Tailings pile in the Elk River Valley
Detailed Description
Open-pit mining has created tailings piles over 1,000 feet tall in the Elk River Valley.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.
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Evidence of selenium transport from Elk River Valley, Canada to the Columbia River
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Evidence of selenium transport from Elk River Valley, Canada to the Columbia River
Selenium is an essential nutrient with a narrow gap between enough for life and too much for life. Mining operations have been linked to releasing selenium into rivers and streams, where it can accumulate in aquatic ecosystems and disrupt the development of egg-laying organisms like fish and birds. Recent research shows that selenium travels farther from the Elk River Valley than previously...
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Lake Koocanusa (also called Koocanusa Reservoir) is a transboundary reservoir that's located in northwestern Montana and southwestern British Columbia, Canada (BC) and encompasses the headwaters of the Kootenai watershed, eventually flowing into the Columbia River. Coal mining has occurred in the Elk River watershed in British Columbia, Canada for more than 100 years. Concentrations of different...