Metal Loading in Soda Butte Creek Upstream of Yellowstone National 

Park, Montana and Wyoming: A Retrospective Analysis of Previous 

Research; and Quantification of Metal Loading, August 1999 

Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4170


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
Front cover photograph by Gregory K. Boughton.


Tributaries 100 feet upstream of Sheep Creek flowing into Soda Butte Creek.

U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Metal Loading in Soda Butte Creek Upstream of 

Yellowstone National Park, Montana and Wyoming: A 

Retrospective Analysis of Previous Research; and 

Quantification of Metal Loading, August 1999 

By Gregory K. Boughton 

Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4170 

Prepared as part of the 

NATIONAL WATER-QUALITY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM 

Cheyenne, Wyoming 

2001 
U.S. Department of the Interior 

Gale A. Norton, Secretary 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Charles G. Groat, Director 

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for 

descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the 

U.S. Government 

For additional information write to: 

District Chief


U.S. Geological Survey, WRD


2617 E. Lincolnway, Suite B


Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001-5662


Copies of this report can be purchased from: 

U.S. Geological Survey


Branch of Information Services


Box 25286, Denver Federal Center


Denver, Colorado 80225


Information regarding the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program is available on the Internet via the World 

Wide Web. You may connect to the NAWQA Home Page using the Universal Resource Locator (URL): 

<http://wwwrvares.er.usgs.gov/nawqa/nawqa_home.html> 
CONTENTS

Page 

Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................................. 1


Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................... 2


Purpose and scope....................................................................................................................................................... 2


Description of study area ............................................................................................................................................ 2


Metal geochemistry..................................................................................................................................................... 4


Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................................................... 6


Retrospective analysis........................................................................................................................................................... 6


Tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study ...................................................................................................................... 8


Theory ......................................................................................................................................................................... 8


Approach..................................................................................................................................................................... 8


Methods....................................................................................................................................................................... 9


Tracer injection and sampling........................................................................................................................... 9


Synoptic sampling............................................................................................................................................. 10


Tracer-injection results................................................................................................................................................ 11


Downstream travel and dilution ........................................................................................................................ 11


Determination of discharge ............................................................................................................................... 11


Synoptic-sampling results........................................................................................................................................... 15


Inflows............................................................................................................................................................... 15


Mainstem........................................................................................................................................................... 15


Quantification of loads................................................................................................................................................ 20


Major ions ......................................................................................................................................................... 21


Metals................................................................................................................................................................ 21


Metal sources .............................................................................................................................................................. 27


Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................... 27


References cited .................................................................................................................................................................... 28


Appendix A--Annotated bibliography of previous research on metal loading in Soda Butte Creek, Montana 


and Wyoming.............................................................................................................................................. 33


Appendix B--Field parameters and dissolved sulfate concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte Creek 


and inflows, Montana and Wyoming, August 20, 1999 ............................................................................. 51


Appendix C--Dissolved and total-recoverable constituent concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte 


Creek and inflows, Montana and Wyoming, August 20, 1999................................................................... 55


Appendix D--Analysis of water samples collected at U.S. Geological Survey gaging station 06187915, 


water year 1999........................................................................................................................................... 63


Figures 

1.	 Map showing location of the Soda Butte Creek study reach, and the McLaren Mine, tailings, and mill site,


relative to Yellowstone National Park, Montana and Wyoming ....................................................................... 3


2. Map showing location of transport sites and selected synoptic-sampling sites, Soda Butte Creek, 

Montana and Wyoming..................................................................................................................................... 5


3-12. Graphs showing:


3.	 Variation of dissolved bromide concentration with time at transport sites T1 and T2, Soda Butte 


Creek, Montana, August 1999 ............................................................................................................... 12


4.	 Variation of dissolved bromide concentration with time at transport sites T3 and T4, Soda Butte 

Creek, Montana and Wyoming, August 1999........................................................................................ 13 

5.	 Variation of dissolved bromide concentration with distance, Soda Butte Creek, Montana and 


Wyoming, August 20, 1999 ................................................................................................................... 14


CONTENTS iii

Figures--Continued 

Page 

6. Discharge profile downstream from the injection site, Soda Butte Creek, Montana and Wyoming, 


August 20, 1999 ..................................................................................................................................... 14


7. Variation of stream and inflow pH with distance from the injection site, Soda Butte Creek, Montana 


and Wyoming, August 20, 1999............................................................................................................. 16


8. Variation of stream and inflow specific conductance with distance from the injection site, Soda Butte 


Creek, Montana and Wyoming, August 20, 1999.................................................................................. 16


9.	 Variation of stream and inflow dissolved sulfate concentration with distance from the injection site,


Soda Butte Creek, Montana and Wyoming, August 20, 1999 ............................................................... 17


10. Variation of normalized total-recoverable concentrations of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and 


strontium with distance from the injection site, Soda Butte Creek, Montana and Wyoming, 


August 20, 1999 ..................................................................................................................................... 18


11. Variation of normalized total-recoverable concentrations of aluminum and silica with distance from 


the injection site, Soda Butte Creek, Montana and Wyoming, August 20, 1999................................... 18


12. Variation of concentrations of dissolved and total-recoverable iron with distance from the injection 

site, Soda Butte Creek, Montana and Wyoming, August 20, 1999........................................................ 19


13-21. Graphs showing sampled instream load, cumulative instream load, and cumulative inflow load of 


indicated constituents, Soda Butte Creek, Montana and Wyoming, August 20, 1999


13. Dissolved calcium........................................................................................................................................... 22


14. Dissolved silica............................................................................................................................................... 22


15. Dissolved sulfate............................................................................................................................................. 23


16. Dissolved iron................................................................................................................................................. 24


17. Total-recoverable iron..................................................................................................................................... 24


18. Dissolved aluminum ....................................................................................................................................... 25


19. Total-recoverable aluminum........................................................................................................................... 25


20. Dissolved manganese...................................................................................................................................... 26


21. Total-recoverable manganese ......................................................................................................................... 26


Tables 

1.	 Sequence of tracer-injection sampling and activities in Soda Butte Creek, Montana and Wyoming, 


August 1999 ...................................................................................................................................................... 10


iv METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
CONVERSION FACTORS, ABBREVIATED WATER-QUALITY UNITS, AND ABBREVIATIONS 

Multiply By To obtain 

cubic feet per second (ft3/s) 0.0283 cubic meters per second (m3/s) 

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) 

gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L) 

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) 

pound (lb) 0.454 kilogram (kg) 

Abbreviated water quality units and abbrevations used in this report: 

grams per liter 

L/s liters per second 

m meter 

mg/L milligrams per liter 

mg/s milligrams per second 

ml milliliter 

μm micrometer 

MRL minimum reporting level 

NAWQA National Water-Quality Assessment Program 

NPS National Park Service 

USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

USGS U.S. Geological Survey 

YNP Yellowstone National Park 

CONTENTS v 

g/L 

Metal Loading in Soda Butte Creek Upstream of 

Yellowstone National Park, Montana and Wyoming: A 

Retrospective Analysis of Previous Research; and 

Quantification of Metal Loading, August 1999 

By Gregory K. Boughton 

ABSTRACT 

Acid drainage from historic mining activities has affected the water quality and aquatic biota 

of Soda Butte Creek upstream of Yellowstone 

National Park. Numerous investigations focusing 

on metals contamination have been conducted in 

the Soda Butte Creek basin, but interpretations of 

how metals contamination is currently impacting 

Soda Butte Creek differ greatly. A retrospective 

analysis of previous research on metal loading in 

Soda Butte Creek was completed to provide summaries of studies pertinent to metal loading in 

Soda Butte Creek and to identify data gaps warranting further investigation. 

Identification and quantification of the 

sources of metal loading to Soda Butte Creek was 

recognized as a significant data gap. The McLaren 

Mine tailings impoundment and mill site has long 

been identified as a source of metals but its contribution relative to the total metal load entering Yellowstone National Park was unknown. A tracerinjection and synoptic-sampling study was 

designed to determine metal loads upstream of 

Yellowstone National Park. 

A tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling 

study was conducted on an 8,511-meter reach of 

Soda Butte Creek from upstream of the McLaren 

Mine tailings impoundment and mill site downstream to the Yellowstone National Park boundary 

in August 1999. Synoptic-sampling sites were 

selected to divide the creek into discrete segments. 

A lithium bromide tracer was injected continuously into Soda Butte Creek for 24.5 hours. 

Downstream dilution of the tracer and currentmeter measurements were used to calculate the 

stream discharge. Stream discharge values, combined with constituent concentrations obtained by 

synoptic sampling, were used to quantify constituent loading in each segment of Soda Butte Creek. 

Loads were calculated for dissolved calcium, silica, and sulfate, as well as for dissolved 

and total-recoverable iron, aluminum, and manganese. Loads were not calculated for cadmium, 

copper, lead, and zinc because these elements 

were infrequently detected in mainstem synoptic 

samples. All of these elements were detected at 

high concentrations in the seeps draining the 

McLaren Mine tailings impoundment. The lack of 

detection of these elements in the downstream 

mainstem synoptic samples is probably because of 

sorption (coprecipitation and adsorption) to metal 

colloids in the stream. 

Most of the metal load that entered Soda 

Butte Creek was contributed by the inflows draining the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment 

(between 505 meters and 760 meters downstream 

from the tracer-injection site), Republic Creek 

(1,859 meters), and Unnamed Tributary 

(8,267 meters). Results indicate that treatment or 

removal of the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment would greatly reduce metal loading in Soda 

Butte Creek upstream of Yellowstone National 

Park. However, removing only that single source 

may not reduce metal loads to acceptable levels. 

The sources of metal loading in Republic Creek 

and Unnamed Tributary merit further investigation. 

ABSTRACT 1 
INTRODUCTION 

The Soda Butte Creek basin drains a mineralized 

area, the New World Mining District, which has been 

the site of historic mining activities (fig. 1). Soda Butte 

Creek is the only stream flowing into Yellowstone 

National Park (YNP) that has been significantly 

impacted by mining activities. Metal loading to the 

creek has negatively impacted water quality and the 

aquatic biota. Sediments from the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment have been found to contain high 

concentrations of trace elements (Epstein, 1997). 

Floods are perhaps the most serious risk to aquatic 

life in Soda Butte Creek. A flood in 1950 breached the 

dam at the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment and 

mobilized tailings that have been found more than 

24.9 kilometers downstream, just above the confluence 

of Soda Butte Creek and the Lamar River (Meyer, 

1993). Over the years, the sediments from the tailings 

are being reworked and transported through the system 

(Marcus and others, 1995). A study of geomorphic 

processes controlling movement of contaminated sediments indicated that mine impacts will persist for centuries in Soda Butte Creek (Marcus and others, 2001). 

Flooding could expose buried tailings sediments, bring 

fresh tailings sediments into Soda Butte Creek, or carry 

metal-contaminated invertebrates into YNP. 

Numerous investigations focusing on metals contamination have been conducted in the Soda Butte 

Creek basin. Conclusions reached by investigators on 

how metal loading continues to affect Soda Butte 

Creek differ greatly. Research related to the water 

quality of the creek indicated that the mine tailings 

along Soda Butte Creek upstream from Cooke City, 

appear to have no effect on the water chemistry of Soda 

Butte Creek (Miller and others, 1997). A study of the 

floodplain grasslands community clearly showed the 

impacts of past tailings releases (Stoughton, 1995). 

Researchers studying the aquatic biota concluded that 

the creek is being adversely affected by the McLaren 

Mine tailings at certain times of the year (Nimmo and 

Willox, 1996). The lack of consensus on whether metals continue to negatively impact Soda Butte Creek 

highlights the need for further compilation of research 

and further investigation. The National Park Service 

(NPS) has expressed concern that the runoff and 

ground water at the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment and mill site appear to be continuing sources of 

metals entering Soda Butte Creek (Roy Irwin, National 

Park Service, written commun., 1998). This project 

was funded through the National Park Service - U.S. 

Geological Survey, Water Quality Assessment and 

Monitoring Partnership to investigate metal loading in 

Soda Butte Creek upstream of YNP. 

Purpose and Scope 

This report has two principal objectives. The first 

objective is to provide a retrospective analysis of previous research on metal loading in Soda Butte Creek. 

