Katie Walton-Day
Biography
Katie obtained M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geology from the Colorado School of Mines. She is a research hydrologist and has worked at the U.S. Geological Survey located in Denver, Colorado for over 30 years. During this time her research has primily focused on understading the sources and mobility of trace metals associated with hard rock and uranium mineral deposits primariy in the western United States. A primary goal of her research is to provide science-based information to facilitate decisions about remediation in areas contaminated by historic mining practices.
Publications
1. Day, K.W., Filipek, L.H. and Papp, C.S.E., 1986, Processes controlling the vertical distribution of selected trace metals in Filson Creek bog, Lake County, Minnesota, in Averett, R.C., and McKnight, D.M., eds., Chemical quality of water and the hydrologic cycle: Chelsea, Mich., Lewis Publishers, p. 367-372.
2. Day, K.W., 1986, Determination of processes controlling vertical trace element distribution in Filson Creek bog, Lake County, Minnesota: Golden, Colorado School of Mines, M.S. thesis # 3149, 236 p.
3. Ficklin, W.H., Smith, K.S. and Walton-Day, Katherine, 1987, Some effects of acid mine drainage on Clear Creek, Colorado, in Reimann, Martha, ed., A view of water supply, water quality and geotechnical engineering in Denver, Jefferson, Gilpin, and Clear Creek Counties, Colorado: Colorado Groundwater Association, 6th annual field trip, July 25, 1987, Guidebook, p. 4-12.
4. Walton-Day, Katherine, and Briggs, P.H, 1989, Preliminary assessment of the effects of acid mine drainage on ground water beneath a wetland near Leadville, Colorado, in Mallard, G.E., and Ragone, S.E., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, proceedings of the technical meeting, Phoenix, Arizona, September 26-30, 1988: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 88-4220, p. 119-124. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri884220
5. Walton-Day, Katherine, Filipek, L.H., and Papp, C.S.E., 1990a, Mechanisms controlling Cu, Fe, Mn, and Co profiles in peat of the Filson Creek fen, northeastern Minnesota: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 54, no. 11, p. 2933-2946. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2F0016-7037%2890%2990111-W
6. Walton-Day, Katherine, Macalady, D.L., Brooks, M.H., and Tate, V.T., 1990b, Field methods for the determination of ground-water redox parameters: Ground Water Monitoring Review, v. 10, no. 4, p. 81-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1745-6592.1990.tb00024.x
7. Walton-Day, Katherine, 1991, Hydrology and geochemistry of a natural wetland affected by acid mine drainage, St. Kevin Gulch, Lake County, Colorado: Golden, Colorado School of Mines, Ph.D. dissertation # 4033, 299 p.
8. Walton-Day, Katherine, Briggs, P.H., and Romberger, S.B., 1991, Use of mass-flow calculations to identify processes controlling water quality in a subalpine wetland receiving acid mine drainage, St. Kevin Gulch, Colo., in Mallard, G.E., and Aronson, D.A., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, proceedings of the technical meeting, Monterey, California, March 11-15, 1991: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 91-4034, p. 371-376. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri914034
9. Leventhal, J.S., Jackson, L.L., Smith, K.S., Walton-Day, Katherine, Balistrieri, L.S., Foote, Lee, and Guntenspergen, Glen, 1993, Biogeochemistry along an estuarine salinity gradient: a proxy for sea level rise due to global change, in Landin, M.C. (ed.) Wetlands: Proceedings of the 13th annual conference of the Society of Wetland Scientists, New Orleans, La., May 31-June 6, 1992, South central chapter, Society of Wetland Scientists, Utica, Miss., p. 95-100.
10. Jackson, L.L., Balistrieri, L.S., Smith, K.S., Walton-Day, Katherine, Kirschenman, D.L, Briggs, P.S., Fey, D.L., and Sutley, S.J., 1995, Geochemistry of sediments from coastal marshes of Louisiana: I. Sampling and analysis methods and chemical analysis results: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-251, 146 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr95251
11. Ortiz, R.F., von Guerard, P. B., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 1995, Effect of a localized rainstorm on the water quality of the Alamosa River upstream from Terrace Reservoir, south-central Colorado, August 9-10, 1993, in Posey, H.H., Pendleton, J.A., and Van Zyl, Dirk (eds.) Proceedings, Summitville Forum '95: Colorado Geological Survey Special Publication 38, p. 178-182.
