Past Mining Activities and Water Quality in the Lynx Creek Watershed

Abstract

Lynx Lake Watershed consists of approximately 13,600 acres of the Agua Fria drainage. About 13 percent of the area is patented mining claims (mainly copper} with numerous mining shafts, waste dumps, and mill tailings. Lynx Creek itself was once mined for gold and the creek bed still shows the scars of the dredging operations. Drainage from the numerous old mining sites show a certain extent of toxic mineral and sediment pollution of the water resources in the area. Lynx Creek carries runoff which is slightly acidic in nature and has a high concentration of copper, manganese, iron, zinc, and sulfates. The Sheldon Mine complex is considered one of the major sources of pollution to the lake. Aquatic life and recreation potential of the watershed is greatly reduced by the water pollution problem. The pollutants from the abandoned mine sites enter into Lynx Lake, a trout fisheries lake, which was created by damming the creek in 1962 by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The Sheldon Tailings pond was rehabilitated during the summer of 1975 as part of a reclamation study and demonstration project that is currently in progress and being sponsored by SEAM (Surface Environment and Mining}. The study is being conducted cooperatively by the School of Renewable Resources, University of Arizona, and the Prescott National Forest. An excellent vegetative cover is established on the site and studies are being conducted to measure the beneficial effects of the reclamation on water quality.