This was accomplished by compiling and organizing 

existing publications and data. A computerized literature search was conducted to identify relevant publications. Journal articles, published reports and books, 

unpublished master’s theses, conference proceedings, 

and past and current research projects are referenced. 

For some bibliographic citations, abstracts have been 

provided. 

The second objective is to identify and quantify 

sources of metal loads in the Soda Butte Creek basin 

upstream of YNP. This was achieved through a study 

combining tracer injection and synoptic sampling. 

Metal loads in the mainstem were quantified using 

stream discharge determined by tracer-injection methods and current-meter measurements, and metal concentrations determined from analyses of synoptic 

samples. Downstream profiles of metal loads were 

constructed to identify and quantify principal sources 

of metal loads to Soda Butte Creek. This report 

includes both the retrospective analysis and detailed 

results of the tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling 

study. 

Description of Study Area 

The study area is in the New World Mining District (District). The District, which includes a mixture 

of National Forest and private lands, is located in the 

general vicinity of Cooke City, Montana and contains 

hard rock mining wastes and acid discharges that may 

impact the environment. Human health and environmental issues in the area are related to elevated levels 

of heavy metals present in mine waste piles, open pits, 

acidic water discharging from mine openings, and 

stream sediments (Maxim Technologies, 1999). 

2 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
INTRODUCTION 3 
The District is situated at the headwaters of three 

river basins, which all eventually flow into the Yellowstone River. The three streams are the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River, the Stillwater River, and Soda Butte 

Creek. Soda Butte Creek is a tributary of the Lamar 

River, with their confluence in YNP. The major tributaries of Soda Butte Creek are Miller, Republic, Sheep, 

Wyoming, and Silver Creeks and an Unnamed Tributary. 

Soda Butte Creek originates northeast of Cooke 

City, Montana and flows approximately 8.5 river kilometers before crossing the northeast corner of YNP. 

The basin upstream of the YNP boundary has been the 

site of numerous historic mining operations. Although 

the impacts of mining are documented, differentiating 

between natural and human-induced sources of metals 

is extremely difficult because the geologic units in the 

watershed are highly mineralized. A description of the 

local geology follows [Montana Bureau of Mines and 

Geology, 1999, p. 7-8]. 

Bedrock in the upper Soda Butte Creek 

drainage consists of Precambrian metamorphic, 

Paleozoic sedimentary, and Eocene volcanic 

rock. The eastern, upstream portion of the 

watershed is predominantly Precambrian granitic 

gneiss with slightly younger gabbro and dolerite 

dike intrusions and small plutons that were later 

metamorphosed. This crystalline rock is well 

exposed in the Colter Pass area but obscured 

elsewhere by glacial deposits. Outcrops have 

been mapped as far downstream as Cooke City. 

In the Cooke City area, younger, sedimentary 

rock overlies the crystalline rocks. 

During the Paleozoic Era, a thick sequence of 

sedimentary rock was deposited unconformably 

on a gently sloping erosional surface of 

Precambrian rock. Exposed sedimentary rock is 

predominantly Cambrian and includes the 

Flathead Sandstone, the Wolsey and Park 

Shales, and the Meagher and Pilgrim 

Limestones. The Pilgrim Limestone forms the 

spectacular cliffs on the south side of the valley 

between Cooke City and Silver Gate. Cambrian 

rock is overlain unconformably by Ordovician 

Bighorn Dolomite, which is overlain 

unconformably by the Devonian Jefferson and 

Three Forks Formations and the Mississippian 

Madison Limestone. 

The Absaroka volcanic field became active in 

the Eocene Epoch and deposited the andesitic 

volcaniclastic rock and flows of the Lamar River 

Formation unconformably on the Madison Limestone. 

Ore from the McLaren Mine, a gold, silver, and 

copper mine active from 1933 to 1953, was processed 

at a mill located next to Soda Butte Creek, 4 miles 

upstream from the YNP boundary (Glidden, 1982). 

Gold, silver, and copper were leached out with cyanide. 

During the period the mill was operational, approximately 150,000 cubic yards of tailings were deposited 

on the valley floor of Soda Butte Creek, which originally meandered through the area currently overlain by 

the tailings (fig. 2). Tailings accumulated during the 

mine’s operation were placed directly instream covering an oxbow of Soda Butte Creek (Bureau of Reclamation, 1989). 

In June of 1950, heavy rainstorms and flash flooding in the upper Soda Butte Creek basin breached the 

dam at the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment, spilling a large amount of the tailings into Soda Butte 

Creek. In 1969, the creek was rerouted around the 

north edge of the impoundment. The tailings were leveled, graded, covered with a 0.5-1.5 meter (m) thickness of alluvial sand and gravel, and seeded with grass 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1972; Knudson and Estes, 1975). In 1989, the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (USEPA) and Kennecott Corporation installed a buttress berm to reinforce the tailings 

dam and removed some of the tailings below the dam 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1989). 

Despite these efforts, the banks and bed of Soda Butte 

Creek around and downstream from the tailings are 

continuously stained by ground- and surface-water 

seeps and drains (Nimmo and Willox, 1996). 

Metal Geochemistry 

Metals may be derived from the weathering of 

rocks or, increasingly, they may be introduced into the 

atmosphere and hydrosphere by human activities. 

Mining activities can result in release of metals 

(Drever, 1997). Acid mine drainage results from the 

oxidation of sulfide minerals exposed during mining, 

which produces sulfuric acid and sulfate salts. The acid 

dissolves minerals in the rocks, further degrading the 

quality of the drainage water (Bates and Jackson, 

4 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
INTRODUCTION 5
1980). The contaminated water is often an ochre color 

indicating high levels of iron and may have the smell 

of rotten eggs from the presence of hydrogen sulfide. 

Mixing of waters of widely different pH may have 

significant chemical and biological consequences. 

Examples of pH-mixing effects were observed by 

Theobald and others (1963) and McKnight and Feder 

(1984) at the confluence of a low-pH stream with a 

neutral-pH stream. When the pH of the water 

increased, the dissolved and colloidal metals precipitated out of solution. The acidic waters carried relatively high concentrations of aluminum, iron, zinc, and 

other metals, and the precipitation of these metals as 

hydrous oxides below the confluence limited the abundance of periphyton and benthic invertebrates (Elder, 

1988). 

A similar situation is observed in Soda Butte 

Creek where acidic ground water inflows from the 

McLaren Mine tailings impoundment enter the creek. 

The ground water contains high concentrations of dissolved metals. The stream reach immediately downstream of the acidic inflows is coated with ochrecolored deposits typical of streams receiving acid mine 

drainage. These deposits, consisting mainly of ferric 

hydroxides, form as the reduced ground water becomes 

oxidized because of aeration and the pH rises because 

of mixing with the neutral-pH surface waters. Adverse 

effects of these deposits on the aquatic biota of Soda 

Butte Creek have been documented (Nimmo and Willox, 1996). 

When metal-rich, acidic mine drainage enters 

streams with near-neutral pH, colloidal solids form. 

Colloids are solids that range in size from about 0.001 

to 1 micrometer (μm)—intermediate between that of 

dissolved molecules and that of particles that can settle 

out of solution. Collodial particles are electrically 

charged. The charge may originate in two ways: 

(1) adsorption of ions from the liquid, or (2) by the 

direct ionization of the material of the particle (Mason, 

1966). Colloids tend to aggregate and eventually settle 

from the water. The mostly ferric hydroxide colloidal 

solids have a large capacity to sorb metals. 

Acknowledgments 

Many agencies and organizations provided publication lists and abstracts that were used to produce the 

annotated bibliography. The author thanks the Federal 

and State agencies, private organizations, and individual researchers for their cooperation in providing information for this report. 

The tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study 

required long hours and could not have been accomplished without the dedicated participation of the field 

team members. The author thanks Robert Broshears, 

Briant Kimball, Robert Runkel, Myron Brooks, Melanie Clark, Joe Pohl, Glen Laidlaw, Dev Niyogi, and 

Fred Rossi of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); and 

volunteers Ben Kimball (USGS) and Katie Randall 

(Yellowstone Ecosystem Studies). Linda Gerner and 

Chump Bailey of the USGS performed the laboratory 

analyses. Robert Broshears and Briant Kimball also 

provided invaluable assistance in interpreting the data. 

RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS 

This section of the report provides a retrospective 

analysis of previous research relating to metal loading 

in Soda Butte Creek. Existing publications and data 

were compiled and organized to accomplish this task. 

A computerized literature search was conducted to 

identify relevant publications. Journal articles, published reports and books, unpublished students’ theses, 

conference proceedings, and research projects are referenced. 

A computerized literature search for investigations 

relating to metals contamination in Soda Butte Creek 

was conducted using several scientific databases, Internet search engines, and Washington State University 

Library’s Scientific Research in Yellowstone National 

Park online database (http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/ris/ 

risweb.isa). To supplement the computerized retrieval, 

State and Federal agencies, private organizations, and 

individual researchers supplied information that might 

not have been cited otherwise. 

The complete bibliography is presented in appendix A. References are listed alphabetically by principal 

author, either individual or corporate. Every effort has 

been made to ensure that all references in this bibliography are correct but not all references could be 

checked or verified. For some bibliographic citations, 

abstracts or other brief descriptions have been provided. References to research projects list the objective 

of the project and the findings and status, if any. 

6 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
None of the studies conducted on Soda Butte 

Creek have included an examination of the effects of 

metal loading on the entire watershed. With this in 

mind, the research can be divided into studies of 

surface-water quality, fluvial geomorphology, and 

aquatic biota. 

The many studies of the surface-water quality of 

Soda Butte Creek have reached differing conclusions 

on the extent of water-quality degradation. Detailed 

water analyses carried out by Mills and Sharpe (1968) 

revealed no materials considered toxic to fish or 

aquatic invertebrates. Hill (1970) measured a decrease 

in pH and alkalinity and an increase in conductivity, 

hardness, and concentrations of sulfate, iron, manganese, zinc, and copper downstream of the McLaren 

Mine tailings impoundment relative to a site upstream 

of the tailings. Studies carried out by Chadwick 

(1974), David Stiller and Associates (1983), Ecology 

and Environment, Inc. (1988) concluded that the primary water-quality problem was dissolved iron concentrations that were toxic to aquatic life. Forstner and 

Wittman (1983) determined that copper was the most 

toxic of the metals found in the surface water. 

INTERA, Inc. (1991) concluded that the “dam stabilization” completed by Kennecott Corporation in 1990 

was preventing any further discharges of tailings material into the creek and water quality was improving. 

The Bureau of Reclamation (1991) collected one sample that exceeded the aquatic-life criterion for copper, 

although iron was the only element to show consistently higher concentrations below the mine tailings 

compared to the concentrations above the tailings. 

Miller and others (1997) concluded that there was little 

to no effect on the water quality of Soda Butte Creek 

from the presence of mine workings or tailings 

upstream from Cooke City during the fall of 1996. 

Most fluvial geomorphology investigators have 

concentrated on evaluating the mine tailings washed 

into the creek when the dam at the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment failed in the summer of 1950, 

resulting in deposition of about 3.1x104

 cubic meters of 

tailings along the floodplain (Meyer and Watt, 1998). 

Deposits of the tailings from the 1950 flood have been 

found more than 24.9 kilometers downstream, just 

upstream from the confluence of Soda Butte Creek and 

the Lamar River (Meyer, 1993). Over the years, the 

sediments from the tailings are being reworked and 

transported through the system (Marcus and others, 

1995). Ladd (1995) found that channel morphology 

controls the spatial distribution of trace metals in the 

bed sediments of the creek. The USGS determined that 

a 100-year flood would cause substantial flooding of 

the tailings impoundment (Omang and others, 1983). 

In 1996, flooding caused the deposition of overbank 

sediments up to a few decimeters below the highest 

tailings deposits (Stephen V. Lynn, U.S. Geological 

Survey, written commun., 1997). Recent studies have 

taken advantage of advances in multispectral digital 

imaging to map hydrogeomorphic stream units in Soda 

Butte Creek (Ewing, 1994; Wright, 1998). Marcus and 

others (2001) examined geomorphic processes controlling movement of contaminated sediments and concluded that mine impacts will persist for centuries in 

Soda Butte Creek. 