12. Walton-Day, Katherine, Ortiz, R.F., and von Guerard, P.B., 1995a, Sources of water having low pH and elevated metal concentrations in the upper Alamosa River from the headwaters to the outlet of Terrace Reservoir, south-central Colorado, April-September, 1993, in Posey, H.H., Pendleton, J.A., and Van Zyl, Dirk (eds.) Proceedings, Summitville Forum '95: Colorado Geological Survey Special Publication 38, p. 160-170.
13. Walton-Day, Katherine, von Guerard, P.B., and Ortiz, R.F., 1995b, Water transport--a powerful way to move metals, in King, T.V.V. (ed.), Environmental Considerations of Active and Abandoned Mine Lands--Lessons from Summitville, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2220, p. 20-23. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b2220
14. Ward, E.C., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 1995, Seasonal variations in water quality on Wightman Fork of the Alamosa River, 1993, in Posey, H.H., Pendleton, J.A., and Van Zyl, Dirk (eds.) Proceedings, Summitville Forum '95: Colorado Geological Survey Special Publication 38, p. 183-190.
15. Walton-Day, Katherine, 1996a, Colorado wetland resources, in National Water Summary 1992-93---Hydrologic events and wetland resources: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2425, p. 135-140. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wsp2425
16. Walton-Day, Katherine, 1996b, Iron and zinc budgets in surface water for a natural wetland affected by acidic mine drainage, St. Kevin Gulch, Lake County, Colorado, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Aronson, D.A., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sept. 20-24, 1993: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4015, vol. 2, p. 759-764. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri944015
17. Stogner, R.W., Edelmann, Patrick, and Walton-Day, Katherine, 1997, Physical and chemical characteristics of Terrace Reservoir, Conejos County, Colorado, May 1994 through May 1995: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4150, 34 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri964150
18. Smith, K.S., Sutley, S.J., Briggs, P.H., Meier, A.L., Walton-Day, Katherine, Ranville, J.F., and Jerz, J.K., 1998, Trends in water-leachable lead from a fluvial tailings deposit along the upper Arkansas River, Colorado, in Tailings and Mine Waste '98--Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Tailings and Mine Waste '98, Fort Collins, Colorado, January 26-28, 1998: Rotterdam, A.A. Balkema, p. 763-768.
19. Kimball, B.A., Runkel, T.L., Bencala, K.E., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 1999, Use of tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling studies to quantify effects of metal loading from mine drainage, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999--Volume 1 of 3--Contamination from Hardrock Mining: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018A, p. 31-36. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri994018A
20. Peiffer, Stefan, Walton-Day, Katherine, Macalady, D.L., 1999, The interaction of natural organic matter with ferric iron colloids in a natural wetland (Tennessee Park, Colorado) receiving acid mine drainage: Aquatic Geochemistry, v. 5, p. 207-223. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023%2FA%3A1009617925959
21. Smith, K.S., Ranville, J.F., Lamothe, P.J., Meier, A.L., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 1999, Metal leaching through a fluvial tailings deposit along the upper Arkansas River, Colorado, in Tailings and Mine Waste '99--Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Tailings and Mine Waste '99, Fort Collins, Colorado, January 24-27, 1999: Rotterdam, A.A. Balkema, p. 627-632.
22. Smith, K.S., Walton-Day, Katherine, Ranville, J.F., 1999, Considerations of observational scale when evaluating the effect of and remediation strategies for fluvial tailings deposits in the upper Arkansas River Basin, Colorado, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999--Volume 1 of 3--Contamination from Hardrock Mining: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018A, p. 131-138. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri994018A
23. Walton-Day, Katherine, 1999, Geochemistry of the processes that attenuate acid mine drainage in wetlands: in Plumlee, G.S., and Logsdon, M.J. (eds.), The Environmental Geochemistry of Mineral Deposits, Reviews in Economic Geology, Volume 6A: Society of Economic Geologists, p. 215-228.
