Geology topics

Sheryl Ferguson

Publications and source records attributed to Sheryl Ferguson.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2002

Sources of metal loads to the Alamosa River and estimation of seasonal and annual metal loads for the Alamosa River basin, Colorado, 1995-97

Metal contamination in the upper Alamosa River Basin has occurred for decades from the Summitville Mine site, from other smaller mines, and from natural, metal-enriched acidic drainage in the basin. In 1995, the need to quantify contamination from various source areas in the basin and to quantify the spatial, seasonal, and annual metal loads in the basin was identified. Data collection occurred from 1995 through 1997 at numerous sites to address data gaps. Metal loads were calculated and the percentages of metal load contributions from tributaries to three risk exposure areas were determined. Additionally, a modified time-interval method was used to estimate seasonal and annual metal loads in the Alamosa River and Wightman Fork. Sources of dissolved and total-recoverable aluminum, copper, iron, and zinc loads were determined for Exposure Areas 3a, 3b, and 3c. Alum Creek is the predominant contributor of aluminum, copper, iron, and zinc loads to Exposure Area 3a. In general, Wightman Fork was the predominant source of metals to Exposure Area 3b, particularly during the snowmelt and summer-flow periods. During the base-flow period, however, aluminum and iron loads from Exposure Area 3a were the dominant source of these metals to Exposure Area 3b. Jasper and Burnt Creeks generally contributed less than 10 percent of the metal loads to Exposure Area 3b. On a few occasions, however, Jasper and Burnt Creeks contributed a substantial percentage of the loads to the Alamosa River. The metal loads calculated for Exposure Area 3c result from upstream sources; the primary upstream sources are Wightman Fork, Alum Creek, and Iron Creek. Tributaries in Exposure Area 3c did not contribute substantially to the metal load in the Alamosa River. In many instances, the percentage of dissolved and/or total-recoverable metal load contribution from a tributary or the combined percentage of metal load contribution was greater than 100 percent of the metal load at the nearest downstream site on the Alamosa River. These data indicate that metal partitioning and metal deposition from the water column to the streambed may be occurring in Exposure Areas 3a, 3b, and 3c. Metals that are deposited to the streambed probably are resuspended and transported downstream during high streamflow periods such as during snowmelt runoff and rainfall runoff. Seasonal and annual dissolved and totalrecoverable aluminum, copper, iron, and zinc loads> for 1995?97 were estimated for Exposure Areas 1, 2, 3a, 3b, and 3c. During 1995?97, many tons of metals were transported annually through each exposure area. Generally, the largest estimated annual totalrecoverable metal mass for most metals was in 1995. The smallest estimated annual total-recoverable metal mass was in 1996, which also had the smallest annual streamflow. In 1995 and 1997, more than 60 percent of the annual total-recoverable metal loads generally was transported through each exposure area during the snowmelt period. A comparison of the estimated storm load at each site to the corresponding annual load indicated that storms contribute less than 2 percent of the annual load at any site and about 5 to 20 percent of the load during the summer-flow period.

Colorado↗

USGS1996

Assessment of metal transport into and out of Terrace Reservoir, Conejos County, Colorado, April 1994 through March 1995

Terrace Reservoir is the primary source of water for crops and livestock in the southwestern part of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. Mining activities have occurred in the basin for more than 100 years, and substantial mining of gold has occurred intermittently at the Summitville Mine. Historically, the Summitville Mine site has produced highly acidic, metal-enriched water that drained from the mine site into Wightman Fork and flowed to the Alamosa River and Terrace Reservoir. In 1994, a study was begun as part of risk-assessment and remediation efforts and to evaluate metal transport into and out of Terrace Reservoir. During the study period, the pH immediately upstream from Terrace Reservoir ranged from 4.3 to 7.8. The highest pH occurred during the pre-peak snowmelt period; the lowest pH occurred during storm runoff during summer. Downstream from Terrace Reservoir, the pH ranged from 4.6 to 7.6. The highest pH occurred during the pre-peak snowmelt period, and the lowest pH occurred during summer in mid-July. A comparison of the streamflow hydrographs upstream and downstream from Terrace Reservoir indicated that there was only a small difference between the annual volume of water that entered the reservoir and the annual volume of water that was released from the reservoir. Large spatial and temporal variations in concentrations of the metals of concern occurred during the study. The median and maximum concentrations of dissolved and total aluminum, iron, copper, cadmium, manganese, and zinc were larger upstream from the reservoir than downstream from the reservoir. The largest concentrations of dissolved aluminum, iron, copper, cadmium, manganese, and zinc generally occurred between mid-June and November. Throughout the study, aluminum was transported into the reservoir predominantly in the particulate or suspended form. Downstream from the reservoir, the suspended-aluminum fraction was predominant only during the pre-peak snowmelt and peak snowmelt periods. The temporal variations in the percentage of dissolved and suspended fraction of iron and copper downstream from Terrace Reservoir were similar to the temporal variations that occurred upstream from the reservoir. During the study period, cadmium, manganese, and zinc generally were transported into and out of the reservoir predominantly in the dissolved form. Metal loads varied considerably as a result of changes in streamflow or changes in metal concentrations, or both. The largest daily loads of aluminum, iron, and manganese were transported into and out of Terrace Reservoir during the peak snowmelt period. The reservoir was a sink for an estimated 294 tons of aluminum and 596 tons of iron. However, about 68.5 tons of total aluminum and about 194 tons of total iron were transported out of the reservoir during the study period. During the study period, about 22 tons of total copper remained in the reservoir, and 39 tons was transported downstream from the reservoir. About 47 tons of total manganese and 18 tons of total-zinc loads were transported out of the reservoir; the reservoir was a sink for only a small fraction of total-manganese and -zinc.

Colorado↗