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Boulder River Study Area | USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative Completed

By Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center September 27, 2007

This is a section of the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initative (AMLI) site.

Boulder River Watershed, Montana Study Area

The Boulder River watershed in Montana is one of many watersheds in the western United States where historical mining has left a legacy of acid mine drainage and elevated concentrations of potentially toxic trace elements in surface streams. U.S. Geological Survey scientists have completed a major assessment of the environmental effects of historical mining in the Boulder River watershed. The study demonstrated how the watershed approach can be used to assess and rank mining affected sites for possible cleanup. The study was conducted in collaboration with State and Federal land-management agencies.

map showing study locations in CO and MT
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Location of demonstration watersheds for the Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative. From Kimball and others, 2006, doi:10.21000/JASMR06020944.

This is a section of the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initative (AMLI) site.

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Red Mountain, Colorado

USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted an Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Initiative during the fiscal years 1997 through 2001 to provide technical assistance in support of Federal Land Management Agency (FLMA) actions to remediate contamination associated with abandoned hard rock mining activities. This initiative was part of a larger strategy by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S...
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
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USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted an Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Initiative during the fiscal years 1997 through 2001 to provide technical assistance in support of Federal Land Management Agency (FLMA) actions to remediate contamination associated with abandoned hard rock mining activities. This initiative was part of a larger strategy by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S...
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organization structure flow chart

The Plan | USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative

This is a section of the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initative (AMLI) site.A Plan for the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative, 1997 - 2001Prepared by: The USGS Initiative Implementation Team, and the Colorado and Montana Watershed Teams
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
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The Plan | USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative

This is a section of the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initative (AMLI) site.A Plan for the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative, 1997 - 2001Prepared by: The USGS Initiative Implementation Team, and the Colorado and Montana Watershed Teams
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mine drainage

Upper Animas River Study Area | USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative

This is a section of the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initative (AMLI) site.Upper Animas River Watershed, Colorado Study Area
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
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Upper Animas River Study Area | USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative

This is a section of the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initative (AMLI) site.Upper Animas River Watershed, Colorado Study Area
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Below are publications associated with this project.

Integrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Basin and Boulder Mining Districts, Boulder River watershed, Jefferson County, Montana

The Boulder River watershed is one of many watersheds in the western United States where historical mining has left a legacy of acid mine drainage and elevated concentrations of potentially toxic trace elements. Abandoned mine lands commonly are located on or affect Federal land. Cleaning up these Federal lands will require substantial investment of resources. As part of a cooperative effort with
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Filter Total Items: 23

Airborne geophysical surveys in the Boulder Watershed, Jefferson and Lewis and Clark Counties, Montana

INTRODUCTIONThree airborne geophysical surveys have been made in the Boulder watershed and adjacent areas (fig. 1). The objectives of the geophysical studies in the watershed is to map subsurface lithologic, structural and hydrologic features important in controlling possible ground water contamination from mining activities and to design remediation efforts. These studies are part of an abandoned
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Concentrations of metals in water, sediment, biofilm, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish in the Boulder River watershed, Montana, and the role of colloids in metal uptake

To characterize the partitioning of metals in a stream ecosystem, concentrations of trace metals including As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were measured in water, colloids, sediment, biofilm (also referred to as aufwuchs), macroinvertebrates, and fish collected from the Boulder River watershed, Montana. Median concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Zn in water throughout the watershed exceeded the U.S. EPA acute an
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Environmental effects of historical mining in the Boulder River watershed, southwestern Montana

The U.S. Geological Survey recently completed an environmental study of historical mining in the Boulder River watershed, Montana, using the watershed approach. Results of the study have been used by State and Federal agencies to plan and implement cleanup. The watershed approach is based on the premise that contaminated sites that have the most profound effect on water and ecosystem quality withi
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Rare earth element partitioning between hydrous ferric oxides and acid mine water during iron oxidation

Ferrous iron rapidly oxidizes to Fe (III) and precipitates as hydrous Fe (III) oxides in acid mine waters. This study examines the effect of Fe precipitation on the rare earth element(REE) geochemistry of acid mine waters to determine the pH range over which REEs behave conservatively and the range over which attenuation and fractionation occur. Two field studies were designed to investigate REE a
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Diel cycles in dissolved metal concentrations in streams: Occurrence and possible causes

Substantial diel (24‐hour) cycles in dissolved (0.1‐μm filtration) metal concentrations were observed during low flow for 18 sampling episodes at 14 sites on 12 neutral and alkaline streams draining historical mining areas in Montana and Idaho. At some sites, concentrations of Cd, Mn, Ni, and Zn increased as much as 119, 306, 167, and 500%, respectively, from afternoon minimum values to maximum va
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Quantification of metal loads by tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling methods in Cataract Creek, Jefferson County, Montana, August 1997

No abstract available.
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

SHRIMP U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar age constraints for relating plutonism and mineralization in the Boulder batholith region, Montana

The composite Boulder batholith, Montana, hosts a variety of mineral deposit types, including important silver-rich polymetallic quartz vein districts in the northern part of the batholith and the giant Butte porphyry copper-molybdenum pre-Main Stage system and crosscutting copper-rich Main Stage vein system in the southern part of the batholith. Previous dating studies have identified ambiguous r
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Chemical data and lead isotopic compositions in stream-sediment samples from the Boulder River watershed, Jefferson County, Montana

Metal-mining related wastes in the Boulder River basin study area in northern Jefferson County, Montana, have been evaluated for their environmental effects as a part of the U.S. Geological Survey Abandoned Mine Lands Project. Many mine and prospect waste dumps, and mill wastes are located in the drainage basins of Basin Creek, Cataract Creek, and High Ore Creek, the three major tributaries to the
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Ground geophysical study of the Buckeye mine tailings, Boulder watershed, Montana

The Buckeye mine site is located in the Boulder River watershed along Basin Creek, in northern Jefferson County, Montana. This project is part of the Boulder River watershed Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative, and is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Land Management in the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service in the U.S. Department of Agri
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Schlumberger DC resistivity soundings in the Boulder Watershed, Jefferson and Lewis and Clark counties, Montana

During July, 1997, twenty four Schlumberger dc resistivity soundings were made in the Boulder watershed and adjacent areas (fig. 1). The objective of geophysical studies in the watershed is to map subsurface lithologic, structural and hydrologic features important in controlling possible ground water contamination from mining activities and for design of remediation efforts. These studies are part
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program: Proceedings of the technical meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999: Volume 1 (Part A)

This report contains papers presented at the seventh Technical Meeting of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Toxic Substances Hydrology (Toxics) Program. The meeting was held March 8-12, 1999, in Charleston, South Carolina. Toxics Program Technical Meetings are held periodically to provide a forum for presentation and discussion of results of recent research activities.The objectives of these meet
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Water Resources, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Water-quality data for streams in the Boulder River Watershed, Jefferson County, Montana

Chemical data were collected in the Boulder River watershed of southwestern Montana during 1996-99 as part of a detailed interdisciplinary study characterizing the effects of historical inactive mines on streams in the watershed. This report presents water-quality data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey for physical properties, major ions, nutrients, and trace elements for 62 sites in and nea
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Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program