CZNet DWCZ -- (2022-2023): Coal Creek Soil

OVERVIEW

Description/Abstract

LOCATION: Coal Creek, which serves as the drinking water source for the town of Crested Butte, CO, receives both acid mine and acid rock drainage as a result of legacy mining and fractured porphyry networks, respectively. It has a Koppen climate class of Dfc, aka continental subarctic. Local ecology of the creek varies from site to site, with some parts being far more vegetative than others.

ABSTRACT: Acid mine drainage (AMD) and acid rock drainage (ARD) result in acidic, metal-laden solutions that seep into surface and groundwater systems. The hyporheic zone, where surface and groundwater meet, serves as a natural filtration system, where biogeochemical reactions occur that influence metal retention and transformation. By analyzing changes in metal concentrations and phases throughout time and space, valuable information can be gained in regards to the mechanisms at work within the hyporheic zone. Hyporheic sediment and sediment from planted control soil columns were sampled on a seasonal basis along Coal Creek, an area affected by both AMD and ARD. Samples were analyzed for phase changes via XRD and SEM and sequential extractions created using the samples were analyzed via ICP-OES for elemental fraction concentrations. Preliminary results show the retention and release of metals via redox chemistry. These changes are seasonally dynamic and vary from site to site along the creek, illustrating the capacity of the hyporheic zone to act as a filter for AMD at different points throughout the year.

Creator/Author

Abigail Winkler, Alexis Sitchler asitchle@mines.edu DYNAMIC WATER CRITICAL ZONE

Funding Agency:

National Science Foundation, Network Cluster: Quantifying controls and feedbacks of dynamic storage on critical zone processes in western montane watersheds, EAR 2012669

CZNet

DYNAMIC WATER CRITICAL ZONE

Contact

czdata@colorado.edu

SUBJECTS

Disciplines

EARTH SCIENCE

Topics

Soil Chemistry

Keywords

Coal Creek, Dynamic Water Critical Zone, XRD, ICP, DWCZ, AMD, acid rock drainage, Soil Chemistry, CZNet, Acid mine drainage, SEM, Coal Creek watershed, ARD

Variables

Sample Location, Collection Date, Soil Type, Extraction Fraction, Al (mg/kg), As (mg/kg), B (mg/kg), Ba (mg/kg), Ca (mg/kg), Cd (mg/kg), Cu (mg/kg), Cr (mg/kg), Fe (mg/kg), K (mg/kg), Li (mg/kg), Mg (mg/kg), Mn (mg/kg), Mo (mg/kg), Na (mg/kg), Ni (mg/kg), P (mg/kg), Pb (mg/kg), S (mg/kg), Se (mg/kg), Si (mg/kg), Ti (mg/kg), Tl (mg/kg), V (mg/kg), Zn (mg/kg), Co (mg/kg), Sr (mg/kg)

TEMPORAL

Date Start

9/30/22

Date End

10/3/23

SPATIAL

Field Areas

Coal Creek

North latitude

38.86837

South latitude

38.853976

West longitude

-107.085749

East longitude

-107.020513