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. Department of Agriculture to coordinate activities for the cleanup of federal lands affected by AML.
The USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative (AMLI) strategy employed a watershed approach, in which contaminated sites were identified and remediated based on their effect on the water and ecosystem quality of a targeted watershed. The initiative was implemented on a pilot scale in two watersheds, the Boulder River basin in southwestern Montana and the Upper Animas River basin in southwestern Colorado.
While the AMLI project is completed, USGS scientists are still conducting research and monitoring activities. With the 2015 mine wastewater release into Cement Creek, USGS scientists have provided scientific input following the spill and are studying various environmental impacts of the spill.
AMLI Website Sections
Initiative Plan | Upper Animas River | Boulder River
The AMLI project website is broken into three sections: the initiative plan, studies and products in the Upper Animas River basin, Colorado, and the Boulder River Basin, Montana.
Related Reports
Church, S.E., 1996, A watershed-scale approach to tracing metal contamination in the environment: Canadian Network of Toxicology Centres (CNTC), Metals in the Environment Workshop Report, Far Hills Inn, Val Morin, Quebec, October 21-22, 1996.
Larison, J.R., Likens, G.E., Fitzpatrick, J.W., and Crock, J.G., 2000, Cadmium toxicity among wildlife in the Colorado Rocky Mountains: Nature, v. 406, p. 181-183, doi:10.1038/35018068.
Robbins, E.I., 1999, Microbial and Spectral Reflectance Techniques to Distinguish Neutral and Acidic Drainage: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 0118-99.
Additional USGS Information About Mine Drainage and Water Quality
Other sections of the AMLI project website.
The Plan | USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative
Upper Animas River Study Area | USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative
Boulder River Study Area | USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative
The overall project summaries are published in two USGS Professional Papers: Animas River in Professional Paper 1651 and Boulder River in Professional Paper 1652. In each volume, chapter A is an executive summary of the accomplishments for a general populace and chapter B is written for a more technical audience, providing a summary of the subsequent technical chapters.
Environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River watershed, southwestern Colorado
Integrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River Watershed, San Juan County, Colorado
Lessons learned from the U.S. Geological Survey abandoned mine lands initiative: 1997-2002
Integrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Basin and Boulder Mining Districts, Boulder River watershed, Jefferson County, Montana
Interim report on the scientific investigations in the Animas River watershed, Colorado to facilitate remediation decisions by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, March 29, 2000 meeting, Denver, Colo.
The USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative: Protecting and restoring the environment near abandoned mine lands
U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program: Proceedings of the technical meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999: Volume 1 (Part A)
U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program: Proceedings of the technical meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999: Volume 2 (Part B)
Abstracts of the 11th Annual U.S. Geological Survey, Central Region, 1999 Poster Review; Collected Abstracts of Selected Poster Papers Presented at Scientific Meetings
Science for watershed decisions on abandoned mine lands; review of preliminary results, Denver, Colorado, February 4-5, 1998
A science-based, watershed strategy to support effective remediation of abandoned mine lands
- Overview
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. Department of Agriculture to coordinate activities for the cleanup of federal lands affected by AML.
The USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative (AMLI) strategy employed a watershed approach, in which contaminated sites were identified and remediated based on their effect on the water and ecosystem quality of a targeted watershed. The initiative was implemented on a pilot scale in two watersheds, the Boulder River basin in southwestern Montana and the Upper Animas River basin in southwestern Colorado.
While the AMLI project is completed, USGS scientists are still conducting research and monitoring activities. With the 2015 mine wastewater release into Cement Creek, USGS scientists have provided scientific input following the spill and are studying various environmental impacts of the spill.
AMLI Website Sections
Initiative Plan | Upper Animas River | Boulder River
The AMLI project website is broken into three sections: the initiative plan, studies and products in the Upper Animas River basin, Colorado, and the Boulder River Basin, Montana.
Related Reports
Church, S.E., 1996, A watershed-scale approach to tracing metal contamination in the environment: Canadian Network of Toxicology Centres (CNTC), Metals in the Environment Workshop Report, Far Hills Inn, Val Morin, Quebec, October 21-22, 1996.
Larison, J.R., Likens, G.E., Fitzpatrick, J.W., and Crock, J.G., 2000, Cadmium toxicity among wildlife in the Colorado Rocky Mountains: Nature, v. 406, p. 181-183, doi:10.1038/35018068.
