New Interactive Map of Gold King Mine water sampling in CO, NM, UT and AZ

The Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS) has launched an interactive map, Gold King Mine Spill Water & Sediment Sample Locations, showing more than 200 water and/or sediment sampling sites that represent more than 1,000 water analyses from: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, New Mexico Environmental Department, and the Utah and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Additional sample sites and data from the US Geological Survey, the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency, and the Arizona Game & Fish Dept., will also be included if made available. 

The 3-million gallon Colorado Gold King Mine spill of August 5, 2015, spurred water sampling along the Animas and San Juan Rivers, Lake Powell, and from nearby wells and irrigation canals in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Navajo Nation lands.

The chief objective of AZGS interactive map is to show the scope of the state, tribal, and federal response to the spill; to provide cooperating agencies and the public with access to the sample results; to assist responding agencies in coordinating, collaborating, and communicating who is sampling, where they are sampling, and when samples are being taken. 

The map displays 115 sample sites in Colorado, nearly 80 in New Mexico, 20 in Utah, and 5 sample sites in Arizona. Map features include: sample date and location, links to data sources reporting water analyses, sample type (water or sediment), time slider, and toggling sample sites reporting concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead and/or mercury in exceedance of the federal safe drinking water standard.  These four elements were identified by the US EPA as the primary contaminants of concern due to their potential to pose significant health risks.  

To access the map visit the Gold King Mine spill information page managed by Arizona cooperating agencies at https://ein.az.gov/gold-king-mine-spill-response or http://maps.azgs.az.gov/gold-king-mine-spill.

[modified from the AZGS news release]