“The Gold King Mine spill is very unfortunate. But it is also bringing public awareness to the magnitude of water quality problems associated with abandoned mines in our region and highlights the need for more remediation,” said Przeszlowska. “The Uncompahgre River headwaters are defined by the same highly mineralized Silverton Caldera as the Animas watershed and numerous abandoned mines also exist in the Uncompahgre (Valley). Although natural loading will always occur, we can address water quality impacts from abandoned mines.”
– quote from Local lessons from Animas accident by Sheridan Block in the Ouray County Plaindealer
Read the full article: 082015 Ouray Plaindealer Article
I shot some video Monday evening, of Uncompahgre River, on my way up to the Sustaining Watersheds Conference. At Ironton Park and at one of the hairpin turns coming down to Ouray, the river had dissolved iron, which turned it orange. On my way back last evening, the Uncompahgre River hoing up Red Mountain Pass from Ouray, looked yellow0ish, like the Animas in Durango was, after Gold King spilled.