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An overview of the Gold King Mine Release and its Transport and Fate in the Animas and San Juan Rivers
Citation:
Sullivan, Kate, Mike Cyterski, Chris Knightes, J. Washington, S. Kraemer, L. Prieto, AND B. Avant. An overview of the Gold King Mine Release and its Transport and Fate in the Animas and San Juan Rivers. New Mexico Water Institute Symposium on Animas River, Farmington, NM, June 20 - 22, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
To be presented at the New Mexico Water Institute Symposium, 2nd Annual Conference on Environmental Conditionsof the Animas and San Juan Watersheds with Emphasis on Gold King Mine and Other Mine Waste Issues.
Description:
On August 5, 2015, a large acidic mine pool trapped behind a collapsed mine structure and rock debris in the Gold King Mine (GKM) was accidently breached releasing approximately 11.3 million liters (3 million gallons) of low pH (~3) metal contaminated mine drainage into a small tributary in the headwaters of the Animas River in southwestern Colorado. The release introduced approximately 490,000 kg of dissolved and particulate metals over a 12-hour period into the Animas River at Silverton, CO, located 13 km downstream from the mine. The mine effluent contained 2,900 kg of dissolved metals. Most of the released metals were eroded from the old waste pile outside the mine entrance and within Cement Creek by the rushing water. The release introduced large quantities of particulate aluminum, iron, manganese, lead, copper, arsenic and zinc to the Animas River, of which 15,000 kg was in dissolved form
