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WILLOW CREEK RECLAMATION PROJECT
Impact/Purpose:
This information will be used by the Willow Creek Reclamation Committee (WCRC) and the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology to evaluate and implement source control practices which will reduce the quantity of water requiring treatment to remove metals in order to: 1) Significantly improve water quality in the (35 square miles) of Willow Creek; 2) Restore the Natural Environment of Riparian Areas; 3) Preserve our Historic Sites and Structures; 4) Implement Flood Control Measures; 5) Protect the Rio Grande; and 6) Develop greater opportunities for outdoor recreation. Willow Creek is tributaty to the Rio Grande which is on the State 303(d) list as requiring a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for water quality improvement. The Willow Creek Watershed is identified in the State NPS Assessment Report and Management Plan (1990) and by the Colorado Water Qualiry Control Division as a high priority area requiring control of non-point sources of metals from historic mining activities.
Description:
Working in cooperation with the EPA, Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology, and others, the Willow Creek Reclamation Committee (WCRC) will investigate the sources and character of water entering the mine workings on the Amethyst vein near the town of Creede, Colorado. Activities include: 1) Completion of mine work stabilization 2) Completion of high flow sampling event 3) Completion of low flow sampling event 4) Completion of final report of hydrogeological investigations
