Big River Mining Sediment Assessment Project

The Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) Missouri State University (MSU) Big River Mining Sediment Assessment Project Distribu...
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The Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) Missouri State University (MSU)

Big River Mining Sediment Assessment Project

Distribution, Geochemistry, and Storage of Mining Sediment in Channel and Floodplain Deposits of the Big River System in St. Francois, Washington, and Jefferson Counties, Missouri Field work completed Fall 2008 to Spring 2009 FINAL REPORT Prepared by: Robert T. Pavlowsky, Ph.D., Principal Investigator Marc R. Owen, M.S., Research Specialist II Derek J. Martin, M.S., Research Specialist I Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute Missouri State University 901 South National Avenue Springfield, MO 65897 [email protected] Funded by: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit David E. Mosby, Environmental Contaminants Specialist Columbia Missouri Field Office 573-234-2132 Ext. 113 [email protected] June 18, 2010

OEWRI EDR-10-002

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TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................... 2 LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................... 3 LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................. 4 ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................... 6 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 7 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................................... 10 STUDY AREA......................................................................................................................................... 11 Geology and Soils ................................................................................................................................ 11 Mining History..................................................................................................................................... 12 Climate and Hydrology ....................................................................................................................... 12 County Boundaries.............................................................................................................................. 12 METHODS .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Sampling Design .................................................................................................................................. 13 Field Methods ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Geomorphic Analyses of Channel and Bar Areas. ....................................................................... 14 Channel Surveys ........................................................................................................................... 14 Sediment Sampling and Characterization ..................................................................................... 14 Laboratory Methods ........................................................................................................................... 16 Sample Preparation ....................................................................................................................... 16 Sediment Texture .......................................................................................................................... 16 Chat Grain Counts......................................................................................................................... 17 Geochemical Analysis .................................................................................................................. 17 Geospatial Data and Analysis............................................................................................................. 20 GIS Data Sources .......................................................................................................................... 20 Channel and Floodplain Feature Classification ............................................................................ 21 River Kilometer Scale ......................................................................................................................... 22 Background Information and Appendices........................................................................................ 22 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................. 23 Tailings Input Geochemistry .............................................................................................................. 23 Channel Sediment Geochemistry and Particle Size Trends ............................................................ 24 Comparison of Glide and Bar Geochemistry ................................................................................ 24 Within-Site Geochemical Variability ........................................................................................... 25 Particle Size of Channel Glide and Bar Deposits ......................................................................... 25 Chat Grain Mineralogy ................................................................................................................. 26 Downstream changes in Sediment Geochemistry......................................................................... 27 Tributary Channel Sediment Contamination ................................................................................ 29 Bar Core Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 29 Lead Concentrations in the 1,000 ppm Pb) occur from Desloge (R-km 158.1) to St. Francois State Park (R-km 140.3). Similarly, overbank floodplain deposits are contaminated above the residential soil threshold limit of 400 ppm Pb along the entire length of the river below Leadwood to a depth of 1 to 4 meters or more. In floodplain deposits, the highest concentrations (>2,000 ppm) tend to occur between the Bonehole (R-km 165.3) and Browns Ford (R-km 79.5). Both fine-grained and coarse sediments are contaminated with Pb and other metals in the Big River. XRF Pb analyses for