Abstract
A screening-level assessment of dissolved zinc from inactive and abandoned metal mines in the Cement Creek Basin was performed. The basin is part of the Upper Animas River Basin in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Stream discharge and dissolved zinc concentrations were measured at 49 stations below nonpoint sources including tailings and waste rock, point sources such as adits, and background areas. One measurement was made at a station during three flow events: storm runoff, peak snowmelt runoff, and baseflow. The highest concentrations occurred in the upper part of the basin immediately downstream from nonpoint and point source discharges, especially in the North Fork of Cement Creek. The mean concentration in Cement Creek was highest during baseflow (1350 μg l-1) and lowest during snowmelt (796 μg l-1). Most exceedances of national acute and chronic criteria for brown trout were chronic criteria exceedances in the upper part of the basin. Subareas with the greatest extent of nonpoint source areas in the upper part of the watershed, especially those contributing to Upper Cement Creek and the North Fork of Cement Creek, generally had the highest loadings and unit area loadings. The greatest loadings from all subareas to Cement Creek occurred during snowmelt (219 000 g day-1 and 17 400 kg for the snowmelt season). The highest unit area loadings from all subareas also occurred during snowmelt (190 g ha-1 day-1 and 15 147 g ha-1 for the snowmelt season). Loadings from subareas with extensive nonpoint source areas were always much greater than those from point sources and background areas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adkins, N. C.: 1993, ‘A framework for development of data analysis protocols for ground water quality monitoring', Technical Report No. 60, Colorado Water Resources Research Institute, 85 pp.
Adler, K. J. and Smolen, M. D.: 1989, Selecting Priority Nonpoint Source Projects: You Better Shop Around, Prepared for USEPA, EPA 506/2–89/003.
Bevington, P. R.: 1969, Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences, McGraw-Hill, Inc., N.Y.
CCEM (Colorado Center for Environment Management): 1993, Inactive and Abandoned Noncoal Mines: Blueprint for Action.
CDM (Camp Dresser and McKee Inc.): 1990, Clear Creek Phase II Remedial Investigation Report, Volume 1, Text.
CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) Water Quality Control Commission: 1991, The Basic Standards and Methodologies for Surface Water.
CDPHE Water Quality Control Division: 1992a, Implementation Plan for the Animas River Monitoring Project.
CDPHE Water Quality Control Division: 1992b, ‘Guidance on Data Requirements and Data Interpretation Methods Used in Stream Standards and Classification Proceedings'.
CDPHE Water Quality Control Division: 1993a, ‘Animas River Study - Draft Decision Criteria for Metals Loadings Source Determination'.
CDPHEWater Quality Control Commission: 1993b, ‘Classifications and Numeric Standards for San Juan River and Dolores River Basins. 3.4.0'.
Gilbert, R. O.: 1987, Statistical Methods for Environmental Pollution Monitoring, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 320 pp.
Hem, J. D.: 1986, Study and Interpretation of the Chemical Characteristics of Natural Water, USGS Water-Supply Paper 2254.
Karr, J. R., Fausch, K. D., Angermeier, P. L., Yant, P. R. and Schlosser, I. J.: 1986, Assessing Biological Integrity in Running Waters: A Method and Its Rationale., Special Publication 5, Illinois Natural History Survey.
Loftis, J. C. and Ward, R. C.: 1981, ‘Evaluating stream standard violations using a water quality data base', Water Res. Bull. 17(6), 1071–1078.
Maas, R. P., Smolen, M. D., Jamieson, C. A. and Weinberg, A. C.: 1987, Setting Priorities: The Key to Nonpoint Source Control, Prepared for USEPA, 50 pp.
Martin, H. W. and Mills, W. R.: 1976, Water Pollution Caused by Inactive Ore and Mineral Mines - A National Assessment, Prepared for USEPA, EPA-600/2–76–298.
McBride, G. B., Loftis, J. C. and Adkins, N. C.: 1993, ‘What do significance tests really tell us about the environment? Environ. Manage. 17(4), 423–432.
Ridolfi, C. A.: 1991, Distribution of Heavy Metal Loadings to the South Fork Couer d'Alene River in Northern Idaho, Prepared for USEPA, EPA 101/F-90/049, 36 pp.
USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency): 1987, Mining Wastes in the West: Risks and Remedies.
USEPA: 1989, Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Rivers, Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish, EPA-444/4–89–001.
USEPA: 1991, Mining Waste Management, EPA/600/M-91/027.
USGS (U.S. Geological Survey): 1977, National Handbook of Recommended Methods for Water-Data Acquisition,U.S. Department of the Interior.
Ward, R. C., Loftis, J. C. and McBride, G. B.: 1990, Design of Water Quality Monitoring Systems, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 231 pp.
WGA (Western Governors’ Association): 1991, Inactive and Abandoned Noncoal Mines-A Scoping Study, Volumes I through IV.
WPCF (Water Pollution Control Federation): 1990, Nonpoint Source Impact Assessment, An Assessment Report, WPCF Research Foundation Report 90–5.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Caruso, B.S., Loftis, J.C. Screening Assessment of Dissolved Zinc from Inactive Mines in a Mountain Watershed. Environ Monit Assess 56, 147–176 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005951502880
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005951502880