Effects of Fluvial Tailings Deposits on Receiving Waters in the Upper Arkansas River Basin, Lake County, Colorado Completed
Fluvial tailings deposits stored in the floodplain of the upper Arkansas River represent a potential nonpoint source of contamination to surface and ground waters. The U.S. Geological Survey has been cooperating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to monitor a lowcost, insitu remediation technique for the deposits.
Remediation of selected sites occurred in 1998 through 2000 by amending the sites with a mixture of biosolids, compost, and lime or limestone, incorporating the mixture into surficial soils, and reseeding the areas. Water quality beneath the sites is being monitored to detect improvements resulting from the remediation.
OBJECTIVES:
- Monitor long-term (6 year) changes in water quality in the saturated and unsaturated zone beneath one remediated site to detect changes that are related to the remediation. Monitoring at this site had been active prior to remediation in 1998.
- Initiate monitoring at a new site where remediation involved a different amendment mixture than was used at the long-term site.
- Assess differences in water quality at the two sites that may be related to the different remediation amendments used at each site.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Automated quantitative micro-mineralogical characterization for environmental applications
Pre- and post-remediation characterization of acid-generating fluvial tailings material
Use of an intact core and stable-metal isotopes to examine leaching characteristics of a fluvial tailings deposit
Effects of fluvial tailings deposits on soils and surface- and ground-water quality, and implications for remediation — Upper Arkansas River, Colorado, 1992–96
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
Fluvial tailings deposits stored in the floodplain of the upper Arkansas River represent a potential nonpoint source of contamination to surface and ground waters. The U.S. Geological Survey has been cooperating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to monitor a lowcost, insitu remediation technique for the deposits.
Remediation of selected sites occurred in 1998 through 2000 by amending the sites with a mixture of biosolids, compost, and lime or limestone, incorporating the mixture into surficial soils, and reseeding the areas. Water quality beneath the sites is being monitored to detect improvements resulting from the remediation.
OBJECTIVES:
- Monitor long-term (6 year) changes in water quality in the saturated and unsaturated zone beneath one remediated site to detect changes that are related to the remediation. Monitoring at this site had been active prior to remediation in 1998.
- Initiate monitoring at a new site where remediation involved a different amendment mixture than was used at the long-term site.
- Assess differences in water quality at the two sites that may be related to the different remediation amendments used at each site.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Automated quantitative micro-mineralogical characterization for environmental applications
Characterization of ore and waste-rock material using automated quantitative micro-mineralogical techniques (e.g., QEMSCAN® and MLA) has the potential to complement traditional acid-base accounting and humidity cell techniques when predicting acid generation and metal release. These characterization techniques, which most commonly are used for metallurgical, mineral-processing, and geometallurgicaAuthorsKathleen S. Smith, K.O. Hoal, Katherine Walton-Day, J.G. Stammer, K. PietersenPre- and post-remediation characterization of acid-generating fluvial tailings material
The upper Arkansas River south of Leadville, Colorado, USA, contains deposits of fluvial tailings from historical mining operations in the Leadville area. These deposits are potential non-point sources of acid and metal contamination to surface- and groundwater systems. We are investigating a site that recently underwent in situ remediation treatment with lime, fertilizer, and compost. Pre- and poAuthorsKathleen S. Smith, Katherine Walton-Day, Karin O. Hoal, Rhonda L. Driscoll, K. PietersenUse of an intact core and stable-metal isotopes to examine leaching characteristics of a fluvial tailings deposit
The upper Arkansas River south of Leadville, Colorado, USA, contains deposits of fluvial tailings from historical mining operations in the Leadville area. These deposits are possible non-point sources of acid and metal contamination to surface- and ground-water systems. We used stable-metal isotopes to help ascertain metal retention and release mechanisms that influence metal transport from the deAuthorsJames F. Ranville, Kathleen S. Smith, Paul J. Lamothe, Brian P. Jackson, Katherine Walton-DayEffects of fluvial tailings deposits on soils and surface- and ground-water quality, and implications for remediation — Upper Arkansas River, Colorado, 1992–96
No abstract available.AuthorsKatherine Walton-Day, F. J. Rossi, L. J. Gerner, J. B. Evans, T. J. Yager, J. F. Ranville, K. S. Smith - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.