Robbins, E.I., 1999, Microbial and Spectral Reflectance Techniques to Distinguish Neutral and Acidic Drainage: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 0118-99.
Additional USGS Information About Mine Drainage and Water Quality
- Science
Other sections of the AMLI project website.
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 - 2001 Prepared by: The USGS Initiative Implementation Team, and the Colorado and Montana Watershed TeamsUpper 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 AreaBoulder River Study Area | USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative
This is a section of the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initative (AMLI) site. Boulder River Watershed, Montana Study Area - Publications
The overall project summaries are published in two USGS Professional Papers: Animas River in Professional Paper 1651 and Boulder River in Professional Paper 1652. In each volume, chapter A is an executive summary of the accomplishments for a general populace and chapter B is written for a more technical audience, providing a summary of the subsequent technical chapters.
Environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River watershed, southwestern Colorado
The U.S. Geological Survey has completed an extensive environmental study of the effects of historical mining on water and sediment quality and aquatic and riparian habitat in the Animas River watershed upstream from Silverton, Colorado. Results from this study are being used by Federal and State agencies and by the local watershed stakeholders group to implement remediation and cleanup activitiesAuthorsStan E. ChurchIntegrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River Watershed, San Juan County, Colorado
This publication comprises a Volume Contents of chapters (listed below) and a CD-ROM of data (contents shown in column at right). The Animas River watershed in southwest Colorado 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. GeologicalLessons learned from the U.S. Geological Survey abandoned mine lands initiative: 1997-2002
Growth of the United States has been facilitated, in part, by hard-rock mining in the Rocky Mountains. Abandoned and inactive mines cause many significant environmental concerns in hundreds of watersheds. Those who have responsibility to address these environmental concerns must have a basic level of scientific information about mining and mine wastes in a watershed prior to initiating remediationAuthorsBriant A. Kimball, Stan E. Church, John M. BesserIntegrated 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 withInterim report on the scientific investigations in the Animas River watershed, Colorado to facilitate remediation decisions by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, March 29, 2000 meeting, Denver, Colo.
INTRODUCTION The joint U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative (AMLI) was developed as a collaborative effort between the Federal land management agencies (FLMA, that is the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1996. The stated goal of the AML Initiative was to develop a sAuthorsThe USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative: Protecting and restoring the environment near abandoned mine lands
The Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Initiative is part of a larger strategy of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to clean up Federal lands contaminated by abandoned mines.Thousands of abandond hard-rock metal mines (such as gold, copper, lead, and zinc) have left a dual legacy across the Western United States. They reflect the historic development of the west, yAuthorsU.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 meetU.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program: Proceedings of the technical meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999: Volume 2 (Part B)
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 meetAbstracts of the 11th Annual U.S. Geological Survey, Central Region, 1999 Poster Review; Collected Abstracts of Selected Poster Papers Presented at Scientific Meetings
In 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey Central Region had a poster review where USGS scientists showcased posters that had been presented at scientific meetings. This report contains abstracts for selected posters that were presented at this review. Science topics were from several USGS teams with a broad range of topics.Science for watershed decisions on abandoned mine lands; review of preliminary results, Denver, Colorado, February 4-5, 1998
From the Preface: There are thousands of abandoned or inactive mines on or adjacent to public lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service. Mine wastes from many of these abandoned mines adversely affect resources on public lands. In 1995, an interdepartmental work group within the Federal government developed a strategy to address remediationAuthorsDavid A. Nimick, Paul Von GuerardA science-based, watershed strategy to support effective remediation of abandoned mine lands
A U.S. Geological Survey Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative will develop a strategy for gathering and communicating the scientific information needed to formulate effective and cost-efficient remediation of abandoned mine lands. A watershed approach will identify, characterize, and remediate contaminated sites that have the most profound effect on water and ecosystem quality within a watershed. The IAuthorsHerbert T. Buxton, David A. Nimick, Paul Von Guerard, Stan E. Church, Ann G. Frazier, John R. Gray, Bruce R. Lipin, Sherman P. Marsh, Daniel F. Woodward, Briant A. Kimball, Susan E. Finger, Lee S. Ischinger, John C. Fordham, Martha S. Power, Christine M. Bunch, John Jones