Assessment of zinc loading in an acid rock drainage alpine catchment using a tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study

Seasonal low flow conditions in acid rock drainage (ARD) streams result in increased acidity and metal ion concentrations - changes that have been shown to become more pronounced with longer dry periods. These resulting increases in acidity and metals concentrations may pose an increasing danger to aquatic ecosystems and drinking water supplies. For example, in many ARD-impacted mountain streams, fish populations are not self-sustaining. The study site in the Upper Snake River watershed in Colorado is an alpine catchment impacted by acid rock drainage thought to originate from the natural weathering of pyrite whereas the main stem of the Snake River and its other tributaries are impacted by accelerated ARD resulting from historic mining activities. Because concentrations toxic to aquatic life persist well downstream of the ARD inputs, dissolved zinc is the primary metal of concern in this study. A compilation of historic data from the Snake River Watershed during the low flow months of September and October indicates that zinc concentrations have increased four-fold over the past 30 years. We hypothesize that this increase is due to changes in groundwater flow patterns caused by climate change and associated earlier peak snowmelt (by 2-3 weeks), resulting in lower stream flows and drier soils in late summer. The observed increase in background metals concentrations has implications for mitigation of former mining sites. A synoptic study to identify discrete surface water sources of zinc loading indicated a significant input from a tributary on the north side of the catchment. Zinc concentrations here measured an order of magnitude higher than in the main stem of the stream, and were correlated with increases in sulfate, hardness, and total metals, supporting our contention that increasing zinc concentrations are driven by the acceleration of ARD in the watershed. The current research further investigates sources of metal-rich inflows to the tributary using a tracer injection study with synoptic sampling.