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Metal loading dynamics in the hyporheic zone as a result of acid mine drainage
Winkler, Abigail
Winkler, Abigail
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2024
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This study combines multiple techniques to investigate the effect of acid mine drainage and acid rock drainage on hyporheic sediment in the bank of Coal Creek outside of Crested Butte, Colorado. Acid mine and rock drainage occur when water is acidified and becomes enriched in metals following the anthropogenic or natural oxidation of sulfide minerals, respectively. This drainage seeps into surface and groundwater systems, potentially contaminating ecologically critical sources of water. Surface water, such as rivers and lakes, and groundwater, water stored underground, meet in what is known as the hyporheic zone. Here, the mixing of these two types of water results in a multitude of biogeochemical reactions. These reactions have the ability to influence the fate and transport of metals within the watershed. Located in the Ruby Mining District in Gunnison County, Colorado, Coal Creek has been the recipient of decades of legacy mining activity and remediation. To study the retention and release of elements within Coal Creek’s hyporheic zone, native hyporheic sediments, and sediments from constructed sediment columns were sampled on a seasonal basis. The samples underwent mineralogical analysis via x ray diffraction and automated mineralogy, as well as a sequential extraction. Resultant leachates were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry. Findings reveal that Coal Creek is a heterogeneous system with retention and release varying by location and element, with more As upstream and more Mn and Zn downstream. Observed seasonality varies, with the exception of P which is continuously retained along Coal Creek. Fe-oxyhydroxides, primarily goethite, were identified as the dominant form of iron and likely play a key role in the sorption and transport of elements such as As, Mn, and Zn through the hyporheic zone.
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