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:., ~ • <br />- ~ iii iiiiiiiiniii iii <br />999 <br />._, ; <br />PROJECT N0. OBA136 <br />Progress Report - Ssptewber 30, 1985 <br />By Greq Fenchel <br />Thowpson Crssk - Acidic Riparian Erosion Control Project <br />Inactive end abandoned wines way severely iwpset the erwironwent. <br />Twnty-five ratershsds and approxiwately 450 wiles of stream are <br />drastically iwpacted by vestal wins drainage in Colorado (Mentz, 1974; <br />Holes, st. al., 1982). Tha discharge frow mines way contain eonesnlrsted <br />heavy vestals sack as wolybderxu, copper, or eelsniuw. Ths snvironwentel <br />hazzerds associated rich vestal-laden discharges inelads eontewinetion of <br />both susfeee and ground esters, accumulation of heavy vestals in soil to <br />phytoxic !awls resulting in reduced plant cover therefore decreasing <br />soil atabilily and secuwulation of heavy wetals in plants to levels that <br />may bs toxic to aniwals. Thsrs are wore than 10,000 innetiw wets! mines <br />in Colorado (Holes, 1985). <br />A passive wins drainage treatment eystew ws installed April 1985 <br />at the 12 wino portal, Snorwass Cosl Co., Carbondale, CO to control the <br />wets!-laden discharge (Fig. 1 and 2). The eystew ws designed by <br />Snoamass Coel Ca. swployee Scott Jewes in cooperation rith David Hal^ of <br />the Colorado Mined Land Rselawation Divison. The treatment eystew <br />priwarily consists of 2 pest woes bogs, a liwastone pit, and a liwestone <br />filled channel. <br />The operational theory behind this eystew is that the peat woes bogs, <br />through cation sxcherge, eztraets heavy vestals end the liwsstons pit and <br />channel raises the pH of the discharge to near neutrality. The advantages <br />of this eystew are that it requires winiwal heavy,eonstruetion squipwent <br />for installation, no significant sleetricsl or chswicel inputs, and <br />infrequent inspection and waintsnanee activities. <br />OBJECTIVE: <br />To enhance the heavy vestal extraction process of the eystew by <br />establishing vegetation on the peat bogs. Plant species rill bs <br />identified that are adapted to the environwental conditions and <br />accumulate heavy vestals from the winsral laden discharge raters. <br />A preliwinary study ws eondaetsd on October 22, 1985 !o exawins <br />!rends in heavy wets! coneer~tratiora in plant, rater, and pant woes rithin <br />!hs treatwsn! eystew. Peat woes end plant sawplss cars obtained frow the <br />bog. In addition, plate, sawplss rare taken one-half wil• upstrsew Frow <br />the eystew for eowparatiw analysis. Mater sawplss were taken at the <br />portal end outlet of the largo bog. The United States Geological Survey <br />(USGS) cooperated with the Plarrt Csnlsr in obtaining all ester sawplss end <br />