Most of the research conducted on metal loading 

in Soda Butte Creek has focused on the aquatic biota. 

A decrease in the types and numbers of bottom organisms was observed in the vicinity of the McLaren Mine 

tailings on Soda Butte Creek outside of the YNP 

boundary (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

1971). Duff (1972) concluded that runoff and seepage 

from the McLaren Mine tailings to Soda Butte Creek 

were adversely impacting the creek ecosystem and no 

fish were present from the tailings site downstream for 

3 miles. Pickett and Chadwick (1972) determined that 

seepage from the mill tailings at Cooke City was 

adversely affecting the water quality of Soda Butte 

Creek and that the natural flora and fauna present 

above the tailings were either eliminated or severely 

reduced immediately below the tailings. Riparian vegetation (grass, horsetail, and willow) showed greater 

concentrations of copper, lead, and zinc immediately 

downstream of the tailings than upstream, with concentrations decreasing downstream towards the YNP 

boundary (Erickson and Norton, 1994). Pollution 

effects, though severe immediately downstream from 

the tailings, have been reduced in recent years as the 

result of efforts to better contain the tailings and prevent seepage of acidic waters (Mahoney, 1996). Macroinvertebrate populations generally increase in 

number and diversity with increasing distance downstream from Cooke City (Marcus, 1997). Nimmo and 

others (1998) concluded that aquatic resources in Soda 

Butte Creek within YNP continue to be threatened by 

heavy metals from historical mining and milling activities upstream of the YNP boundary. Toxicity tests, 

using surrogate test species, and analyses of metals in 

water, sediments, and macroinvertebrate tissues sugRETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS 7 
gested that copper is the metal of concern in the watershed (Nimmo and others, 1998). 

In general, studies of the aquatic biota indicate that 

Soda Butte Creek continues to be negatively impacted 

by historic mining activities. Flooding could worsen 

the impacts by exposing buried tailings sediments, 

washing fresh tailings sediments into Soda Butte 

Creek, or carrying metal-contaminated aquatic biota 

into YNP. Such an incident probably would increase 

the metal loading in Soda Butte Creek. 

Numerous researchers have studied metal loading 

of Soda Butte Creek for short time periods, generally 

only one season of the year. Their conclusions on the 

effects of metal loading on the aquatic ecosystem vary 

widely. Spring snowmelt and summer thunderstorms 

probably contribute a significant percentage of the 

annual metal loading. During initial stages of storm 

runoff, there is a significant increase of the metal concentrations in solution. A system this dynamic requires 

monitoring for multiple years with an emphasis on 

event sampling. A National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) sampling site on Soda Butte 

Creek at the YNP boundary will follow this schedule 

during 2000-2001, but the large dilution effect of 

numerous downstream tributaries may mask the effects 

of increased metal loading at upstream locations. 

The most obvious gap in the existing data is a lack 

of knowledge of the sources contributing to the metal 

loads in Soda Butte Creek. The McLaren Mine tailings 

impoundment and mill site has long been identified as 

a source of metals but its contribution relative to the 

total metal load entering YNP is unknown. Other unidentified sources may contribute to the metal load of 

the creek. The tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling 

study discussed next was designed to identify and 

quantify sources of metal loading in Soda Butte Creek 

upstream of YNP. 

TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTICSAMPLING STUDY 

Constituent load profiles along a stream reach can 

be constructed using stream discharge (derived from 

tracer injection) and constituent concentrations (measured in water-quality samples). A tracer-injection and 

synoptic-sampling study was conducted on Soda Butte 

Creek in August 1999. 

Theory 

Discharge in mountain streams can be measured 

precisely by adding a dye or salt tracer at a constant rate 

to a stream, measuring the dilution of the tracer as it 

moves downstream, and calculating discharge from the 

amount of dilution (Kimball, 1996). Marchand and 

others (1984) indicate that conventional current-meter 

measurements of discharge do not adequately account 

for hydraulic conditions present in high-gradient, 

shallow-depth streams common to mountainous 

regions. This is because flow is over and around cobbles, resulting in rapid changes in direction and 

unsteady velocity distributions, which make the 

assumptions of conventional measurements inappropriate. Also, in cobble-bed mountain streams there 

may be significant flow of “streamwater” through the 

streambed (hyporheic flow) (Bencala, 1984). Such 

flow is contributing to the transport of solutes; however, conventional current-meter measurements do not 

register this flow component (Zellweger and others, 

1989). 

When a tracer is injected continuously, at some 

point downstream the tracer becomes completely 

mixed throughout the cross section of flow and reaches 

a plateau concentration. For some additional distance 

downstream from this point the plateau concentration 

is approximately the same at any point in the stream 

(Wilson and Rankl, 1996, p. 18). The tracer is maintained at a plateau concentration in the stream while 

water samples are collected synoptically (at many sites 

during a short period of time). The samples are analyzed for constituent concentrations. Instantaneous 

constituent loads, in milligrams per second (mg/s), are 

calculated by multiplying the discharge, in liters per 

second (L/s), by the constituent concentrations, in milligrams per liter (mg/L). Constituent-loading profiles 

indicate which segments of the stream are receiving 

significant constituent loading. Tracer-injection and 

synoptic-sampling studies that determined metal loading from abandoned mine lands similar to that conducted on Soda Butte Creek are described in Broshears 

and others (1993) and Kimball (1996). 

Approach 

A tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study 

was conducted in August 1999 to identify and quantify 

sources of metal loading in Soda Butte Creek. The 

8 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
study area encompassed an 8,511-m reach of Soda 

Butte Creek from upstream of the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment and mill site downstream to the 

YNP boundary (fig. 2). The basic tracer-injection 

methods followed those established by the USGS 

(Kilpatrick and Cobb, 1985) with the exception that 

lithium bromide was used as the tracer instead of a fluorescent dye. 

Methods 

Before injection of the tracer, a field reconnaissance was conducted to determine the optimal location 

of the tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling sites. 

Specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and global positioning system coordinates were recorded at 

each potential sampling site. Synoptic sampling sites 

along Soda Butte Creek were located to bracket the 

major visible inflows and mining-related features. 

Supplementary synoptic sampling sites were located in 

sections of the creek without any visible inflows, 

allowing for the identification and quantification of any 

substantial subsurface inflows. The stream reach was 

divided into 46 segments for synoptic sampling. In 

addition, 28 inflows were sampled to determine the 

quality of water entering the creek. Sampling sites 

were identified by their distance downstream of the 

injection site, in meters. For example, site 505 m is 

505 meters downstream of the injection site. Synopticsampling site descriptions, field parameters, and sulfate 

concentrations are given in appendix B. 

Automatic samplers were installed and operated at 

four transport locations (T1, T2, T3, and T4) downstream of the injection site prior to injection. Samples 

were collected periodically at these four sites, including the entire duration of the synoptic-sampling event, 

to observe the arrival and departure of the tracer and to 

quantify the tracer plateau concentration. 

Tracer Injection and Sampling 

During a 2-day period in August 1999, a tracer 

solution containing lithium bromide was injected continuously at the injection site (0 m) at a constant rate. 

The injection site was located upgradient of any influence from the McLaren Mine tailings. Setup at the site 

required mixing the lithium bromide tracer with stream 

water to produce a near-saturated solution. It required 

about 270 kilograms of lithium bromide to bring the 

bromide concentration in the stream up to the grams per 

liter (g/L) range - a concentration that is easily detectable but not harmful to the aquatic biota or humans. 

The tracer solution was injected continuously into Soda 

Butte Creek at a rate of 550 milliliters per minute for 

24.5 hours. Six samples of the tracer solution were collected periodically during the injection period to document the tracer concentration. The bromide concentration ranged from 129.4 g/L to 114.0 g/L; the median 

bromide concentration (118.5 g/L) was used for calculating streamflow. 

Ideal concentration profiles of an injected tracer 

over time have three distinct regions that show the 

arrival, plateau (or equilibrium) conditions, and departure of the tracer. Arrival time is defined as the time in 

which the tracer reaches a concentration midway 

between the ambient (background) tracer concentration 

and the plateau concentration (Zellweger and others, 

1988). A stable plateau concentration usually exists 

until the tracer injection is terminated. The departure 

of the tracer begins when the tracer injection is terminated and tracer concentrations decrease from plateau 

to ambient concentrations. Data from the transport 

sites are used to verify that a stable plateau concentration was reached at each site. 

The samples were filtered, using 0.45-μm capsule 

filters, into 125-milliliter (ml) bottles. Filters were 

rinsed with 250 ml of new sample before filling of the 

125-ml bottle. Samples were analyzed for lithium and 

bromide. 

Lithium and bromide tracer concentrations and 

sulfate concentrations were analyzed at the USGS Utah 

District laboratory in Salt Lake City using a Dionex 

20021 ion chromatograph with an AS4A column, an 

AG4A guard, and a conductivity detector. Analytical 

procedures followed by the Utah District laboratory are 

outlined by Brinton and others (1996). 

Discharge was measured prior to injection at the 

four downstream transport sites (T1-T4, fig. 2), including the downstream end of the study reach, using standard current-meter methods (Rantz and others, 1982a, 

1982b). This information was used to calculate the 

amount of tracer to be injected into Soda Butte Creek. 

The discharge measurements were also used to check 

the accuracy of the discharge values calculated using 

the tracer concentrations. 

TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTIC-SAMPLING STUDY 9 
Synoptic Sampling 

Synoptic sampling provides a view of the changes 

along a stream at a given point in time. Synoptic sites 

were to be sampled when the tracer reached plateau 

concentration along the entire study reach. Synoptic 

sampling was conducted in three separate phases. Synoptic samples were collected in upstream order from 

1,679 m to -10 m; 5,910 m to 1,785 m; and 8,501 m to 

6,086 m in an attempt to ensure that all samples were 

collected while the tracer was at plateau concentration. 

There were 75 synoptic-sampling sites for this study— 

47 mainstem sites and 28 inflow sites. For the sake of 

clarity, the sequence of events is listed in table 1. 

Water samples for major ion and metal analysis 

were collected in acid-washed polyethylene bottles at 

all synoptic-sampling sites. Water samples were collected using equal-width increment sampling methods 

with a DH-81 depth-integrating sampler. The samples 

were composited in 2-liter plastic jugs for separation 

into the various bottles. Temperature was measured at 

the time of collection and recorded along with field 

notes about the sampling conditions and any important 

observations. Samples were placed in dark bags to 

keep them out of direct sunlight and prevent photoreduction of iron in the samples. 

Samples were processed at a temporary field laboratory. Splits of each sample were prepared for different analyses. Filtration using 0.45-μm in-line capsule 

filters provided an operational definition of dissolved 

metal concentrations, not a truly dissolved metal concentration (Kimball and others, 1995). Some colloidalsized particles probably passed through the 0.45-μm 

filters, increasing the metals concentrations. 

Sample analyses included pH and specific conductance (sample water was unfiltered and untreated); dissolved concentrations of lithium, bromide, and sulfate 

(sample water was filtered and untreated); and dissolved (sample water was filtered and acidified) and 

total-recoverable (sample water was unfiltered and 

acidified) concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, calcium, cadmium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, 

manganese, sodium, nickel, lead, silica, strontium, and 

zinc. 

Trace-element concentrations were determined at 

the USGS laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Samples 

were analyzed for dissolved trace elements by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy 

(ICP-AES). Samples were analyzed for totalrecoverable trace elements by ICP-AES with standard 

USEPA digestion for total-recoverable concentrations. 

Table 1. Sequence of tracer-injection sampling and activities in Soda Butte Creek, Montana and Wyoming, August 1999 

[m, meters downstream of injection site] 

Date Time Activity 

8/17/99 1000 Reconnaissance of stream and inflows to determine locations of sampling sites and to measure downstream distances from the injection site. 

8/18/99 0800 Reconnaissance of stream and inflows to determine locations of sampling sites and to measure downstream distances from the injection site. 

1500 Installation of automatic samplers at the four downstream transport sites, T1-T4. 

8/19/99 1235 Current-meter discharge measurements at the four downstream transport sites. 

