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Acid mine drainage impacts in the Upper Arkansas River Basin: a study of water quality, treatment efficiency, and predicted longevity

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dc.contributor.authorMoore, Megan, author
dc.contributor.authorCovino, Tim, advisor
dc.contributor.authorRoss, Matthew, committee member
dc.contributor.authorWilkins, Mike, committee member
dc.contributor.authorRhoades, Charles, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2019-06-14T17:05:16Z
dc.date.available2019-06-14T17:05:16Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractMining activity in the Sugarloaf and Leadville mining districts of Leadville, Colorado has impaired water quality in the Upper Arkansas River Basin. Tributary and main channel waters are often out of compliance with state water quality standards, and stream flora and fauna as well as human use of these waterways is threatened by acid mine drainage. This study aims to describe the impact historical mining activity has had on the waters of the Upper Arkansas River Basin by characterizing water quality, analyzing metal removal efficiency from both active and passive treatment sites in the area, and estimating the time it will take for drainage from mining tunnels to naturally comply with state water quality standards. A comparison of instream dissolved concentrations of cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, and zinc to state water quality standards shows waters of the Upper Arkansas River Basin are often out of compliance with chronic and/or acute standards. This is seen more frequently upstream from treatment sites and higher up in the tributary system than at tributary mouths or in the main channel of the Arkansas River. An examination of metal removal from the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel and Yak Tunnel water treatment plants along East Fork and California Gulch shows dissolved metal reduction between 33 and 100 percent compared with 0 to 84 percent at the passive Dinero Wetland Complex along Lake Fork. Finally, an analysis of projected longevity highlights the importance of clean-up plans for future mining projects with estimated impaired water quality continuing upwards of 2000 years at Yak Tunnel.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierMoore_colostate_0053N_15287.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/195252
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectwater quality
dc.subjectacid mine drainage
dc.titleAcid mine drainage impacts in the Upper Arkansas River Basin: a study of water quality, treatment efficiency, and predicted longevity
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineEcosystem Science and Sustainability
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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