Alpers, C.N., Orlando, J.L., Miller, S.L., Hothem, R.L., Stumpner, E.B., Brussee, B.E., Hunerlach, M.P., May, J.T., Dileanis, P.D., Taylor, H.E., Antweiler, R.C., DeWild, J.F., and Marvin-DiPasquale, M.C., 2024, Geochemical data for water, sediment, and biota in areas affected by historical mining, northwestern Sierra Nevada and Trinity Mountains, California: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9EL0UN9.
The purpose of this study is to provide information to other agencies, primarily the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), so that potential mine remediation sites can be identified and prioritized for mine-site remediation. In addition to investigating federal lands managed by the BLM and USFS, the USGS performed work during 1999–2012 to assess mercury and metal contamination in other mining-affected areas in cooperation with the California Department of Water Resources (American River watershed), the California State Water Resources Control Board (Bear River watershed), the Nevada County Resource Conservation District (Bear River watershed), and the CALFED Bay-Delta Program (Yuba River watershed). Non-federal funding sources were augmented with contributions from the USGS Cooperative Water Program.