U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting Charleston South Carolina March 8-12,1999--Volume 1 of 3--Contamination From Hard-Rock Mining, Water-Resources Investigation Report 99-4018A

Characterization of Metals in Water and Bed Sediment in Two Watersheds Affected by Historical Mining in Montana and Colorado

By David A. Nimick, Stanley E. Church, Tom E. Cleasby, David L. Fey, Briant A. Kimball, Kenneth J. Leib, M. Alisa Mast, and Winfield G. Wright

ABSTRACT

Characterization of metals in water and bed sediment is essential for planning effective and cost-efficient remediation in watersheds affected by historical mining. To aid cleanup efforts on Federal land, pilot investigations that are part of the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative are being conducted in two watersheds in Colorado and Montana. Assessment of ore-related metals and other trace elements in water and sediment in these watersheds provides information to delineate stream reaches having elevated metal concentrations, determine sources of contaminated material, understand the transport of dissolved and particulate metals, and evaluate the potential for metal toxicity to biota.