Trace Elements and Metals
Trace Elements and Metals
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Assessing the effects of mining on the Transboundary Koocanusa Reservoir
The Kootenai River Watershed is an international resource cooperatively managed by the U.S., Canada, and Tribal governments. In recent years, coal mining in the Canadian portion of the watershed has resulted in elevated concentrations of several constituents, including selenium, nitrate, and sulfate downstream (Storb et al., 2023). At increased levels, these mining byproducts can affect water...
Evidence of selenium transport from Elk River Valley, Canada to the Columbia River
Selenium is an essential nutrient with a narrow gap between enough for life and too much for life. Mining operations have been linked to releasing selenium into rivers and streams, where it can accumulate in aquatic ecosystems and disrupt the development of egg-laying organisms like fish and birds. Recent research shows that selenium travels farther from the Elk River Valley than previously...
Kootenai River Basin Dissolved Selenium Data
Water-quality sampling for selenium in the Lake Koocanusa Basin has been occurring since 1972. The USGS WY-MT WSC began a sampling program on the lake in 2018. Water-quality data are collected on the inflows to Lake Koocanusa, in the lake itself, and on the Kootenai River downstream of Libby Dam. All data are available online. Data in graphs are updated monthly to present the latest results. All...
Growth of coal mining operations in the Elk River Valley linked to increasing transport of selenium, nitrate, and sulfate into Lake Koocanusa
Lake Koocanusa (also called Koocanusa Reservoir) is a transboundary reservoir that's located in northwestern Montana and southwestern British Columbia, Canada (BC) and encompasses the headwaters of the Kootenai watershed, eventually flowing into the Columbia River. Coal mining has occurred in the Elk River watershed in British Columbia, Canada for more than 100 years. Concentrations of different...
Long-Term Surface-Water Monitoring in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has collected water-quality samples from selected stream sites upstream from Missoula since 1985.
Yellowstone River Basin Water-Quality Assessment
The Yellowstone River Basin (YELL) study-unit in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota, is part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of this program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources, and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of...