ABSTRACT:

Increasing stream metal concentrations apparently caused by climate warming have been reported for a small number of mountain watersheds containing hydrothermally altered bedrock with abundant sulfide minerals (mineralized watersheds). Such increases are concerning and could negatively impact downstream ecosystem health, water resources, and mine-site remediation efforts. However, the pervasiveness and typical magnitude of these trends remain uncertain. We aggregated available streamwater chemistry data collected from late summer and fall over the past 40 years for 22 mineralized watersheds throughout the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Temporal trend analysis performed using the Regional Kendall Test indicates significant regional upward trends of ~2% of the site median per year for SO4, Zn, and Cu concentrations in the 17 streams affected by acid rock drainage (ARD; median pH ≤5.5), equivalent to concentrations roughly doubling over the past 30 years. An examination of potential load trends utilizing streamflow data from eight “index gages” located near the sample sites provides strong support for regionally increasing SO4 and metal loads in ARD-affected streams, particularly at higher elevations. Declining streamflows are likely contributing to regionally increasing concentrations, but increasing loads appear to be on average an equal or greater contributor. Comparison of selected site characteristics with site concentration trend magnitudes shows the highest correlation for mean annual air temperature and mean elevation (R^2 of 0.42 and 0.35, respectively, with all others being ≤0.14). Future research on climate-driven controlling mechanisms should therefore focus on processes such as melting of frozen ground directly linked to site mean temperature and elevation.

ABSTRACT:

This study examined water quality in the upper Animas River watershed, a mined watershed which gained notoriety following the 2015 Gold King mine release of acid mine drainage to downstream communities. Water-quality data were used to evaluate trends in metal concentrations and loads over a two-decade period. Selected sites included three sites on tributary streams and one main-stem site on the Animas River downstream from the tributary confluences. During the study period, metal concentrations and loads varied seasonally and annually because of hydrologic variability and remedial actions designed to ameliorate the effects of acid mine drainage. Water-quality data were divided into two periods based on the timing of remedial activities in the watershed. The first period includes active water treatment, surface reclamation, and installation of bulkheads in adits; the second period includes the decade following these activities. Water-quality data were used to estimate annual and monthly zinc loads using the Adjusted Maximum Likelihood Method (using LOADEST software) and U.S. Geological Survey streamflow data. This study presents one of the first applications of LOADEST focused on metal loads. Monthly flow-weighted concentrations were analyzed using a Mann-Kendall trend test to determine the direction, magnitude, and significance of temporal trends in zinc loading in any given month and using t-test comparisons between the two periods. Zinc loads estimated for the Animas River below the tributaries indicate decreased zinc loading during the rising limb of the hydrograph in the second period, perhaps reflecting a reduction of snowmelt-derived zinc load following surface reclamation activities. In contrast, base-flow zinc loading increased at the main-stem site, perhaps because of the cessation of water treatment in tributary streams. Flow weighting of monthly load estimates yielded increased statistical significance and enabled more nuanced differentiation between the effects of hydrologic variability and remedial activities on zinc loading.