Analytical results and sample locality map of stream-sediment, panned-concentrate, soil, and rock samples from the Kanab Creek (B3060) Roadless Area, Coconino and Mohave Counties, Arizona

Hopkins, R.T.; Fox, James P.; Campbell, W.L.; Antweiler, J. C.

doi:10.3133/ofr84291

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The increase in concentration at these springs may be due to differences in sample collection, analysis, seasonal effects or changes in the system. Pigeon Spring had the greatest uranium concentration of springs in Snake Gulch in 1982 (Hopkins et al 1984) and also had the greatest concentration in springs sampled in 2012-2014. For Snake Gulch, Billingsley et al 1983 defined concentrations of uranium in the range of 1-9 μg/L to be background, 10-40 μg/L to be weakly anomalous and >40 μg/L to be strongly anomalous.…”

Section: Water Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 97%

Geochemistry and hydrology of perched groundwater springs: assessing elevated uranium concentrations at Pigeon Spring relative to nearby Pigeon Mine, Arizona (USA)

et al. 2016

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The processes that affect water chemistry as the water flows from recharge areas through breccia-pipe uranium deposits in the Grand Canyon region of the southwestern United States are not well understood. Pigeon Spring had elevated uranium in 1982 (44 μg/L), compared to other perched springs (2.7-18 μg/L), prior to mining operations at the nearby Pigeon Mine. Perched groundwater springs in an area around the Pigeon Mine were sampled between 2009 and 2015 and compared with material from the Pigeon Mine to better understand the geochemistry and hydrology of the area. Two general groups of perched groundwater springs were identified from this study; one group is characterized by calcium sulfate type water, low uranium activity ratio 234 U/ 238 U (UAR) values, and a mixture of water with some component of modern water, and the other group by calcium-magnesium sulfate type water, higher UAR values, and radiocarbon ages indicating recharge on the order of several thousand years ago. Multivariate statistical principal components analysis of Pigeon Mine and spring samples indicate Cu, Pb, As, Mn, and Cd concentrations distinguished mining-related leachates from perched groundwater springs. The groundwater potentiometric surface indicates that perched groundwater at Pigeon Mine would likely flow toward the northwest away from Pigeon Spring. The geochemical analysis of the water, sediment and rock samples collected from the Snake Gulch area indicate that the elevated uranium at Pigeon Spring is likely related to a natural source of uranium upgradient from the spring and not likely related to the Pigeon Mine.

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Section: Water Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 97%

Geochemistry and hydrology of perched groundwater springs: assessing elevated uranium concentrations at Pigeon Spring relative to nearby Pigeon Mine, Arizona (USA)

et al. 2016

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“…While several studies have been published on water quality of groundwater discharging from springs in the Grand Canyon region [e.g., 9 , 10 , 17 – 19 ], few published studies have focused on the concentration of metals in the Colorado River and major tributaries that are related to uranium mining in the area. Hopkins et al [ 20 ] collected water and stream sediment samples in March of 1982 in the Snake Gulch drainage of Kanab Creek as part of determining mineral resource potential in the area. No samples were collected at the mouth of Kanab Creek.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing uranium and select trace elements associated with breccia pipe uranium deposits in the Colorado River and main tributaries in Grand Canyon, USA

et al. 2020

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Assessing chemical loading from streams in remote, difficult-to-access watersheds is challenging. The Grand Canyon area in northern Arizona, an international tourist destination and sacred place for many Native Americans, is characterized by broad plateaus divided by canyons as much as two-thousand meters deep and hosts some of the highest-grade uranium deposits in the U.S. From 2015–2018 major surface waters in Grand Canyon were monitored for select elements associated with breccia-pipe uranium deposits in the area, including uranium, arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Dissolved constituents in the Colorado River were monitored upstream (Lees Ferry), in the middle (Phantom Ranch), and downstream (Diamond Creek) of uranium mining areas. Concentrations of uranium, arsenic, cadmium, and lead at these main-stem sites varied little during the study period and were all well below human health and aquatic life benchmark criteria (30, 10, 5, and 15 μg/L maximum contaminant levels and 15, 150, 0.8, and 3.1 μg/L aquatic life criteria, respectively). Additionally, dissolved and sediment-bound constituents were monitored during a wide range of streamflow conditions at Little Colorado River, Kanab Creek, and Havasu Creek tributaries, whose watersheds have experienced different levels of uranium mining activities over time. Samples from the tributary sites contained ≤3.8 μg/L of dissolved cadmium and lead, and ≤17 μg/L of dissolved uranium. Dissolved arsenic also was mostly below human and aquatic life criteria at Little Colorado River and Kanab Creek; however, 63% of water samples from Havasu Creek were above the maximum contaminant level for arsenic. Arsenic in suspended sediment was greater than sediment quality guidelines in 9%, 35%, and 35% of samples from Little Colorado River, Kanab Creek, and Havasu Creek, respectively. At the concentrations observed during this study, tributaries contributed on average only about 0.12 μg/L of arsenic and 0.03 μg/L of uranium to the main-stem river. This study demonstrates how chemical loading from mined watersheds may be reliably assessed across a wide range of flow conditions in challenging locations.

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Analytical results for rock and stream-sediment samples, Kaibab National Forest, Coconino County, Arizona

Chaffee¹,

Carlson²,

Fey³

et al. 1992

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Analytical results and sample locality map of stream-sediment, panned-concentrate, soil, and rock samples from the Kanab Creek (B3060) Roadless Area, Coconino and Mohave Counties, Arizona

Abstract: Analytical results and sample locality map of stream-sediment, panned-concentrate, soil, and rock samples from the Kanab Creek (B3060) Roadless Area, Coconino and Mohave Counties, Arizona

Cited by 3 publications

References 6 publications

Geochemistry and hydrology of perched groundwater springs: assessing elevated uranium concentrations at Pigeon Spring relative to nearby Pigeon Mine, Arizona (USA)

Geochemistry and hydrology of perched groundwater springs: assessing elevated uranium concentrations at Pigeon Spring relative to nearby Pigeon Mine, Arizona (USA)

Assessing uranium and select trace elements associated with breccia pipe uranium deposits in the Colorado River and main tributaries in Grand Canyon, USA

Analytical results for rock and stream-sediment samples, Kaibab National Forest, Coconino County, Arizona

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