Connecting Airborne Geophysical Data to Geologic Structures in the Upper Animas River Watershed, Silverton, Colorado

Product Type: Report, Pages In

Year: 2008

Author(s): McCafferty, A.E. and R.R. McDougal

Pages: 70-75

Suggested Citation: McCafferty, A.E. and R.R. McDougal. 2008. Connecting Airborne Geophysical Data to Geologic Structures in the Upper Animas River Watershed, Silverton, Colorado. In: P.L. Verplanck (ed.). Understanding contaminants associated with mineral deposits: Prospect Gulch, Colorado. Circular 1328. : U.S. Geological Survey. 70-75 p.

Abstract

Mine waste, adit drainage, and mill tailings were studies at the Waldorf mine to determine water-flow paths and their relative contributions to contaminant loadings. Water draining from the adit and infiltrating through and under the waste pile, as well as shallow ground water flowing through the waste pile and through dispersed tailings, have affected nearby Leavenworth Creek with toxic metals, notably copper and zinc. The copper and zinc concentrations in the creek downstream from the mine-related inputs exceed standards for aquatic wildlife…