Katie Walton-Day
Katie is a Research Hydrologist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center.
Katie is a research hydrologist and has worked at the U.S. Geological Survey located in Denver, Colorado for over 35 years. During this time her research has primarily focused on understanding the sources and mobility of trace metals associated with hard rock and uranium mineral deposits primarily 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. Recently she has begun developing communication products to broaden the audience for USGS scientific studies related to the environmental effects of uranium mining in the Grand Canyon region. Finally, her research has expanded into understanding the effects of harmful algal blooms in Colorado Reservoirs.
Professional Experience
1981-1983 – Exploration Geochemist, Anaconda Minerals Company
1983-1991 – Physical Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey
1991-1996 – Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey
1996-Present – Research Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey
Education and Certifications
PhD. Geology Colorado School of Mines, 1991
MS Geology Colorado School of Mines, 1985
BA Geology Smith College, 1981
Science and Products
Cinnamon gulch revisited: Another look at separating natural and mining-impacted contributions to instream metal load
Synoptic sampling and principal components analysis to identify sources of water and metals to an acid mine drainage stream
Geochemistry and hydrology of perched groundwater springs: assessing elevated uranium concentrations at Pigeon Spring relative to nearby Pigeon Mine, Arizona (USA)
The precipitation of indium at elevated pH in a stream influenced by acid mine drainage
Establishing a pre-mining geochemical baseline at a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park, USA
Effects of flow regime on metal concentrations and the attainment of water quality standards in a remediated stream reach, Butte, Montana
Hydrogeochemical effects of a bulkhead in the Dinero mine tunnel, Sugar Loaf mining district, near Leadville, Colorado
Geologic sources and concentrations of selenium in the West-Central Denver Basin, including the Toll Gate Creek watershed, Aurora, Colorado, 2003-2007
Streamflow and water-quality conditions including geologic sources and processes affecting selenium loading in the Toll Gate Creek watershed, Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado, 2007
Automated quantitative micro-mineralogical characterization for environmental applications
Estimating instream constituent loads using replicate synoptic sampling, Peru Creek, Colorado
A framework for quantitative assessment of impacts related to energy and mineral resource development
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Filter Total Items: 65
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 mineralized areas that are unaffected by mining. In this paAuthorsRobert L. Runkel, Philip L. Verplanck, Briant Kimball, Katherine Walton-DaySynoptic 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 are employed in a mineralized watershed (Lion CreeAuthorsPatrick Byrne, Robert L. Runkel, Katherine Walton-DayGeochemistry 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 Pigeon Mine. Perched groundwater springs in an areaAuthorsKimberly R. Beisner, Nicholas V. Paretti, Fred D. Tillman, David L. Naftz, Donald J. Bills, Katherine Walton-Day, Tanya J. GallegosThe 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 mobilized. In this study, we use Mineral Creek, a hAuthorsSarah Jane O. White, Fatima A. Hussain, Harold F. Hemond, Sarah A. Sacco, James P. Shine, Robert L. Runkel, Katherine Walton-Day, Briant A. KimballEstablishing 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 period provide an excellent field site to understandAuthorsDavid L. Naftz, Katherine Walton-DayEffects 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 the mechanisms responsible for the release of metaAuthorsRobert L. Runkel, Briant A. Kimball, David A. Nimick, Katherine Walton-DayHydrogeochemical 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 quality. The goal of this study was to document changesAuthorsKatherine Walton-Day, Taylor J. MillsGeologic 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 (Paleocene) Denver Formation underlying the watershAuthorsSuzanne S. Paschke, Katherine Walton-Day, Jennifer A. Beck, Ank Webbers, Jean A. DupreeStreamflow and water-quality conditions including geologic sources and processes affecting selenium loading in the Toll Gate Creek watershed, Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado, 2007
Toll Gate Creek is a perennial stream draining a suburban area in Aurora, Colorado, where selenium concentrations have consistently exceeded the State of Colorado aquatic-life standard for selenium of 4.6 micrograms per liter since the early 2000s. In cooperation with the City of Aurora, Colorado, Utilities Department, a synoptic water-quality study was performed along an 18-kilometer reach of TolAuthorsSuzanne S. Paschke, Robert L. Runkel, Katherine Walton-Day, Briant A. Kimball, Keelin R. SchaffrathAutomated 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. PietersenEstimating instream constituent loads using replicate synoptic sampling, Peru Creek, Colorado
The synoptic mass balance approach is often used to evaluate constituent mass loading in streams affected by mine drainage. Spatial profiles of constituent mass load are used to identify sources of contamination and prioritize sites for remedial action. This paper presents a field scale study in which replicate synoptic sampling campaigns are used to quantify the aggregate uncertainty in constitueAuthorsRobert L. Runkel, Katherine Walton-Day, Briant A. Kimball, Philip L. Verplanck, David A. NimickA 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, reproducible, quantitative assessment of resourceAuthorsSeth S. Haines, James Diffendorfer, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Byron R. Berger, Troy A. Cook, Donald L. Gautier, Tanya J. Gallegos, Margot Gerritsen, Elisabeth Graffy, Sarah Hawkins, Kathleen Johnson, Jordan Macknick, Peter McMahon, Tim Modde, Brenda Pierce, John H. Schuenemeyer, Darius J. Semmens, Benjamin Simon, Jason Taylor, Katherine Walton-DayNon-USGS Publications**
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.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.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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