25. Walton-Day, Katherine, Runkel, R.L., Kimball, B.A., and Bencala, K.E., 1999, Application of the solute-transport models OTIS and OTEQ and implications for remediation in a watershed affected by acid mine drainage, Cement Creek, Animas River Basin, Colorado, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999--Volume 1 of 3--Contamination from Hardrock Mining: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018A, p. 37-46.http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri994018A
26. Smith, K.S., Walton-Day, Katherine, and Ranville, J.F., 2000, Evaluating the effects of fluvial tailings deposits on water quality in the upper Arkansas River basin, Colorado--observational scale considerations, in Proceedings from the Fifth International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage, Denver, Colorado, May 21-24, 2000: Littleton, Colorado, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, p. 1415-1424.
27. Walton-Day, Katherine, Healy, R.W., Maestas, F.B., and Ranalli, A.J., 2000a, Effects of remediation on geochemistry and hydrology of the unsaturated zone of fluvial tailings deposits in the flood plain of the upper Arkansas River, Colorado, in ICARD 2000, Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage, Volume 2: Littleton, Colo., Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, p. 1443-1450.
28. Walton-Day, Katherine, Rossi, F.J., Gerner, L.J., Evans, J.B., Yager, T.J., Ranville, J.F., and Smith, K.S., 2000b, Effects of fluvial tailings deposits on soils and surface- and ground-water quality, and implications for remediation--Upper Arkansas River, Colorado, 1992-1996: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4273, 100 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri994273
29. Walton-Day, Katherine, Runkel, R.L., Kimball, B.A., and Bencala, K.E., 2000c, Application of the solute-transport models OTIS and OTEQ and implications for remediation in a watershed affected by acid mine drainage, Cement Creek, Animas River basin, Colorado, in ICARD 2000, Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage, Volume 2: Littleton, Colo., Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, p. 389-399.
30. Paschke, S.S., Harrison, W.J., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 2001, Effects of acidic recharge on groundwater at the St. Kevin Gulch site, Leadville, Colorado: Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, vol. 1, p. 3-14. http://geea.lyellcollection.org/content/1/1/3.full.pdf+html
31. Kelley, K.D., Eppinger, R.G., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 2002, Selected geochemical studies related to mineral deposits by the U.S. Geological Survey: Explore Newsletter, Association of Exploration Geochemists, number 116, p. 1-24.
32. Kimball, B.A., Runkel, R.L., Walton-Day, Katherine, and Bencala, K.E., 2002, Assessment of metal loads in watersheds affected by acid mine drainage by using tracer injection and synoptic sampling--Cement Creek, Colorado, USA: Applied Geochemistry, v. 17, no. 9, p. 1183-1207. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70024356
33. Walton-Day, Katherine, Kimball, B. K., and Runkel, Robert L., 2002, The use of mass-loading studies and solute-transport modeling to assist in the development of TMDL’s for streams affected by mine drainage: Workshop notebook, 10th National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Workshop, September 8-12, Breckenridge, Colorado, 5 p.
34. Ranville, J.F., Smith, K.S., Lamothe, P.J., Jackson, B.P., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 2003, Use of an intact core and stable-metal isotopes to examine leaching characteristics of a fluvial tailings deposit: in Proceedings, Acid Rock Drainage 6th International Conference (ICARD 6), Cairns, Australia, July 14-17, 2003, p. 1101-1104.
35. Kimball, B.A., Runkel, R.L., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 2003, Use of field-scale experiments and reactive transport modeling to evaluate remediation alternatives in streams affected by acid mine drainage, in Jambor, J.L., Blowes, D.W., and Ritchie, A.I.M., eds., Environmental Aspects of Mine Wastes: Mineralogical Association of Canada, Short Course Series, v. 31, p. 261-282.
36. Walton-Day, Katherine, 2003, Geochemistry of active and passive treatment processes used to treat mine drainage, in Jambor, J.L., Blowes, D.W., and Ritchie, A.I.M., eds., Environmental Aspects of Mine Wastes: Mineralogical Association of Canada, Short Course Series, v. 31, p. 335-359.
37. Kimball, B.A., Runkel, R.L., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 2004, Evaluation of remediation alternatives in streams affected by acidic, metal-rich drainage, in Wanty, R.B., and Seal III, R.R., eds., Proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction WRI-II, Saratoga Springs, New York, June 27-July 2, 2004: A.A. Balkema, p. 1551-1555.
