Safeguarding our Streams: Balancing Mining and Water Quality Recap

Last Thursday (August 6) and Saturday (August 8) we had the pleasure of having our guest speaker, Devin Castendyk, a current GARNA Board Member and Geochemist, walk us through what abandon mines do to our environment, sharing real life examples and what to be aware of when it comes to our water quality.

3 Big Takeaways:

1. Know what’s in your own water! This can be done by ordering a test online or utilizing a local business, both of which would get the job done. Because our waters around Chaffee County and the Upper Arkansas are known to have heavy metals like Lead and Arsenic, it is important to get the following tests done: Total Coliform, E. Coli, Nitrates and Nitrites, pH and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Lead & Heavy Metals.
   • Both Chaffee County and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) have great resources to read about to understand what levels are deemed “safe” for human consumption for the list above.
2. The Upper Arkansas is rich with mining history!
   • As we drove to Leadville, Devin was able to point out several abandoned mines along the way, indicating the rich history of this area and showcasing what attracted many to this area in the first place.
3.  Restoration is a BIG deal & it continues today.
   • Not all abandoned mines are receiving current cleanups from the EPA at this time, but are rather left as is. The complexity of mines and what has been left behind create challenges within our environment and there are ongoing efforts in places that seem to need it most, like California Gulch and other specifically around Leadville.

If you missed this Community Program and would like to hear/view Devin’s presentation, click the link here to give it a watch!