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Metals Release From Mining-Impacted Streambed Sediments In The North Fork Of Clear Creek, Colorado
Citation:
BUTLER, B. Metals Release From Mining-Impacted Streambed Sediments In The North Fork Of Clear Creek, Colorado. Presented at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Chemistry Branch, ERDC-EL, Vicksburg, MS, August 20, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
Streambed sediments were examined to determine the effect on metals release resulting from changes in pH, DOC, ionic strength, particle size, and time.
Description:
Many miles of streams in the US (and worldwide) are contaminated by metals originating from both active and abandoned mine sites. Streams affected by mine drainage are often toxic to aquatic life. Thus, it is desirable to remediate these sites through removal or treatment of the source(s). In the absence of mine-drainage input, the stream water will be expected to increase in pH, decrease in ionic strength (typical mine-drainage contains high concentrations of salts and sulfate), and increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (increased biological activity once metal toxicity is removed). In the western U.S., many of these streams are high gradient and shallow -- resulting in the bed sediments being aerobic (oxic) and containing high concentrations of precipitated metal oxyhdyroxides and sorbed metals. The sorbed metals are susceptible to release under changing water chemistry. North Fork Clear Creek, CO was chosen for study due to its currently being a Superfund site listed on the NPL and recent decisions for its remediation. Streambed sediments were examined to determine the effect on metals release resulting from changes in pH, DOC, ionic strength, particle size, and time.