38. Runkel, R.L., Kimball, B.A., Walton-Day, Katherine, and Verplanck, P.L., 2005, Geochemistry of Red Mountain Creek, Colorado, under low-flow conditions, August 2002: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5101, 78 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20055101
39. Kimball, B.A., Runkel, R.L., Walton-Day, Katherine, and Stover, B.K., 2006, Evaluation of metal loading to streams near Creede, Colorado, August and September 2000: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5143, 64 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20045143
40. Walton-Day, Katherine, Flynn, J.L., Kimball, B.A., and Runkel, R.L., 2005, Mass loading of selected major and trace elements in Lake Fork Creek near Leadville, Colorado, September-October 2001: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5151, 46 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20055151
41. Kimball, B.A., Runkel, R.L., Walton-Day, Katherine, and Williamson, J.E., 2006, Quantification of mass loading to Strawberry Creek near the Gilt Edge mine, South Dakota: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5006, 41 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20065006
42. Herring, J.R. and Walton-Day, Katherine, 2007, Selenium and other elements in water and adjacent rock and sediment of Toll Gate Creek, Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado, December 2003 through March 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007—5018, 58 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20075018
43. Kimball, B.A., Bianchi, F., Walton-Day, K., Runkel, R.L., Nannucci, M., and Salvadori, A., 2007, Quantification of changes in metal loading from storm runoff, Merse River (Tuscany, Italy), in Cidu, R., and Frau, F., eds., Water in Mining Environments, Proceedings of the International Mine Water Association Symposium 2007, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, May 27-31, 2007: p. 83-87. http://www.imwa.info/docs/imwa_2007/IMWA2007_Kimball.pdf
44. Kimball, B.A., Bianchi, F., Walton-Day, K., Runkel, R.L., Nannucci, M., and Salvadori, A., 2007, Quantification of changes in metal loading from storm runoff, Merse River (Tuscany, Italy): Mine Water and Environment, v. 26, no. 4, p. 209-216. doi:10.1007/s10230-007-0020-6. http://www.springerlink.com/content/e840g2674l3g0x09/?p=cc13d79d7848463cb99d48b09e643ef8&pi=2
45. Kimball, B.A., Runkel, R.L., and Walton-Day, K., 2007, Principal locations of metal loading from flood-plain tailings, lower Silver Creek, Utah, April 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5248, 33 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20075248
46. Kimball, B.A., Walton-Day, K., and Runkel, R.L., 2007, Quantification of metal loading by tracer injection and synoptic sampling, 1996-2000, in Church, S. E., von Guerard, P. B., and Finger, S. E., eds., Integrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River watershed, San Juan County, Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1651, p. 417-495. http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1651/downloads/Vol1_combinedChapters/vol1_chapE9.pdf
47. Runkel, R.L., Kimball, B.A., Walton-Day, K., and Verplanck, P.L., 2007, A simulation-based approach for estimating pre-mining water quality: Red Mountain Creek, Colorado: Applied Geochemistry, v. 22, no. 9, p. 1899-1918. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70030743
48. Walton-Day, K., Paschke, S.S., Runkel, R.L., and Kimball, B.A., 2007, Using the OTIS solute transport model to evaluate remediation scenarios in Cement Creek and the upper Animas River, in Church, S. E., von Guerard, P. B., and Finger, S. E., eds., Integrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River watershed, San Juan County, Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, p. 973-1028. http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1651/downloads/Vol2_combinedChapters/vol2_chapE24.pdf
49. Kimball, B.A., Runkel, R.L., and Walton-Day, K., 2008, Principal locations of major-ion, trace-element, nitrate, and Escherichia coli loading to Emigration Creek, Salt Lake County, Utah, October 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5043, 33 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20085043
50. Bove, D.J., Walton-Day, Katherine, Kimball, B.A., 2009, The use of fluoride as a natural tracer and the relationship to geologic features: examples from the Animas River Watershed, San Juan Mountains, Colorado: Geochemistry, Exploration, Environment, and Analysis, v. 9, p. 125-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144%2F1467-7873%2F09-197
51. Hoal, K.O., Smith, K.S., Russell, C.C., Walton-Day, K., and Stammer, J.G., 2009, Application of quantitative micro-mineralogy to tailings and mining waste, in D. Sego, Alostaz, M., and Beier, N., eds., Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Conference on Tailings and Mine Waste (Tailings and Mine Waste ‘09), Banff, Alberta, Canada, November 1-4, 2009: University of Alberta, Canada, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, p. 703-709, ISBN:978-1-55195-225-0.
