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<br />The Quality of Sfreams and
<br />Rivers is Affected by
<br />Historical Mining Activities
<br />
<br />...
<br />.
<br />...
<br />:,)\
<br />
<br />';trearm. affected. b~ mine drain-
<br />age. from abJnJnned!in~h.:!i\'e
<br />mine.... .m: pn':'l'l1l throughout
<br />flllh.:h ullhc Ruck~ \louIHain.. (If
<br />Cu]praJ,'I. \!r.:ta] mIning in the
<br />L'COL ha~ heen an impnnanl pan
<br />(.1 thl.' l'...unl'rn~ of Coll.radp ~il1ce
<br />Ilk'Jall' 1;';111\..., ..\.. a re,ult. l11an~
<br />,ITl'am.., inlhe Upfli;"f p..u1 oJ IhL'
<br />h.l,in cnrllain he,I\'Y ml'lah and
<br />nth...r loxii.. t'leml.'nh thai ,tlfL'l'!
<br />..,lre,lIn-waler quality. Knl1\\ kdgL'
<br />III milh..-Jrainagl' dkcb I.n a hoJy
<br />01 \\ Oller r.., e"..,elllial for a",e"jng
<br />\\alC'T '-IlI;tlll)' \\.'11h regard to human
<br />l.(IIl'UmpliI1n. rel..rl;"ati,lll, JnL!
<br />aquatic life.
<br />Bel.:alhl' ulthe pOh:nll<tl (,'P,)-
<br />...UTe ,If iiljualll" \lrganj'>nt' In (Tal'C'
<br />L'h.'llll.'lll.., In ,tn:amhed ,...dllllt'1l1.
<br />lr:h:e-ckllll'nl I..,lIKt'nlr:lllon:,> in
<br />..trl';Jlllhed ..l'dllllenl "l'ne il" an
<br />indil'ahlr of potL"nlial 1~IXK'Il~ 1(1
<br />aljualll. llfL". Sampling Ir:l("l' ek-
<br />
<br />mems in ..tr..:ambL"J ..cdimem .:an
<br />be u..cd to Idemify ..lream n:iKhl'\'
<br />alfc.:ted h~ mimng and can he
<br />u...ed tl' determine ..,)urcc''' of trac..:
<br />elemem". The Ocl.UITL"n....e and
<br />di..lnbulioll of trace elemenh \\ ere
<br />,;,.hara....lt'rit'ed b~ ~:tlll......:ting
<br />..!reamhed-..edimelll ..ampk.. at
<br />2~1 ...1Ie.. In lllllling- dl,;trio.:'t.. I rig, h
<br />and lahJe I, and at R h:u.:J...gruunJ
<br />I nlm-mining) "ill'" in the Smuhern
<br />Ro....J...y ~J,luntalll..
<br />
<br />Clllln:nlralillll"'lfnldllliulIl,
<br />('Uppt'I.. leud. and limo in
<br />..tn'.lmht'd ,,\'dilJlt'lIt nl'n' hiJ.:h 011
<br />..mill' ..ill'" 110\\ n..lre<llll fnulI
<br />mining .1I.l';'I.. (Dcw.:on and I )n\'l'r.
<br />]9941. ~kJi;:lll I.'OIKL"nlr:ttwn.. of
<br />cadnuurn ICd 1 and zinc I ZIl) 111
<br />..ampk.. !fIlm lllO..t mining di-.tnCl..
<br />e\('L"L"dL"d !hl' Canadian Scdinll'nl
<br />Quality GUIJellllC" Pwhahk Effl'ct
<br />Ll'\d ,PEL!, \\ hii.:h ... a ..eJillll'llt
<br />glliJdml. (fig, II). Thl' PEL
<br />dl'tirll".. the ...'{IIlCl'll[fa[llln 1I.."\'t'l
<br />at'l<.l\t' \\ hich ad\l'r..e C'ffl'i.:t-. [\1
<br />aquatic hillla an.' prl'dil..'cd tn occur
<br />
<br />Table 1. Mining districts and samphng Soles In the Southern ROCky "'ounlalns
<br />
<br />Miningdi51ricl1
<br />
<br />\'~11
<br />rir,'('kennJgc
<br />
<br />("limn
<br />Crc,teJFlllllc
<br />
<br />Gllm.Jn
<br />Lake CI1~ ICJf',>n. BUrTOw,. Stwm101f1
<br />Dt,mdq
<br />
<br />:\l,'nli.'lllrn.t
<br />
<br />OUfa~ lReJ :\h'untJIfl, Snclld~.
