall and snowmelt, Merschat said it would take a century to two centuries to replenish the aquifers.
"If it takes that long to replace the water, what right does anyone have to alter an aquifer system like that for our future generations?" said Merschat.
The high salt content of the water also changes the chemistry of the soil, said Merschat. The salt causes the clay to swell, making it impermeable to water. That affects vegetation because the roots of plants and trees can't get the water they need.
Some help may be on the way.
The University of Montana's Biological Station at Yellow Bay has been called on to investigate water pollution caused by the methane wells in Powder River Basin. And this week, the governors of Wyoming and Montana—states in which the gas-rich Powder River Basin lies—signed an agreement to monitor the pollution and its effects.
If studies show that the water pollution is affecting the region's water quality, legislation may be enacted requiring the mines to restrict the amount of salt and other minerals in the methane-related water.
Meanwhile, there is continued concern that in the short term, the region's habitats may be changed dramatically as water collects and forms ponds and reservoirs.
Watch television coverage of this story on National Geographic Today, only on the National Geographic Channel, 7 p.m. ET/PT in the United States.
|
SOURCES AND RELATED WEB SITES
|