52. Runkel, R.L., Bencala, K.E., Kimball, B.A., Walton-Day, Katherine, and Verplanck, P.L., 2009, A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Remediation Water Quality, Mineral Creek, Colorado, Hydrological Processes, v. 23, p. 3319-3333. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.7427
53. Runkel, R.L., Kimball, B.A., Steiger, J.I., and Walton-Day, Katherine, 2009, Geochemical data for upper Mineral Creek, Colorado, under existing ambient conditions and during an experimental pH modification, August 2005 : U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 442, 41p. http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/442/
54. Macalady, D.L. and Walton-Day, Katherine, 2009, New light on a dark subject: On the use of fluorescence data to deduce redox states of natural organic matter (NOM): Aquatic Sciences, v. 71, p. 135-143. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00027-009-9174-6
55. Walton-Day, Katherine and Poeter, E., 2009, Investigating hydraulic connections and the origin of water in a mine tunnel using stable isotopes and hydrographs: Applied Geochemistry, v. 24, no. 12, p. 2266-2282. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2009.09.015
56. Kimball, B.A., Runkel, R.L., and Walton-Day, K., 2010, An approach to quantify sources, seasonal change, and biogeochemical processes affecting metal loading in streams—Facilitating decisions for remediation of mine drainage: Applied Geochemistry, v. 25, no. 5, p. 728-740. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2010.02.005
58. Runkel, R.L., Kimball, B.A., Walton-Day, Katherine, Verplanck, P.L., Broshears, R.E., 2012, Evaluating remedial alternatives for an acid mine drainage stream: a model post audit: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 46, p. 340-347. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70005928
59. Smith, K.S., Walton-Day, K., Hoal, K.O., Driscoll, R.L., and Pietersen, K., 2012, Pre- and post-remediation characterization of acid-generating fluvial tailings material, in Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage (ICARD9), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 20–26, 2012, 10 p., http://www.mend-nedem.org/icard-e.aspx.
60. Walton-Day, Katherine, Runkel, R.L., and Kimball, B.A., 2012, Using spatially detailed water-quality data and solute-transport modeling to improve total maximum daily load development: Journal of the American Water Resources Association, v. 48, p. 949-969. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70042073
61. Haines, S.S., Diffendorfer, James, Balistrieri, L.S., Berger, B.R., Cook, T.A., Gautier, D.L., Gallegos, T.J., Gerritsen, Margot, Graffy, Elisabeth, Hawkins, Sarah, Johnson, Kathleen, Macknick, Jordan, McMahon, Peter, Modde, Tim, Pierce, Brenda, Schuenemeyer, Semmens, Darius, Simon, Benjamin, Taylor, Jason, and Walton-Day, Katie, 2013, A framework for quantitative assessment of impacts related to energy and mineral resource development: Natural Resources Research, v. 23, p. 2-17. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70072108
62. Paschke, S.S., Runkel, R.L., Walton-Day, Katherine, Kimball, B.A., Schaffrath, K.R., 2013, Streamflow and water-quality conditions including geologic sources and processes affecting selenium loading in the Toll Gate Creek watershed, Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado 2007: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5280. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20125280
63. Runkel. R.L., Walton-Day, Katherine, Kimball, B.A., Verplanck, P.L., and Nimick, D.A., 2013, Estimating instream constituent loads using replicate synoptic sampling, Peru Creek, Colorado: Journal of Hydrology, v. 489, p. 26-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2013.02.031
64. Walton-Day, Katherine, Mills, T.J., Amundson, Adolph, Dee, K.T., Relego, M.R., and Borbely, Caitlyn, 2013, The water-quality effects of a bulkhead installed in the Dinero mine tunnel, near Leadville, Colorado, in, Brown, Adrian, Figueroa, Linda, and Wolkersdorfer, Christian, eds., International Mine Water Association AnnualConference in Golden, Colorado, August 5-9, 2013, p. 163-169
65. Paschke, S.S., Walton-Day, Katie, Beck, J.A., Webbers, Ank, Dupree, J.A., 2014, Geologic sources and concentrations of selenium in the West-Central Denver Basin, including the Toll Gate Creek watershed, Aurora, Colorado, 2003-2007: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5099, 30 p. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20135099
66. Walton-Day, Katherine and Mills, T.J., in press, Hydrogeochemical effects of a bulkhead in the Dinero mine tunnel Sugar Loaf mining district, near Leadville, Colorado: Applied Geochemistry, 15 p. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2015.03.002
Science and Products
Minerals Science Team
The Minerals Integrated Science Team focuses on contaminant exposures in the environment that might originate from mineral resource activities including, transportation, storage, extraction and waste management. Perceived health risks to humans and other organisms will be distinguished from actual risks, if any. If actual risks are identified this Team will inform how to...