<br />l'n..:nmrahpclll'trKI~1
<br />
<br />l'r<lJ.Hl'f1Jer"'l1
<br />
<br />RlverlSlream [site number(s) In
<br />ligure6J2
<br />
<br />lIunh:rCrn.k r~.1)
<br />
<br />IJlue R!wr. r'reth:h Gulch. S"'.tn R1H'r
<br />17.10. II. I~, P. l.1. I". Ill. 171
<br />
<br />['cntllllcCrcl'klIS,
<br />
<br />Oh.lk-Jnytul Creek. Cn.:ll Crcd,
<br />SI<l[l'. L1'1 RIH'rs l~:'i. ~Il. :7. ~!\l
<br />
<br />erm, Cred... Ea~Je Rl\cr I ~:. ::' 1
<br />
<br />lake hlrk i'l IheGunm,,'n Rl\('r.
<br />Hen,en Creek (]1. ~~I
<br />
<br />Peru Creek. Sn.lke Rl\l'rl-l, ~.1l1
<br />
<br />Canyon Creek. Red :\lounl<l11l Cft'c!...
<br />l'nc(lmr:J.hgre R!VCrll]..,.1. 3.".]1'1.
<br />.171
<br />
<br />S,'uth For!.. ol\\'illiam.. Furl.
<br />Willi:un" FM!.. I~.]I
<br />
<br />'lnf,'mut,,'n fr"m D~", .md '<;treuu:111"'IOl
<br />~fl.l.:kgr,-,und Inl,n.nnnmj:l"le, I , '1,1'1. :"0. ='J, =''', -0
<br />
<br />
<br />Monong land use," In", SQulhetn Rod<y
<br />Mountains, rPllOlograptlby JaH,e;' De"'~"".
<br />US Geologoca' Sur~v ~
<br />
<br />frl'ljut.'ntl~ tCan,lJlan C\lUIll.'il of
<br />~liniq....r.. lIt lhe EIl\ironmi..'nt.
<br />]l.}lJ91. :'\ational ......Jimenl con~en-
<br />tratllln guiJt>lilll'> hav(' not ocC'1l
<br />C'.;;,lah]i..h,'d Illr lhC' UnilL'd Slates,
<br />Clllll'l'ntmllon.. of copper and lead
<br />\\'t're abo ekvah:d and exceeded
<br />the PEL rn ~e\'erallllilliflg diqricI".
<br />Till' mining and minL"rall/l'd ,lr('a'S
<br />of the LTCOL ~l'nl'rall)- r......ult in
<br />highl'r tral.'C'.e],'IllC'llt ...'oncc:ntra-
<br />liun~ in ..trt.illlll)r:d ~eJilTlellt Ihan
<br />art.' dell.cled in utht'f area~ qudied
<br />\\ lthm lht' :\A \\'QA Program
<br />(P, ]2l.
<br />eIlUl'l.ting ..ampll'" frolll ~l'\-
<br />l'ralt~ pl'" of lIIl'dia pro\'idl'!<o .1
<br />hl'lt('r 1II1dl'r..landing!lf tr~ll'l' l'1l'-
<br />lllt'nt<;; in I Ill' l'll\irnllllll'1l1. In
<br />addition to ..trl';lmt'lC'd sedimt'nt.
<br />",hleh ....an ..hlrl'trace elemt.'nb. tht'
<br />(wt'dYlng 'Stream \\ater can a]sl)
<br />t'C' a ..,lUrCI' (It' lra~'t'-ekment e\{)()-
<br />..ure to aquali~' nrgani'im.\,. Bc~ause
<br />lI1\C'rtt'hrate.. are continu,lusl\'
<br />eXpi.-I"i..'J to \\;lIer-qua]ity condi-
<br />tinn:'>. the..e nrganbms tnlegrate
<br />efj~cb (If ....llntarninanb o\C'r time
<br />and pro\ IdL" a mea..urement of
<br />water quality 1n\'eTl('brate indica-
<br />tlJr.. of ..lre;II11... l'ofl(;uninated tly
<br />tracl' elelTlell!' illdude r('Ju~I'J
<br />ahundal1cC' and J ,hit't in ~'ornmu.
<br />
<br />)'13)or Findings 11
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