1400 Start of continuous injection of lithium bromide tracer (0 m). 

1430 Start of sampling for the tracer arrival at downstream transport sites. 

8/20/99 0836 Synoptic sampling of stream and inflow sites. Samples collected in upstream order from 1,679 m to -10 m. 

1320 Synoptic sampling of stream and inflow sites. Collected in upstream order from 5,910 m to 1,785 m. 

1430 End of tracer injection. Start of sampling for the tracer departure at the four downstream transport sites. 

1725 Synoptic sampling of stream and inflow sites. Collected in upstream order from 8,501 m to 6,086 m. 

8/21/99 Continued sampling with automatic samplers at transport sites T3 and T4. 

1200 End of sampling at transport sites T3 and T4. 

10 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
A detailed description of laboratory analytical and 

quality assurance procedures can be found in Kimball 

and others (1999). 

Tracer-Injection Results 

Accurate discharge values are essential for calculating loads. Injecting a tracer to calculate discharge is 

advantageous to current-meter methods for two reasons: (1) synoptic samples for determination of discharge can be collected more quickly than currentmeter measurements can be conducted, and (2) tracerinjection methods account for the hyporheic flow that 

cannot be measured by current-meter methods. 

Downstream Travel and Dilution 

Movement of the tracer was monitored at four 

downstream transport sites (T1-T4) (fig. 2). Site T1 

(232 m) was located close to the injection site (0 m) to 

minimize the potential for inflows to increase the discharge between the sites, but far enough downstream 

for the tracer solution to completely mix with the 

stream. Sites T2 (1,679 m), T3 (5,910 m), and T4 

(8,501 m) were located further downstream to monitor 

the tracer over the entire study reach. 

Lithium concentrations were too low to be of use 

in calculating discharge. The variation of dissolved 

bromide tracer concentration with time at transport 

sites T1 and T2 is shown in figure 3; and at sites T3 and 

T4 in figure 4. A smoothed line is plotted on the figures. The smoothed line uses medians to summarize 

consecutive overlapping segments of the sequence 

(Velleman and Hoaglin, 1981). 

Synoptic sampling began about 19 hours after the 

start of tracer injection to allow the tracer to reach plateau concentration in the study reach. The synopticsampling periods are shaded on figures 3 and 4. 

The variation of dissolved bromide concentration 

with distance is shown in figure 5. Bromide concentration decreases downstream because of dilution from 

surface and subsurface inflows. Significant decreases 

occur below the confluences with Miller Creek (825 m) 

and Republic Creek (1,859 m). 

Tracer concentrations were to be used to calculate 

the stream discharge along the entire study reach. 

Because of unexpected problems with the tracer, it was 

not possible to accurately calculate the discharge 

downstream of 1,785 m using tracer concentrations. It 

is possible that the tracer was not injected for a sufficient time to completely mix in the hyporheic zone 

because Soda Butte Creek has a wide alluvial valley. 

The discharge values measured by current-meter methods at T3 and T4 were used to determine the constituent 

loads downstream of 1,785 m. A detailed description 

of how this was accomplished is provided in the following section. 

Determination of Discharge 

Lithium and bromide were not detected in any 

background or inflow samples. This simplified the discharge calculations and is one advantage of using lithium bromide as a tracer rather than a less expensive 

compound such as sodium chloride. With the injection 

rate, injectate concentration, and downstream concentration of the tracer in the stream known, stream discharge at the first sampling site downstream from the 

injection site is calculated using the equation: 

QA = Qinj Cinj / CA (modified from Kimball and 

others, 1999, p. 4) (1) 

where QA	 is the stream discharge at the first downstream site, 

Qinj	 is the rate of the tracer injection into the 

stream, 

Cinj is the injectate concentration, and 

CA	 is the tracer concentration at the first site 

downstream from the tracer injection. 

The discharge at the first site downstream from the 

injection site, QA, is used to calculate the discharge at 

the next downstream site, and each subsequent sampling site by using the equation: 

QB = QA CA / CB (modified from Kimball and 

others, 1999, p. 4) (2) 

where QB is the discharge at the downstream site, 

QA is the upstream discharge, 

CA is the upstream tracer concentration, and 

CB	 is the tracer concentration at the downstream site. 

TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTIC-SAMPLING STUDY 11 
Discharge measurements were made at the four 

downstream transport sites using a standard current 

meter (fig. 6) as described by Rantz and others (1982a, 

1982b). Current-meter discharge measurements indicated that Soda Butte Creek generally gained water 

along its entire reach. This flow increase results from 

surface inflows and ground water discharging from the 

near-stream valley-fill aquifer (Montana Bureau of 

Mines and Geology, 1999, p. 33, 38). Measured (current meter) and calculated (tracer) discharge values 

diverged downstream of site 1,785 m. At the YNP 

boundary the calculated discharge was 2,988 L/s, 

whereas the measured discharge was 1,076 L/s. This 

study was done during baseflow conditions, and the 

discharge in the study reach was relatively stable. 

Examination of the instantaneous discharge recorded at 

USGS gaging station 06187915 (fig. 2) revealed a 

slight diurnal, with a minimum discharge at midday. 

Five seeps from the McLaren Mine tailings 

impoundment were sampled between mainstem sites 

565 m and 642 m. The increase in streamflow between 

565 m and 642 m was apportioned between the 5 seeps 

based on mass-balance calculations of specific conductance and major ions. 

A discharge profile for Soda Butte Creek was constructed using the instream bromide tracer concentrations in each synoptic sample. Discharge at the first 

site downstream of the injection site was calculated 

using equation 1. The calculated discharge and 

instream tracer concentration at the next downstream 

mainstem sampling site were used to calculate the discharge at the next downstream mainstem sampling site 

and each subsequent sampling site downstream to site 

1,785 m using equation 2 (fig. 6). 

12 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
Unexpected problems with the tracer created difficulties in calculating the stream discharge downstream 

of site 1,785 m. The tracer was expected to reach plateau concentration at site T4 before synoptic sampling 

began. The tracer-calculated discharge below 1,785 m 

was unrealistically high, indicating that the tracer never 

reached plateau concentration downstream of this location. In addition, a steady rain began falling while sites 

7,745 m to 6,086 m were sampled. Instantaneous discharge measured at USGS gaging station 06187915 

increased nearly six percent while sites 7,745 m to 

6,086 m were sampled. Tracer concentrations in samples from sites 7,745 m to 6,086 m may have been 

affected by dilution caused by the rainfall. 

Because of the uncertainties associated with the 

tracer-calculated discharges downstream of site 

1,785 m, the constituent loads downstream of 

site 1,785 m were calculated using the discharges measured with a current meter at sites T3 and T4. Discharge probably was underestimated between sites 

1,785 m and T4 using the measured discharge values. 

Studies conducted in similar areas have shown the 

tracer-calculated discharge to be about 30 percent 

greater than the current-meter discharge (Kimball and 

others, 1998). Two significant visible inflows, Republic Creek (1,859 m) and Sheep Creek (3,623 m) 

occurred between sites T2 and T3 (fig. 6). The increase 

in discharge along this reach was attributed to Republic 

Creek and Sheep Creek. The relative streamflow contributions of Republic Creek and Sheep Creek were 

determined from the difference in the bromide concentrations of the sites bracketing the inflows. Between 

sites T3 and T4 the increase in streamflow was 

assumed to be contributed by the only major visible 

TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTIC-SAMPLING STUDY 13 
14 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
inflow along that reach, Unnamed Tributary 

(8,267 m). Using the measured discharge values 

yielded minimum estimates of metal loading downstream of site 1,785 m. 

Synoptic-Sampling Results 

Results of chemical analysis of water samples collected at the synoptic-sampling sites are listed in 

appendixes B and C. The data are sorted by mainstem 

and inflow sites and are listed in downstream order. 

Inflows 

The quality of water in Soda Butte Creek was 

affected by numerous surface and subsurface inflows. 

pH values, specific-conductance values and sulfate 

concentrations are discussed in detail because they are 

significantly influenced by acid mine drainage. 

Runkel and others (1999) described pH as “a master variable that influences the sorption of copper and 

other trace metals.” The hydroxide precipitates of most 

metals are quite insoluble under natural water pH conditions. Hydroxide-ion activity has a direct relation to 

pH, resulting in increased solubility of hydroxide precipitates with decreasing pH (Elder, 1988, p. 11). The 

pH of some inflows was much lower than the pH in 

Soda Butte Creek. The graph of pH versus distance 

downstream from the injection site illustrates this point 

(fig. 7). From 146 m to 455 m, the mainstem pH varied 

between 7.6 and 8.3. These slightly alkaline inflows 

were located upstream of any influence from the 

McLaren Mine tailings. The lowest pH of any sample 

(4.0) was measured at the next downstream inflow 

(569 m). From 569 m to 643 m, acidic inflows entered 

the creek and the stream bottom was heavily stained 

with iron oxyhydroxides. All of the acidic inflows 

entered the creek on the left bank, indicating they were 

coming from the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment 

rather than the mill site. Downstream of 643 m, the pH 

remained above 7.0 in all inflows. 

Mine drainage typically has high specificconductance values. Specific-conductance values 

were high in comparison to the mainstem sites in the 

inflows from 569 m to 710 m (fig. 8). As was the case 

with low pH, this occurred along the section of the 

creek receiving inflow from the McLaren Mine tailings 

impoundment. Downstream of 710 m the specificconductance values of the inflows were in closer agreement with specific-conductance values in Soda Butte 

Creek. 

Mine drainage also has high concentrations of sulfate because of the oxidation of sulfide minerals. Sulfate concentrations were high in the inflows from 

569 m to 710 m (fig. 9). As with low pH and high specific conductance, this occurred along the section of the 

creek receiving inflow from the McLaren Mine tailings 

impoundment. Concentrations of sulfate decreased 

downstream because of the large dilution effect from 

Republic Creek (1,859 m). 

In general, the ground-water inflows downgradient of the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment contained higher concentrations of constituents than the 

surface-water inflows. This is probably attributable to 

the acidic, reduced conditions as well as longer contact 

times with the source materials. The highest concentrations of total-recoverable aluminum (122 mg/L), 

cadmium (0.063 mg/L), copper (6.08 mg/L), iron 

(418 mg/L), nickel (0.200 mg/L), lead (0.603 mg/L), 

and zinc (0.772 mg/L) were all detected in the sample 

collected at 569 m (append. C). This ground-water 

seep is downgradient of the McLaren Mine tailings 

impoundment. 

No inflows originated from the McLaren mill site. 

However, this study was conducted during the lowflow season. Rill erosion was evident at the mill site 

immediately upgradient of Soda Butte Creek. During 

the spring snowmelt season, as well as during significant summer rainstorms, the McLaren mill site probably contributes to the metal loading of Soda Butte 

Creek. 

Mainstem 

Concentrations of the various constituents present 

in mine drainage can vary widely in time and space. 

The mainstem constituent concentration generally will 

reach some value that is between the maximum and 

minimum concentrations of inflows (Bencala and 

McKnight, 1987, p. 257). Normalization of concentrations relative to the sampled range of inflow concentrations renders the various constituents more comparable 

(Kimball and others, 1999). Instream concentrations 

are normalized by the equation (Bencala and 

McKnight, 1987, p. 258): 

CNORM = (CS – CI

MIN) / (CIMAX – CIMIN) (3) 

TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTIC-SAMPLING STUDY 15 
16 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
Where CNORM is the normalized concentration relative to the range of inflow concentrations, 

CS	 is the instream concentration at a given 

distance downstream from the injection, 

CI

MIN is the minimum inflow concentration 

for the constituent, and 

CI

MAX is the maximum inflow concentration 

for the constituent. 

CNORM will be 1 if the instream concentration is 

equal to the maximum inflow concentration and will be 

0 if the instream concentration is equal to the minimum 

inflow concentration. 

Weathering of the Meagher and Pilgrim Limestones in the upper Soda Butte Creek basin produced 

most of the calcium and magnesium ions detected in 

the stream above Republic Creek. Quartz “Eye” Rhyodacite Porphyry and Quartz Dolerite are the principal 

sources of the potassium and strontium (Elliott, 1979). 

Weathering is the result of natural processes but can be 

greatly accelerated by mining activities. Normalized 

concentrations of all four total-recoverable constituents 

were highest upstream of Republic Creek and 

decreased because of the large dilution effect from 

Republic Creek (fig. 10). 