Upper Arkansas River Basin Toxics and Synoptic Studies
From 1986 to 2001, the Upper Arkansas Toxics Project focused on metal transport in streams affected by mining. Studies were conducted to quantify the physical, chemical, and biological processes affecting trace metal fate and transport.
Gold King Mine release (2015): USGS water-quality data and activities
On August 5, 2015, U.S. EPA was conducting an investigation of the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado. While excavating as part of the investigation, water began leaking from the mine tunnel, and about three million gallons of water and sediment were released into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas River. The USGS provided pre- and post-release water-quality and streamflow data from...
Watershed Contamination from Hard Rock Mining
Since 1986, the USGS Hard-Rock Mining Toxic-Substances Hydrology Project has focused on metal transport in streams affected by mining. Tracer-injection studies in St. Kevin Gulch, near Leadville, Colorado, helped the USGS design methods to characterize loading from mining activities on a watershed scale. Tracer-injection studies were done in 1995, in support of the planning needs of ederal...
U.S. Geological Survey Develops Approach to Assess Baseline Chemical and Radiological Conditions Prior to Uranium Mining near Grand Canyon National Park
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Metal Concentrations and Loads in Leavenworth Creek, Colorado
Metal loading from abandoned mines and groundwater in Leavenworth Creek causes aquatic life water-quality standards to be exceeded at the mouth of Leavenworth Creek.
OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of this project are to:
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- Conduct a spatially-detailed synoptic mass-loading study to assess ...
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Since 1986, the USGS Hard-Rock Mining Toxic-Substances Hydrology Project has focused on metal transport in streams affected by mining.
The approach is to study chemical processes within a hydrologic context, using a two-step approach:
- First, the USGS used instream experimentation to provide data about the processes affecting metals.
- Second, the USGS used the ...
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Improved enrichment factor calculations through principal component analysis: Examples from soils near breccia pipe uranium mines, Arizona, USA
The enrichment factor (EF) is a widely used metric for determining how much the presence of an element in a sampling media has increased relative to average natural abundance because of human activity. Calculation of an EF requires the selection of both a background composition and a reference element, choices that can strongly influence the...
Bern, Carleton R.; Walton-Day, Katie; Naftz, David L. Cinnamon gulch revisited: Another look at separating natural and mining-impacted contributions to instream metal load
Baseline, premining data for streams draining abandoned mine lands is virtually non existent, and indirect methods for estimating premining conditions are needed to establish realistic, cost effective cleanup goals. One such indirect method is the proximal analog approach, in which premining conditions are estimated using data from nearby...
Runkel, Robert L.; Verplanck, Philip L.; Kimball, Briant; Walton-Day, Katie Synoptic sampling and principal components analysis to identify sources of water and metals to an acid mine drainage stream
Combining the synoptic mass balance approach with principal components analysis (PCA) can be an effective method for discretising the chemistry of inflows and source areas in watersheds where contamination is diffuse in nature and/or complicated by groundwater interactions. This paper presents a field-scale study in which synoptic sampling and PCA...
Byrne, Patrick; Runkel, Robert L.; Walton-Day, Katie Geochemistry and hydrology of perched groundwater springs: assessing elevated uranium concentrations at Pigeon Spring relative to nearby Pigeon Mine, Arizona (USA)
The processes that affect water chemistry as the water flows from recharge areas through breccia-pipe uranium deposits in the Grand Canyon region of the southwestern United States are not well understood. Pigeon Spring had elevated uranium in 1982 (44 μg/L), compared to other perched springs (2.7–18 μg/L), prior to mining operations at the nearby...
