Effect of Burlington Mine Pond on Metal Concentrations in
Little James Creek
Joe RyanUniversity of Colorado
Lefthand Watershed Oversight GroupDecember 6, 2005
Denver Public Library X-2579 Denver Public Library X-61529
[Zn]
(
g L-1
)0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Balarat CreekBurlington Mine pond
[Zn]
(
g L-1
)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Little James backgroundLittle James upstream
time (2004)
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
[Zn]
(
g L-1
)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Little James downstream
EPA Data
Zincdissolved
aquatic life criteria,acute and chronic:50-100 mg L-1
(depends on hardness)
Our Data – Zinc, April 2003
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Zn
conc
entr
atio
n (
g L-1
)
0
200
400
600
16800
16900 total Zn, Little James Creekdissolved Zn, Little James Creektotal Zn, tributariesacute TVSchronic TVS
Little James Creek distance (km)
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Zn
load
(k
g da
y-1)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
total Zn, Little James Creekdissolved Zn, Little James Creektotal Zn, tributaries
un
na
me
d g
ully
, so
uth
Arg
o m
ine
Em
me
tt a
dit
dra
ina
ge
Ba
lara
t C
ree
k
un
na
me
d t
rib
uta
ry,
sou
th
"str
ea
msi
de
ta
ilin
gs"
"Bu
en
o M
tn G
ully
"
wa
terf
all
Co
un
ty R
oa
d 1
02
J
"Arg
o G
ully
"
min
e
wa
ste
pile
, n
ort
h
Bu
lrin
gto
n m
ine
un
na
me
d w
ast
e r
ock
pile
, n
ort
h
Ba
lara
t R
oa
d
Our Data – Zinc, June 2003
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Zn
conc
entr
atio
n (
g L-1
)
0
200
400
600
800
1800018200
total Zn, Little James Creekdissolved Zn, Little James Creektotal Zn, tributariesacute TVSchronic TVS
Little James Creek distance (km)
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Zn
load
(kg
day
-1)
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0 Total Zn load, Little James Creek
Total Zn load, tributariesDissolved Zn, Little James Creek
un
nam
ed
gu
lly,
sou
th
Arg
o m
ine
Em
me
tt a
dit
dra
ina
ge
Ba
lara
t C
ree
k
un
nam
ed
tri
bu
tary
, so
uth
"str
ea
msi
de t
aili
ng
s"
"Bu
en
o M
tn G
ully
"
wa
terf
all
Co
unty
Ro
ad
102
J
"Arg
o G
ully
"
min
e
wa
ste
pile
, n
ort
h
Bu
lrin
gto
n m
ine
un
nam
ed
wa
ste
ro
ck p
ile,
no
rth
Ba
lara
t R
oad
Summary
Similar results for other metalscopper, lead
Burlington Mine cleanupreduced erosion, contact with waste rockpond still flowingno clear improvement
High concentrations downstreamBurlington Mine pond still a sourceEmmet Mine probably bigger source
Lefthand Canyon Rd
Sawmill Rd
California Gulch RdWhite Raven Mine
Captain JackMine and Mill
Big FiveTunnel
Lefth
and
Can
yon
Rd
To W
ard
Tina M. Winwood
A.P. &T.S. Brown
Toy L.B. &
Lucian S.F.
Toy L.B. &Lucian S.F.
Bird DogProperties LLC
Bird D
og
Properties LLC
Bird D
og
Properties LLC
Bird DogProperties LLC
Bird DogProperties LLC
Bird DogProperties LLC
Peter P. Brady
Ameriquest Mortgage Co.
Ameriquest Mortgage Co.
Ameriquest Mortgage Co.Captain Jack Mining Ltd.
Captain Jack Mining Ltd.
Captain Jack Mining Ltd.
Captain Jack Mining Ltd.David E. Van Dyke
Captain Jack
Mining Ltd.
Captain Jack M
ining Ltd. Bird D
og
Properties LLC
Bird D
og
Properties LLC
Boulder County
Boulder County
W. Andrew
Ketchin
Captain Jack
Mining Ltd.
AR Tiedemann
& RL Vogel
J.M. & M.J.
Shaffer
W. Andrew Ketchin
J.M. & M.J.
Shaffer
WV Mickey Jr.& R Patrick
Boulder County
AR Tiedemann& RL Vogel
AR Tiedemann& RL Vogel
Boulder County
Grover E. Burdine
Grover E.Burdine
BoulderCo.
U.S. Govt.
U.S. GovernmentU.S. Government
U.S. Government
A.P. & T.S. Brown
Boulder County