Aluminum and silica detected in the water result 

from both mining activities and natural weathering of 

feldspars and other aluminosilicate minerals in the 

watershed. Inflow contributed by Republic Creek 

increased normalized concentrations of totalrecoverable aluminum and silica (fig. 11). Bedrock in 

the Republic Creek basin consists largely of the Lamar 

River and Wapiti Formations, which are andesitic volcanic conglomerates containing clasts of the aluminosilicate minerals pyroxene and hornblende (Pierce and 

others, 1973). 

TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTIC-SAMPLING STUDY 17 
18 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
Some of the inflow samples downgradient of the 

McLaren Mine tailings impoundment contained iron 

concentrations two orders of magnitude higher than 

any of the stream samples. In this case, a plot of normalized iron would not be instructive, so the actual dissolved and total-recoverable concentrations were 

plotted instead (fig. 12). 

Iron concentrations were very low at all sites 

upgradient of the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment. Total-recoverable concentrations increased 

sharply where the acidic ground water from the tailings 

entered the creek, decreased rapidly, and then varied 

downstream in response to other inflows. The highest 

total-recoverable concentration of iron in the synoptic 

water samples from Soda Butte Creek was 1.30 mg/L 

at 820 m (append. C). The streambed of Soda Butte 

Creek was heavily stained by iron hydroxide deposits 

along this segment of the creek downgradient of the 

McLaren Mine tailings impoundment. 

Results of chemical analysis of water samples collected for the NAWQA program at USGS gaging station 06187915 (Soda Butte Creek at YNP boundary, 

near Silver Gate, Montana; fig. 2) for water year 1999 

are listed in appendix D. The location of the gage corresponds to the downstream end of the study reach 

(8,501 m) and transport site T4. Metal concentrations 

in the NAWQA samples were similar to the results 

obtained from the tracer-synoptic samples. The 

NAWQA samples were analyzed using inductively 

coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Discharge and constituent concentrations vary considerably throughout the water year. As a result, the metal 

loads also vary considerably with time. The water sample collected on June 22, at peak snowmelt runoff, contained the highest total-recoverable concentrations of 

aluminum (4.64 mg/L), chromium (0.0048 mg/L), copper (0.022 mg/L), iron (6.26 mg/L), lead (0.013 mg/L), 

manganese (0.210 mg/L), and nickel (0.013 mg/L) of 

any the samples collected during the 1999 water year 

(append. D). Because this sample was collected during 

the time of greatest discharge, the metal loads were 

much higher than they were for any other sample collected in 1999. 

TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTIC-SAMPLING STUDY 19 
Quantification of Loads 

Data from the tracer-injection and synopticsampling study were used to calculate the instantaneous load, or mass, of select constituents carried by 

Soda Butte Creek at the synoptic-sampling sites. The 

load for any stream site is the product of stream discharge (Q) and concentration (C). For example, the 

load at site A would be QACA. Loads from sites -10 m 

to 1,785 m were calculated using stream discharge 

determined by tracer dilution. Loads downstream of 

site 1,785 m were calculated using stream discharge 

measured by current meter at sites T3 and T4. The 

loading of constituents at different points in the stream 

was compared to isolate areas of surface- or groundwater inflow that may be contributing constituents to 

the stream or diluting them. 

Solute transport in streams is governed by a suite 

of hydrologic and chemical processes. These processes 

can result in a change in the metal load transported by 

a stream. Hydrologic transport processes include 

advection, dispersion, lateral inflow, and transient storage. Chemical processes include formation of precipitates, dissolution, sorption, complexation, and 

reduction-oxidation reactions (Runkel and others, 

1999). 

The instream change in load between the upstream 

site A and the downstream site B, ^MS, is calculated 

from the equation: 

^MS = (QBCB – QACA) (Kimball and others, 1999, 

p. 5) (4) 

where ^MS is the net change in stream load between 

sites A and B, 

QB is the discharge at site B, 

CB is the constituent concentration at site B, 

QA is the discharge at site A, and 

CA is the constituent concentration at site A. 

There are two ways to account for ^MS between 

stream sites, depending on whether the change in load 

is caused by a visible sampled inflow or a subsurface 

inflow. If a sampled inflow concentration represents 

the concentration of all the water entering between sites 

A and B, then the change in load also can be calculated 

from: 

^MI = CI (QB - QA) (Kimball and others, 1999, 

p. 5) (5) 

Where ^MI is the net change in stream load between 

sites A and B, 

CI is the inflow concentration, 

QB is the discharge at site B, and 

QA is the discharge at site A. 

^MI is called the “sampled inflow load” for this study. 

If no visible inflow was present between sites A 

and B, but a subsurface inflow caused an increase in 

load, then the average inflow concentration for the segment can be calculated by rearranging equation 5 to 

solve for CI to represent the subsurface inflow concentration. If the constituent was removed by chemical 

reaction between sites A and B, however, the calculated value of CI will be an underestimate of the average inflow concentration (Kimball and others, 1999). 

In this case it is not possible to determine the relative 

contributions of the ground water and surface water to 

the constituent loading. 

For each stream segment, ^Ms represents the net 

change in load. This may represent an overall loss in 

mass. The possibilities are summarized below: 

Condition Probable explanation 

^MS = ^MI	 The value of CI represents the concentration of 

all the water entering the stream. 

^MS > ^MI	 Subsurface inflow has a concentration greater 

than CI. 

^MS < ^MI	 Could indicate two conditions: (1) load is lost 

through chemical reaction within the subreach or 

(2) subsurface inflow has a concentration less 

than CI. 

^MS < 0	 There is a net loss of load through chemical 

reaction within the stream subreach. 

(From Kimball and others, 1999, p. 6) 

Three profiles are shown on the plots of loads versus distance downstream from injection site (figs. 13-

21). The sampled instream load is calculated by multiplying the constituent concentration in the synoptic 

water sample by the stream discharge at that site. 

Instream loads change downstream because of gains 

from the surface and subsurface inflows and losses 

from chemical or physical processes. The totalrecoverable load minus the dissolved load equals the 

particulate load—predominantly colloids. Summing 

all increases in instream load values and disregarding 

any loss in mass from chemical or physical processes 

yields cumulative instream load. The cumulative 

20 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
inflow load is the sum of all the inflow loads. For concentrations reported as less than the minimum reporting level (MRL) the loads were calculated using a 

concentration equal to one-half the MRL. 

Major Ions 

The shape of the load profiles of the major ions 

indicates the locations of the major sources of those 

ions. Calcium detected in the stream originated mainly 

from weathering of limestone formations in the upper 

reaches of the basin. The largest contributions to the 

cumulative inflow load of dissolved calcium were by 

inflows between 505 m and 940 m (16 percent), 

between 1,785 m and 2,422 m (40 percent), and 

between 3,490 m and 3,720 m (16 percent) (fig. 13). 

The sampled instream load profile of dissolved calcium 

is similar to the cumulative instream load profile, indicating that little calcium was removed by chemical or 

physical processes in the stream. The cumulative 

inflow load was 51 percent of the cumulative instream 

load, indicating that the visible sampled inflows likely 

had lower calcium concentrations than the subsurface 

inflows. 

The load profiles of dissolved silica are dominated 

by the contributions of Republic Creek (1,859 m). The 

cumulative inflow load of dissolved silica (fig. 14) was 

attributable mainly to two areas: inflows between 

1,785 m and 2,422 m (53 percent) and between 

8,247 m and 8,379 m (34 percent). The cumulative 

instream load was contributed mainly by inflows 

between 1,785 m and 2,422 m (67 percent) and 

between 8,247 m and 8,379 m (24 percent). The sampled instream load profile and cumulative instream 

load profile are similar, indicating that little silica was 

removed from the water column by chemical or physical processes. 

The load profiles of dissolved sulfate reflect the 

effects of the ground-water seeps from the McLaren 

Mine tailings impoundment. Most of the cumulative 

inflow load of dissolved sulfate was contributed by the 

inflows between 505 m and 940 m (72 percent) 

(fig. 15). The cumulative instream load was contributed mainly by inflows between 505 m and 940 m 

(42 percent) and between 8,247 m and 8,379 m (13 percent). The sampled instream load and cumulative 

instream load profiles are similar. The difference 

between the smaller cumulative inflow load and the 

larger cumulative instream load indicates that the visible sampled inflows had lower sulfate concentrations 

than the subsurface inflows. 

Metals 

Metals bound to colloidal particles make up most 

of the difference between the total-recoverable and dissolved concentrations. Iron colloids are of particular 

interest because they have been shown to play a key 

role in metals transport in other Rocky Mountain 

streams receiving acid mine drainage (Kimball and 

others, 1995). Iron colloids can precipitate on the streambed and adversely affect the physical habitat of 

benthic aquatic organisms. Trace metals tend to sorb to 

iron colloids. A large percentage of the metal load in 

Soda Butte Creek was transported in the colloidal 

phase. 

The load profiles of metals were more variable 

than those of the major ions because of physical and 

chemical processes in the mainstem. Iron is discussed 

first because of its importance in regulating the behavior of the other metals. 

Accurate load calculations for iron were difficult 

to derive because of the highly reactive nature of this 

metal. Dissolved iron loads were small because most 

of the iron rapidly precipitated out of the neutral-pH 

waters of Soda Butte Creek as colloidal ferric oxide. 

Cumulative inflow load was attributable almost 

entirely to three areas: between 505 m and 760 m 

(48 percent), between 1,785m and 2,422m (18 percent), and between 8,247 m and 8,379 m (32 percent) 

(fig. 16). Most of the cumulative instream load 

(66 percent) was contributed by inflows between 

1,785 m and 2,422 m. The large disparity between the 

total cumulative instream load (326 mg/s) and the sampled instream load (68.9 mg/s) at T4 is indicative of 

iron removal from the stream by chemical or physical 

processes. 

The cumulative inflow load of total-recoverable 

iron (fig. 17) was attributable almost entirely to three 

areas: between 565 m and 760 m (26 percent), between 

1,785m and 1,922m (38 percent), and between 8,247 m 

and 8,379 m (34 percent). Significant contributions to 

the cumulative instream load came from inflows 

between 1,785 m and 1,922 m (52 percent) and subsurface inflows between 8,247 m and 8,379 m (31 percent). The sampled instream load and cumulative 

instream load diverge downstream of 2,172 m, indicating removal of iron by chemical or physical processes. 

TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTIC-SAMPLING STUDY 21 
22 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
Most of the cumulative inflow load of dissolved 

aluminum was contributed by the inflows between 1,785 

m and 2,422 m (44 percent) and between 8,247 m and 

8,379 m (50 percent) (fig. 18). The cumulative instream 

load was contributed mainly by inflows between 1,785m 

and 2,422 m (53 percent) and between 8,090 m and 

8,379 m (23 percent). The cumulative instream load 

profile and sampled instream load profile diverge downstream of 2,422 m, indicating removal of aluminum by 

chemical or physical processes in that segment of the 

creek. 

The total-recoverable aluminum load profiles 

(fig. 19) were very similar to those of total-recoverable 

iron (fig.17). The cumulative inflow load consisted 

mainly of the contributions from inflows between 

1,785m and 1,922m (47 percent), and between 8,247 m 

and 8,379 m (45 percent). Significant contributions to 

the cumulative instream load came from inflows 

between 1,785 m and 2,172 m (52 percent), and between 

8,247 m and 8,379 m (35 percent). The sampled 

instream load profile and cumulative instream load profile diverge downstream of 2,172 m, indicating removal 

of aluminum by chemical or physical processes in that 

segment of the creek. 

Manganese concentrations were relatively low. 

Instream load profiles of elements detected at low concentrations tend to follow the shape of the discharge profile. The cumulative inflow load of dissolved 

manganese (fig. 20) consisted mainly of the contributions from the inflows between 505 m and 760 m (82 

percent). The cumulative instream load was contributed 

mainly by inflows between 1,785 m and 2,422 m 

(52 percent), and between 8,247 m and 8,379 m 

(26 percent). The sampled instream load profile and 

cumulative instream load profile are identical, indicating 

no loss of dissolved manganese from the water column. 