Beisner, Kimberly R.; Paretti, Nicholas V.; Tillman, Fred; Naftz, David L.; Bills, Donald J.; Walton-Day, Katie; Gallegos, Tanya J. The precipitation of indium at elevated pH in a stream influenced by acid mine drainage
Indium is an increasingly important metal in semiconductors and electronics and has uses in important energy technologies such as photovoltaic cells and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). One significant flux of indium to the environment is from lead, zinc, copper, and tin mining and smelting, but little is known about its aqueous behavior after it is...
White, Sarah Jane O.; Hussain, Fatima A.; Hemond, Harold F.; Sacco, Sarah A.; Shine, James P.; Runkel, Robert L.; Walton-Day, Katherine; Kimball, Briant A. Effects of flow regime on metal concentrations and the attainment of water quality standards in a remediated stream reach, Butte, Montana
Low-flow synoptic sampling campaigns are often used as the primary tool to characterize watersheds affected by mining. Although such campaigns are an invaluable part of site characterization, investigations which focus solely on low-flow conditions may yield misleading results. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate this point and elucidate...
Runkel, Robert L.; Kimball, Briant A.; Nimick, David A.; Walton-Day, Katherine Establishing a pre-mining geochemical baseline at a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park, USA
During 2012, approximately 404,000 ha of Federal Land in northern Arizona was withdrawn from consideration of mineral extraction for a 20-year period to protect the Grand Canyon watershed from potentially adverse effects of U mineral exploration and development. The development, operation, and reclamation of the Canyon Mine during the withdrawal...
Naftz, David L.; Walton-Day, Katherine Hydrogeochemical effects of a bulkhead in the Dinero mine tunnel, Sugar Loaf mining district, near Leadville, Colorado
The Dinero mine drainage tunnel is an abandoned, draining mine adit near Leadville, Colorado, that has an adverse effect on downstream water quality and aquatic life. In 2009, a bulkhead was constructed (creating a mine pool and increasing water-table elevations behind the tunnel) to limit drainage from the tunnel and improve downstream water...
Walton-Day, Katherine; Mills, Taylor J.
Geologic sources and concentrations of selenium in the West-Central Denver Basin, including the Toll Gate Creek watershed, Aurora, Colorado, 2003-2007
Toll Gate Creek, in the west-central part of the Denver Basin, is a perennial stream in which concentrations of dissolved selenium have consistently exceeded the Colorado aquatic-life standard of 4.6 micrograms per liter. Recent studies of selenium in Toll Gate Creek identified the Denver lignite zone of the non-marine Cretaceous to Tertiary-aged...
Paschke, Suzanne S.; Walton-Day, Katherine; Beck, Jennifer A.; Webbers, Ank; Dupree, Jean A. 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...
Smith, Kathleen S.; Hoal, K.O.; Walton-Day, Katherine; Stammer, J.G.; Pietersen, K. A framework for quantitative assessment of impacts related to energy and mineral resource development
Natural resource planning at all scales demands methods for assessing the impacts of resource development and use, and in particular it requires standardized methods that yield robust and unbiased results. Building from existing probabilistic methods for assessing the volumes of energy and mineral resources, we provide an algorithm for consistent...
Haines, Seth S.; Diffendorfer, James; Balistrieri, Laurie S.; Berger, Byron R.; Cook, Troy A.; Gautier, Donald L.; Gallegos, Tanya J.; Gerritsen, Margot; Graffy, Elisabeth; Hawkins, Sarah; Johnson, Kathleen; Macknick, Jordan; McMahon, Peter; Modde, Tim; Pierce, Brenda; Schuenemeyer, John H.; Semmens, Darius J.; Simon, Benjamin; Taylor, Jason; Walton-Day, Katherine Pre- 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...
Smith, Kathleen S.; Walton-Day, Katherine; Hoal, Karin O.; Driscoll, Rhonda L.; Pietersen, K.
USGS Scientists Study Effects of Gold King Mine Release
On August 5, while investigating the Gold King Mine in southwestern Colorado, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency accidentally triggered the release of approximately three million gallons of acidic, metal-rich mine wastewater from the Gold King Mine into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas River.