The concern is that the metals became concentrated in the reservoir over the years and affected water quality downstream, according to April Long, the city’s stormwater manager. The city of Aspen took samples of sediment at Grizzly Reservoir to test for metals. The turbid water also discolored the river to a point below Basalt for a couple of days.
The creek runs into the Roaring Fork River about 10 miles east of Aspen. The discharge turned lower Lincoln Creek a cloudy color. The operator of the reservoir had to repair a gate at the dam, which required releasing the water. The discharge from the Ruby Mine drew renewed interest this month after water was drained from Grizzly Reservoir. “This will give an understanding of the effects of the mine - namely chronic exposure - to macros in the creek and to see if this impacts the water below the reservoir,” Roaring Fork Conservancy Executive Director Rick Lofaro said in an email. The Roaring Fork Conservancy also announced plans this week to test Lincoln Creek below Grizzly Reservoir for the presence of macroinvertebrates - bugs that are a good indicator of stream health. No streams or rivers in Pitkin County were flagged as having “impaired water quality” on the mine impact map.Ī nonprofit organization plans to start testing Lincoln Creek for macroinvertebrates above and below the point where water from the Ruby Mine enters. Forest Service and state agencies earlier this decade showed no significant levels of metals in the water discharged by the mine. The Hope Mine, 6 miles up Castle Creek Valley, southwest of Aspen, also made the list of mines that “likely impact water quality.” However, water test results during reclamation of the Hope Mine by the U.S.
The mine names weren’t released at the same time as the map because information had to be verified, according to a department spokeswoman. The state health department released a list of the mines that could be affecting stream health on Tuesday. There are several areas of concern in the southeastern corner of Pitkin County, where it abuts Chaffee County on the Continental Divide. The map shows general sites where mines could be affecting water quality but it is in too small of a scale to determine if the Ruby Mine was on it. Environmental Protection Agency dumped 3 million gallons of toxic water from the mine into the Animas River. An accident during a reclamation effort by the U.S. The health department started compiling a map on Colorado Mining Stream Impact and Restoration Efforts earlier this month after the Gold King Mine disaster near Silverton. The Ruby Mine near the headwaters of Lincoln Creek is one of 148 sites in Colorado where draining mines “likely impact water quality” and have no active water treatment, according to information released this week by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
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