The cumulative inflow load of total-recoverable 

manganese consisted mainly of the contributions from 

inflows between 565 m and 760 m (80 percent) and 

between 1,785 m and 1,922 m (9 percent) (fig. 21). The 

TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTIC-SAMPLING STUDY 23 
24 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
TRACER-INJECTION AND SYNOPTIC-SAMPLING STUDY 25
26 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK 
cumulative instream load was contributed mainly by 

inflows between 565 m and 940 m (83 percent). The 

sampled instream load profile and cumulative 

instream load profile are very similar except for the 

stream segment from 1,785 m to 1,922 m. Along this 

reach, the sampled instream load dropped from 

5.6 mg/s to 1.4 mg/s because of chemical or physical 

processes occurring in the stream. 

Loads were not calculated for cadmium, copper, 

lead, and zinc even though minimum reporting levels 

for these metals approached or exceeded water-quality 

standards for the protection of aquatic life. The highest 

total-recoverable concentrations of cadmium 

(0.063 mg/L), copper (6.08 mg/L), lead (0.603 mg/L) 

and zinc (0.772 mg/L) were detected in the synoptic 

sample collected from site 569 m (a seep from the 

McLaren Mine tailings impoundment) (append. C). 

However, cadmium, copper, and lead were not detected 

in any of the mainstem synoptic samples, while the 

highest total-recoverable concentration of zinc in the 

mainstem of Soda Butte Creek was 0.044 mg/L at site 

2,172 m. The lack of detection of these metals in the 

downstream mainstem synoptic samples, probably 

because of sorption (coprecipitation and adsorption) to 

metal colloids in the stream, prevented meaningful load 

calculations of these constituents. 

These results agree with those of previous studies 

conducted in the area. Researchers analyzing watercolumn samples have detected very low concentrations 

of these elements (Miller and others, 1997). Other 

researchers analyzing the aquatic biota have attributed 

a decline in stream health along this segment of the 

creek to elevated trace-element concentrations, particularly copper (Forstner and Wittman, 1983; Nimmo 

and Willox, 1996). 

Iron-rich colloids that settle to the streambed or are 

trapped by algae on streambed cobbles are flushed by 

snowmelt runoff the following year (Kimball and others, 1999). The water sample collected at the USGS 

gaging station at the YNP boundary during peak snowmelt runoff contained the highest metal loads of any 

sample collected during the 1999 water year. The totalrecoverable iron concentration in the June 22, 1999 

sample was 6.26 mg/L (append. D). 

Metal Sources 

The loading of metals at different points in the 

stream was compared to isolate areas of surface or 

ground-water inflow that may be contributing metals to 

the stream or diluting them. The magnitude of different 

sources relative to the whole system also was compared. The highest inflow metal concentrations do not 

always indicate the most significant sources of metal 

loading. 

Examined collectively, the metal-load profiles 

indicate three areas contributing most of the metals to 

Soda Butte Creek. The three major areas of concern are 

the inflows from the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment (between 505 m and 760 m), Republic Creek 

(1,859 m), and Unnamed Tributary (8,267 m). The 

McLaren millsite did not contribute to metal loading in 

Soda Butte Creek during the tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study because the site was dry. However, significant rill erosion was evident at the mill site 

immediately upgradient of Soda Butte Creek. During 

the spring snowmelt season, as well as during significant summer rainstorms, the McLaren mill site probably contributes to the metal loading of Soda Butte 

Creek. 

Results indicate that treatment or removal of the 

McLaren Mine tailings impoundment would greatly 

reduce metal loading of Soda Butte Creek upstream of 

YNP. However, removing only that single source may 

not reduce metal loads to acceptable levels. The 

sources of metal loading in Republic Creek and 

Unnamed Tributary merit further investigation. 

SUMMARY 

Acid drainage from historic mining activities has 

affected the water quality and aquatic biota of Soda 

Butte Creek upstream of Yellowstone National Park. 

A retrospective analysis of previous research on metal 

loading in Soda Butte Creek was completed to provide 

summaries of studies pertinent to metal loading in Soda 

Butte Creek and the effects of the loading on the water 

quality and aquatic biota. None of the studies conducted on Soda Butte Creek have included an examination of the effects of metal loading on the entire basin. 

SUMMARY 27 
The research was divided into studies of surface-water 

quality, fluvial geomorphology, and aquatic biota. In 

general, the more recent studies indicate that the health 

of the aquatic ecosystem continues to be negatively 

impacted by historic mining activities. Flooding could 

expose buried tailings sediments, wash fresh tailings 

sediments into the stream, or carry metal-contaminated aquatic biota into Yellowstone National Park. 

Such an event would likely cause a significant 

increase in metal loading in Soda Butte Creek. 

A critical gap in the existing data was identification and quantification of the sources of metal loading 

to Soda Butte Creek. Although the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment and mill site has long been identified as a source of metals, its contribution relative to the 

total metal load entering Yellowstone National Park 

was unknown. A tracer-injection and synopticsampling study was designed to determine metal loads 

in Soda Butte Creek upstream of Yellowstone National 

Park. 

The tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study 

was conducted on an 8,511-meter reach of Soda Butte 

Creek from upstream of the McLaren Mine tailings 

impoundment and mill site downstream to the Yellowstone National Park boundary in August 1999. Synoptic-sampling sites were selected to divide the creek into 

discrete segments. A lithium bromide tracer was added 

to the stream. Stream discharge values, combined with 

constituent concentrations obtained by synoptic sampling, were used to quantify constituent loading in each 

segment of Soda Butte Creek. 

Much of the metal load was transported in the colloidal phase. Of particular concern are the colloidal 

iron hydroxides, as they accumulate on the streambed. 

This accumulation adversely affects the aquatic biota 

by altering the physical habitat of aquatic organisms. 

In addition, metals can sorb to the colloids and create a 

chronic source of toxicity (Kimball and others, 1999). 

Loads were calculated for dissolved calcium, silica, and sulfate, as well as for dissolved and totalrecoverable iron, aluminum, and manganese. Loads 

were not calculated for cadmium, copper, lead, and 

zinc because these elements were infrequently detected 

in the mainstem synoptic samples. All of these elements were detected at high concentrations in the seeps 

from the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment. The 

lack of detection of these elements in the downstream 

mainstem synoptic samples is probably because of 

sorption (coprecipitation and adsorption) to metal colloids in the stream. These results agree with those of 

previous studies conducted in the area. Researchers 

analyzing water-column samples have detected very 

low concentrations of these elements (Miller and others, 1997). Other researchers analyzing the aquatic 

biota of Soda Butte Creek have attributed a decline in 

stream health along this segment of the creek to elevated trace-element concentrations, particularly copper 

(Forstner and Wittman, 1983; Nimmo and Willox, 

1996). 

Most of the metal load that entered Soda Butte 

Creek was contributed by three areas. The three major 

areas of concern are the inflows that drain the McLaren 

Mine tailings impoundment (between 505 m and 760 m 

downstream from the tracer-injection site), Republic 

Creek (1,859 m), and Unnamed Tributary (8,267 m). 

The McLaren mill site did not contribute to metal loading in Soda Butte Creek during the tracer-injection and 

synoptic-sampling study because the site was dry. 

However,significant rill erosion was evident at the mill 

site immediately upgradient of Soda Butte Creek. During the spring snowmelt season, as well as during significant summer rainstorms, the McLaren mill site 

probably contributes to the metal loading of Soda Butte 

Creek. 

Results indicate that treatment or removal of the 

McLaren Mine tailings impoundment would greatly 

reduce metal loading of Soda Butte Creek upstream of 

Yellowstone National Park. However, removing only 

that single source may not reduce metal loads to 

acceptable levels. The sources of metal loading in 

Republic Creek and Unnamed Tributary merit further 

investigation. 

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REFERENCES CITED 31 

APPENDIX A


ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH 


ON METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE CREEK, MONTANA 


AND WYOMING


Note: Most annotations are quoted from cited references. Minor editing of some annotations was 

done to improve clarity. 

APPENDIX A 33 

Annotated Bibliography 

Anderson, J.R., 1995, Stream terraces of lower Soda Butte Creek, northeastern Yellowstone National Park: Middlebury, Vt., 

Middlebury College, unpublished Bachelor of Arts thesis, 35 p. 

Badon, N.M., and Schrader, E.L., 1999, Preliminary geochemical study of Soda Butte Creek in Yellowstone National Park: 

Jackson, Miss., Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, v. 44, no. 1, p. 47-48. 

Bureau of Reclamation, 1989, Analysis of corrective action alternatives for the McLaren tailings site, Cooke City, Montana: 

Billings, Mont., Bureau of Reclamation, Great Plains Region, 20 p. 

Presentation of investigation results, data interpretation (site characterization) and analysis of 

corrective action alternatives for the McLaren tailings site near Cooke City, Montana. Report provides 

the technical basis for developing a full Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) should the need 

for such a document be identified in the future. A number of alternatives were listed for dealing with 

four problems: runoff and seepage from the old mill and ore storage areas, flooding of Soda Butte 

Creek, tailings dam failure, and seepage from the tailings and tailings dam. No alternatives 

recommended. 

_____1991, McLaren mine tailings, Soda Butte Creek - September 1990 water sample analysis review: Memorandum from 

J.R. Boehmke to D. Jewell, Billings, Mont., Bureau of Reclamation unpublished data. 

A total of 22 samples were taken. Of 25 elements analyzed, 5 (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Fe) were chosen as 

elements that could potentially have an impact upon the aquatic life in Soda Butte Creek. One value 

exceeded the freshwater aquatic-life criterion for copper. In general, copper does not appear to be of 

concern to the aquatic environment in Soda Butte Creek, although certain conditions may initiate high 

concentrations. Iron concentrations were above the detection limit more often than other elements. It 

is the only element evaluated that consistently showed higher concentrations below the mine tailings, 

compared to the concentrations above the tailings. The iron concentration is high enough to cause iron 

precipitate to form on the stream substrate. This appears to have prevented the full utilization of the 

substrate by aquatic invertebrates, thereby reducing a major food source for the fish species inhabiting 

the reach of Soda Butte Creek below the tailings area. 

Carolan, G. F., 1997a, Distribution and geochemistry of tailings contaminated floodplain sediments along Soda Butte Creek, 

Yellowstone National Park, Montana-Wyoming: Middlebury, Vt., Middlebury College, unpublished Bachelor of Arts 

thesis, 83 p. 

_____1997b, Distribution and geochemistry of tailings contaminated floodplain sediments along Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone National Park, Montana-Wyoming: The Green Mountain Geologist, v. 24, no. 2, spring 1997 

The McLaren tailings impoundment is a significant source of acid drainage containing metals. 

Dissolved-copper concentrations in the water were highest during spring runoff. Floodplain tailings 

may be another significant source of trace-metal pollution. 

Chadwick, J.W., 1974, The effects of iron on the macroinvertebrates of Soda Butte Creek: Bozeman, Mont., Montana State 

University, unpublished Master of Science thesis, 25 p., appendices. 

Dissolved iron from the McLaren tailings is the primary water-quality problem affecting 

macroinvertebrates of Soda Butte Creek. Soda Butte Creek experiences substantial seasonal differences 

in discharge, which have been measured to be 20 times greater during spring runoff than in the fall. 

Chaffee, M.A., Hoffman, J.D., and Tidball, R.R., 1995, Stream-sediment geochemistry in the Soda Butte Creek watershed in 

comparison to the surrounding region in Montana and Wyoming--Proceedings of the Second International Conference 

on Tailings and Mine Waste, Fort Collins, Colorado: Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Balkema Publishing, 

Chaffee, M.A., 1998, Environmental geochemistry in Yellowstone National Park--Distinguishing natural and anthropogenic 

anomalies: Yellowstone Science, Agenda and Abstracts, 125th anniversary symposium, v. 6, no. 2, p. 29. 

APPENDIX A 35 
Clancy, C., Bureau of Reclamation, written commun., 1988: Billings, Montana, Personal communication with J. Boehmke, 

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Bureau of Reclamation. 

Personnel from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks electrofished Soda Butte Creek in 

October 1985. Two stations were shocked, one 500 feet upstream from the mouth of Sheep Creek and 

the other a 400-foot stretch near Silver Gate. The Sheep Creek station yielded 26 cutthroat ranging from 

7.6 to 11.6 inches in length, and averaging about 1/3 pound. The Silver Gate station yielded 18 cutthroat 

trout ranging from 6.1 to 10.1 inches in length, and averaging about 1/4 pound. 

Davenport, P., 1972, Iron and the pollution problem in Yellowstone National Park. 

David Stiller and Associates, 1983, Determination of public health hazards associated with the McLaren tailings pond near 

Cooke City, Montana: Helena, Mont., David Stiller and Associates, 32 p. 

At the request of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Bureau, Montana Department of State Lands, a 

study was conducted to ascertain the possibility of contamination of domestic water supplies near Cooke 

City, Montana. The majority of Cooke City residents obtain their water from a spring-fed holding tank 

above the valley 1/8 mile northwest of town. Soda Butte Creek loses a large quantity of its flow to the 

McLaren tailings throughout the year. Because of this, it is anticipated that the Soda Butte Creek 

alluvial aquifer downgradient from this site may be impacted by highly mineralized ground water 

emanating from the shallow McLaren tailings aquifer. The extent and magnitude of this contamination 

is unknown. No significant contamination of domestic water resources was identified during this 

investigation, other than elevated iron concentrations in surface water samples obtained from Woody 

Creek and Soda Butte Creek below the tailings. 

Decker-Hess, J., and White, R.G., 1987, In-stream flow requirements of Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone National Park: Bozeman, Mont., Montana Cooperative Fish Research Unit, Montana State University, 30 p. 

Instream flow requirements were determined for Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone National Park using the 

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks wetted perimeter/inflection-point method. Previous 

data collected on the physical description of the creek, its water quality, macroinvertebrate and fisheries 

populations and other data were summarized. Management recommendations based on literature 

review and current conditions were formulated. Instream flow requirements for upper Soda Butte Creek 

were a minimum flow of 13 cfs and an optimum flow of 24 cfs, and for lower Soda Butte Creek, 46 cfs 

minimum and 58 cfs optimum. Based on an evaluation of fishery data, recreational use, current 

condition and other resource information, a minimum flow of 20 cfs and an optimum flow of 58 cfs were 

recommended for Soda Butte Creek at the Northeast Entrance and the Lamar River Trail bridge. 

Duff, D.A., 1972, Reconnaissance survey of aquatic habitat conditions affected by acid mine pollution in the Cooke City area, 

Custer and Gallatin National Forests, Montana, and Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Range and Wildlife, Northern Region, 18 p. 

Runoff and seepage from the McLaren tailings to Soda Butte Creek are adversely impacting the creek 

ecosystem. No fish are present in Soda Butte Creek below the tailings site for 3 miles. 

Ecology and Environment, Inc., 1987, McLaren mill tailings endangerment review, Cooke City, Montana: Denver, Colo., 

Ecology and Environment, Inc. Technical Directive Document F08-8612-03, draft report, 30 p. 

There is a concern that valley residents are consuming water from domestic wells completed in alluvial 

deposits downgradient of the tailings pile. A health threat may exist and needs to be explicitly 

determined. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) 

environmental threats may be present and affect riparian wetlands and aquatic life. The tailings qualify 

for evaluation as a Special Studies Waste under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act 

(SARA) and a site investigation (SI) is warranted. An SI would include drilling of monitor wells in 

alluvial aquifer upgradient and downgradient of tailings, tailings sampling to determine metals 

concentrations and hazardous waste quantity under definition of special-study wastes, sediment 

sampling and benthic studies of Soda Butte Creek to evaluate contaminant migration and environmental 

impact, and surface-water sampling to document a contaminant release. 

36 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
_____1988, Preliminary endangerment assessment for McLaren mine tailings, Cooke City, Montana: Denver, Colo., Ecology 

and Environment, Inc. Technical Directive Document T08-8705-016. 

Surface-water quality samples analyzed showed only iron concentrations are occurring at levels that 

are toxic to aquatic life (1,020 μg/L at station MCSW-5 and 2,850 μg/L at station MCSW-6). 

Elliott, J.E., Kirk, A.R., and Johnson, T.J., 1979, Field guide--Gold-copper-silver deposits of the New World District: Crown 

Butte Mines, Inc., unpublished report, 19 p. 

Environmental Response Team, 1988, McLaren tailings--Evaluation of four alternatives for a removal action: Edison, N.J., 

Environmental Response Team Technical Directive Document T08-8802-024, variable pagination. 

Release of heavy-metal laden leachates from the McLaren mill site has been well documented. Their 

transport off-site and into nearby Soda Butte Creek is clearly evident by the pronounced discoloring of 

the streambed. Environmental samples have quantified this contamination (Ecology and Environment, 

Inc., 1988). The instability of the tailings has been evaluated and confirmed (Maddox, 1983). The 

failure of the tailings under Probable Maximum Flood conditions has been predicted (Womack, 1984). 

Tailings failure would also induce a secondary, less direct, adverse effect upon the local economies of 

Cooke City and Silver Gate. These local economies rely heavily on tourism generated by the ideal 

environment of YNP. For the above reasons, it is concluded that the risks posed to the environment and 

public welfare by the McLaren tailings site justify a Removal Action. The feasibility of four removal 

action alternatives is examined. 

Epstein, J.L., 1997, Hydraulic aspects of the McLaren Mine tailings dam-break flood in Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone 

National Park: Middlebury, Vt., Middlebury College, unpublished Bachelor of Arts thesis, 74 p. 

In June 1950 the McLaren impoundment failed, flushing pyritic tailings down the Soda Butte floodplain. 

The tailings were deposited as overbank sediments with thickness up to at least 60 cm. The tailings 

contain high concentrations of heavy metals such as copper and lead, which now impact the river 

ecosystem. This study was conducted to evaluate the hydraulic aspects of the tailings flood. 

Epstein, J.L., and Meyer, G.A., 1997, Hydraulic aspects of the McLaren Mine tailings dam-break flood in Soda Butte Creek, 

Yellowstone National Park (abs.): Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 29, no. 1, p. 43. 

Erickson, B.M., and Norton, D.R., 1994, Monitoring of Soda Butte Creek riparian zone, in Proceedings of the American Water 

Resources Association, June 26-29, 1994, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, [abs.]: Bethesda, Md., American Water Resources 

Association. 

Riparian vegetation (grass, horsetail, and willow) showed greater concentrations of copper, lead, and 

zinc immediately downstream of the tailings than upstream, with concentrations decreasing downstream 

towards the Park boundary. 

Ewing, R., 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, Riparian landform and deposit mapping, Soda Butte Creek, northeast Yellowstone 

National Park: Mammoth, Wyo., National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park Division of Research, Investigator’s 

annual reports, accessed November 25, 1999, at URL http://165.83.23.11/amoeba/resiar.nsf. 

Objective: Project will map fluvial deposits and landforms in the riparian and near-riparian areas of 

Soda Butte Creek in northeast Yellowstone National Park and the adjacent Gallatin National Forest. 

Information on fluvial deposits and landforms on the major Willow Study plots will be gathered to 

determine preferred substrates and landforms for Yellowstone National Park willow species. Deposit/ 

landform maps will be made of the riparian zones for further riparian plant and ecological studies. 

Study will use black-and-white, color, and color infrared aerial photography supplemented by extensive 

soil coring to map Soda Butte Creek. 

1991 Findings and status: None. 

1992-94 Findings and status: None. Project incomplete. Investigator’s term of employment ended, no 

further funding available. 

APPENDIX A 37 
Ewing, T.T., 1997a, Particle size variations and metals in flood-deposited mine tailings along Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone 

National Park: Middlebury, Vt., Middlebury College, unpublished Bachelor of Arts thesis, 103 p. 

_____1997b, Particle size variations and metals in flood-deposited mine tailings along Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone 

National Park: Green Mountain Geologist, v. 24, no. 2, p. 13. 

Defines the stratigraphy of the deposits and variations in particle size with depth, examines changes in 

particle size of tailings deposits with distance of transport, and examines relation of texture to metals 

concentrations. 

Forstner, U., and Wittman, G.T.W., 1983, Metal pollution in the aquatic environment: Berlin, Springer-Verlag, 486 p. 

Although all metals found in water or sediment from Soda Butte Creek can be toxic, copper has been 

shown to be the most toxic to aquatic life. 

Glidden, R., 1982, Exploring the Yellowstone high country, a history of the Cooke City area, 2d ed.: Cooke City, Mont., 

Cooke City Store, 120 p. 

Since the 1860s, prospectors have been seeking minable quantities of metals in south-central Montana. 

In the vicinity of Soda Butte Creek, multiple gold, silver, and copper deposits were discovered and 

several mines and smelters were developed. The area became known as the New World or Cooke City 

Mining District. The McLaren mine produced 2,000 short tons (1,814 metric tons) of copper and 60,000 

troy ounces (1,866 kg) of gold between 1933 and 1940. 

Green, J.A., written commun., 1972, Personal correspondence from Region VIII Administrator: Denver, Colo., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

In 1969, Soda Butte Creek was rerouted around the north edge of the impoundment. The tailings were 

leveled, graded, covered with a 0.5-1.5 meter thickness of alluvial sand and gravel, and seeded with 

grass. 

Green, V.A., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, written commun., 1972, Memorandum to Donald G. Willems regarding 

Yellowstone National Park, Baseline water quality report: Kansas City, Mo., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region VII, 30 p. 

Copper and zinc concentrations in Soda Butte Creek could reach undesirable levels and be a detriment 

to aquatic life. 

Hill, R.D., 1970, McLaren mine tailings mine drainage: Federal Water Quality Administration, Robert A. Taft Water Research 

Center, unpublished report, 12 p. 

The McLaren mine and mill are located east of Cooke City, Montana, adjacent to Soda Butte Creek. The 

mine was established in 1933 and operated until January 1953. At one time it was the largest operating 

gold mine in Montana. Some copper and silver were also mined. A large tailings area was developed 

next to the mill. Serious erosion of the tailings began about 1957, the sediment washing into Soda Butte 

Creek. The cyanide process was used in the mill. Prior surveys have shown that the fish production of 

Soda Butte Creek is poor. Causes of this condition have been suggested as: (1) sediment on stream bed, 

(2) toxic material from the tailings area, and (3) iron precipitates on streambed. The streambed of Soda 

Butte Creek from just below the tailings area to the entrance of Yellowstone National Park, some 4 1/2 

miles, has the typical "rusty" colored iron precipitate. 

The McLaren mine tailings area is responsible for a decrease in pH and alkalinity and an increase in 

conductivity, hardness, SO4, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu concentrations. 

38 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
_____1977, Mine drainage control from metal mines in a subalpine environment - a feasibility study: Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency report EPA 600/2-77-224, 149 p. 

The mill area is underlain by moraine deposits of Pleistocene age covered with a thin veneer of recent 

stream deposits. 14.5 meters of gravel below the tailings and above bedrock were encountered in one 

drill hole. The thickness of the gravel at this location places serious engineering constraints upon any 

attempts to flood the tailings pond or to dam the tailings and gravel, preventing ground water within the 

tailings from passing through the gravel. Tailings consist of phyllosilicates (clays), tectosilicates 

(predominantly feldspars and quartz), sulfides (mostly pyrite), iron oxides (magnetite, geothite, and 

ferric hydroxide), and calcium salts (gypsum and calcite). Investigated several remediation options 

including removing the tailings, treating the effluent from the tailings pile, and infiltration control by 

resealing the dam on the lower end of the tailings pile. 

Holmes, M.A., 1995, Treatability study, McLaren tailings site, Cooke City, Montana: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Contract No. 68-C4-0022, Final report. 

INTERA, Inc., 1991, McLaren tailings site, Soda Butte Creek water quality analysis: Salt Lake City, Utah, INTERA Inc., 7 

p., appendices. 

McLaren tailings site is under a two-part EPA administrative order for corrective action. First action– 

dam stabilization–was completed by Kennecott in September 1990. Second action–dewatering of the 

tailings–has been ordered to be completed by October 31, 1991. It appears that in the past, discharges 

of tailings material entered the creek, resulting in precipitation of iron material to the stream bottom. 

This quite insoluble material coated the stream gravels and filled the spaces between rocks, rendering 

the stream bottom inhospitable to organisms and spawning fish. Therefore, a section of Soda Butte 

Creek below the tailings became unsuitable for trout habitat. Since then the causes of these discharges 

have been corrected and the water quality has improved. Iron precipitate remains on the stream rocks 

below the tailings because it is very insoluble and has yet to be washed away. This will occur naturally, 

however, and the stream will continue to return to natural trout stream conditions whether the tailings 

are dewatered or not. From a stream quality perspective, therefore, there is no reason to undertake a 

disruptive and costly dewatering project at the McLaren tailings site. 

Johnson, T.W., 1994, Au-Cu-Ag skarn and replacement mineralization in the McLaren deposit, New World District, Park 

County, Montana: Economic Geology, v. 89, no 54, p. 969-993. 

Elevated levels of trace metals in stream sediments can originate from a number of sources, including 

highly mineralized Eocene volcanics and Cambrian sediments above Cooke City. 

Keigley, R.B., 1993, Distribution and population dynamics of exotic plants on the Soda Butte floodplain: Mammoth Hot 

Springs, Wyo., National Biological Service Greater Yellowstone Field Station, Investigator's annual report, accessed 

November 21, 1999 at URL http://165.83.23.11/amoeba/resiar.nsf, 

Objective: To determine the effect of different forms of vegetation on the sediment deposited during 

annual flooding. 

Findings: During the 1993 field season, the author found evidence that the depositional environment of 

Soda Butte Creek may have changed in the recent past. Specifically, there is lichenometric evidence of 

a 50-centimeter drop in flood stage that may have been caused by either entrenchment or by an increase 

in width-to-depth ratio. A preliminary survey suggests that there has been a change in the texture of 

sediment recently deposited during flood events. If further study supports these observations, these 

changes in fluvial processes have major ecologic implications. 

APPENDIX A 39 
_____1994, Relationships between fluvial landforms and riparian vegetation in the Soda Butte drainage. 

Kennecott Corporation, 1990, Workplan for remediation of the McLaren tailings site, Cooke City, Montana: Kennecott Corporation. 

The McLaren tailings site has been designated an emergency response action site by EPA region VIII. 

Kennecott Corporation was named a potentially responsible party (PRP). Kennecott reviewed the 

corrective action plan and elected to manage and perform the corrective actions at the site in lieu of the 

Bureau of Reclamation. Kennecott retained the geotechnical firm of Sergent, Hauskins, and Beckwith 

(SHB) to conduct an independent stability analysis of the McLaren tailings dam. SHB concluded that 

the dam is stable, both statically and dynamically, with an adequate factor of safety, and therefore 

further stability work on the dam is not warranted. Runoff is to be collected and diverted around the 

tailings in a diversion channel constructed immediately upslope of the tailings. Kennecott and its 

contractors believe a portion of the high iron content in the water below the dam is a result of water 

coming into contact with the relatively small amount of tailings deposited below the tailings dam. 

Kennecott plans to make a best-effort attempt to excavate the bulk of the tailings deposited below the 

dam and deposit them in the tailings area behind the dam. 

Kerr, M., written commun., 1986, Soda Butte Creek survey: November 13, 1986 office memorandum to the Montana State 

Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, 12 p. 

The channel bottom was "cemented" for about 1.6 km downstream of the tailings in a reach where only 

a few small trout were evident. 

Knudson, K., and Estes, C., 1975, Biological study, acid-mine control feasibility study, Cooke City, Montana: Montana 

Department of Fish and Game report, May-October, 1975, 33 p. 

In 1969, Soda Butte Creek was rerouted around the north edge of the impoundment. The tailings were 

leveled, graded, covered with a 0.5-1.5 meter thickness of alluvial sand and gravel, and seeded with 

grass. 

Ladd, S.C., 1995, Channel morphology controls on the spatial distribution of trace metals in bed sediments in Soda Butte 

Creek, Montana: Bozeman, Mont., Montana State University, unpublished Master of Science thesis, 83 p. 

Consistent and statistically significant changes in copper concentrations occur at the scale of the 

individual morphological units. 

Ladd, S.C., Marcus, W.A., and Cherry, S., 1997, Trace mineral segregation within morphological units in Soda Butte Creek: 

Environmental Geology and Water Sciences, v. 36, no. 3, p. 195-206. 

Landis, J.D., and Meyer, G.A., 1997, Recent debris-flow and flash-flood history of northeastern Yellowstone National Park: 

Green Mountain Geologist, v. 24, no. 2, p. 15-16. 

Lynn, S.V., U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1998: Helena, Mont., U.S. Geological Survey memorandum. 

The 1996 peak discharge of about 2,450 ft3/s deposited overbank sediments up to a few decimeters 

below the highest tailings deposits. 

Maddox. G.E., 1983, Evaluation of stability of tailings dam and peak flow for channel design, McLaren mill tailings project, 

Cooke City, Montana: Spokane, Wash., George Maddox and Associates, Inc., 20 p. 

Stability of the McLaren Mine tailings was investigated. The 50-year flood was estimated to be 1,226 

cubic feet per second (cfs), and the 100-year flood to be 1,665 cfs. Four of five failure surfaces analyzed 

had a safety factor of less than one. Determined that dam failure is "imminent." 

40 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
Mahoney, Dan, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, Effects of acidic mine waters on the aquatic invertebrates community of Soda 

Butte Creek: Mammoth, Wyo., National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park Fisheries Program, Investigator’s 

annual reports, accessed November 26, 1999 at URL http://165.83.23.11/amoeba/resiar.nsf. 

Objective [1992]: To monitor the water quality of a 7-kilometer stretch of Soda Butte Creek 

immediately upstream from the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park which has been 

polluted from acid mine drainage waters from the tailings heap of the abandoned McLaren gold mine 

near Cooke City, Montana. 

Objective [1993-96]: To assist the National Park Service in the interpretation of data on 

macroinvertebrates and fishes in Soda Butte Creek, a stream affected by acidic mine waters from the 

tailings of the abandoned McLaren gold mine, Cooke City, MT. 

1992-93 Findings and Status: Pollution effects are severe immediately downstream of the tailings, but 

stream conditions improve gradually in a downstream direction. 

1994-96 Findings and Status: Pollution effects, though severe immediately downstream from the 

tailings, have been reduced in recent years as the result of efforts to better contain the tailings and 

prevent seepage of acidic waters. 

Mangum, F.A., 1984, Aquatic ecosystem inventory macroinvertebrate analysis: U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, Intermountain Region Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis Laboratory, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, Annual 

progress report. 

_____1986, Aquatic ecosystem inventory macroinvertebrate analysis: U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, Intermountain Region Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis Laboratory, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, Annual progress 

report, 6 p. 

Biological indices of macroinvertebrate community health in Soda Butte Creek downstream from the 

tailings were lower than those of similar streams in this region between 1984 and 1986 and, "there 

appeared to be stress conditions [to macroinvertebrates] at each of the sampling stations,” including 

one located about 1.6 kilometers within Yellowstone National Park. 

_____1987, Aquatic ecosystem inventory macroinvertebrate analysis: U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, Intermountain Region Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis Laboratory, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, Annual progress 

report. 

_____1991, 1992, 1993a, 1994, Aquatic ecosystem analysis for Soda Butte Creek (macroinvertebrate and water quality): 

Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyo. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Yellowstone National Park, Annual progress report, 

accessed November 26, 1999 at URL http://165.83.23.11/amoeba/resiar.nsf, 

Objective: To monitor pollution from the McLaren Mine tailings in Cooke City. 

1991-94 Findings and status: None. 

_____1993b, Aquatic ecosystem inventory, macroinvertebrate analysis: U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, 

Intermountain Region Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis Laboratory, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, Annual 

progress reports, 1991-1992. 

Results from another study with data from sampling stations located immediately upstream from the 

boundary of YNP indicated that there could be effects from both mine tailings and tributary stream 

waters, since many of the tributaries drain old abandoned mines. 

Macroinvertebrate indices improve downstream of the Park boundary, but there appears to be some 

opportunity for management to improve water quality and instream habitat quality. 

Marcus, W.A., 1995, Research on trace metal concentrations in sediments and their impacts in Soda Butte Creek, Montana 

and Wyoming: Interagency meeting on Soda Butte Creek watershed, Mammoth, Wyo., Monograph. 

APPENDIX A 41 
_____1997, Morphologic controls on multiscale distributions of mining-derived trace metals in riparian sediments, resultant 

biotic impacts, and implications for monitoring and remediation: Bozeman, Mont., 18th annual meeting, Society of Wetland Sciences, Monograph. 

Metals vary between riffles, pools, bars, and glides. Macroinvertebrate populations generally increase 

in number and diversity with increasing distance downstream from Cooke City. The primary control on 

metal concentrations and variability in upper reaches of the stream appears to be related to oxide 

coatings on the sediment. 

Marcus, W.A., and Ladd, S.C., 1995, Reach scale spatial variability of trace metal concentrations in channel bed sediments, 

Soda Butte Creek, Montana: Bozeman, Mont., Geological Society of American, Rocky Mountain section, Monograph. 

Marcus, A.D, Ladd, S.C., and Crotteau, M., 1996, Channel morphology and copper concentrations in stream bed sediments, 

in Nelson, J.D., and others, eds., Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Tailings and Mine Waste, Fort 

Collins, Colorado., USA: Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Balkema Publishing, p. 421-430. 

Metals are segregated into discrete subpopulations within morphologic units such as riffles, pools, and 

glides. Sediment metal concentrations decreased with distance from the tailings in high gradient riffles 

and glides but in some backwater pool sediment, copper was higher far downstream of the tailings than 

immediately below them. Some of the highest concentrations of copper were inside the park boundary. 

Typically, the silt-clay fractions contained the most copper but the coarser 1-2 millimeter fraction often 

contained the next highest concentrations. 

Marcus, W.A., Stoughton, J.A., Ladd, S.C., and Richards, D., 1995, Trace metal concentrations in sediments and their ecological impacts in Soda Butte Creek, Montana and Wyoming, in Meyer, Grant, ed., Late-Pleistocene-Holocene evolution 

of the northeastern Yellowstone landscape: Middlebury Vt., Middlebury College, Friends of the Pleistocene - Rocky 

Mountain Cell 1995 field conference guidebook, 9 p. 

Research by author began in 1993, focusing on characterizing the range of spatial and temporal 

variability in trace-metal concentrations in active channel sediments, explaining the processes 

controlling that variability, and documenting the impacts (if any) of trace-metal concentrations on biotic 

populations. 

Trace metal concentrations in the stream bed generally decrease downstream as a function of dilution 

mixing with clean sediments from tributaries. Local scale metal variations in riffles, pools, and bars 

vary as a function of sediment size and perhaps as a function of residence time and resultant 

accumulation of iron oxides. Biodiversity within the stream improves downstream, but has shown little 

improvement over the last 50 years. In contrast, some biotic impacts in the floodplain 20 kilometers 

downstream are as severe as those at the tailings site. The amount of impacted area in the floodplain, 

however, is slowly improving over time as contaminated sediments are removed by floods. 

_____1998, Geomorphic controls on long-term biotic response to sediment contamination from mining in the stream and 

floodplain zones of Soda Butte Creek (abs.): Yellowstone Science, v. 6, no. 2, 39 p. 

Marcus, W.A., Meyers, G.A., and Nimmo, D.R., 2001, Geomorphic control of persistent mine impacts in a Yellowstone Park 

stream and implications for the recovery of fluvial systems: Geology, v. 29, no. 4, p. 355-358. 

A half-century after mine closure, metal contamination from sulfide ore mining in the headwaters 

continues to impair riparian vegetation and aquatic macroinvertebrates along Soda Butte Creek, 

Yellowstone National Park. A tailings dam failure in 1950 emplaced metal-rich sediment at high floodplain levels, above 50 yr to 100 yr flood stages in 1996 and 1997. These large natural floods removed 

only a small part of the contaminated sediment through bank erosion; they also failed to lower inchannel copper concentrations, because increased erosion of mine waste during high flows balances 

increased inputs of uncontaminated sediments, generating no net change in concentrations. 

Geomorphic processes controlling movement of contaminated sediments indicate that mine impacts will 

persist for centuries in Soda Butte Creek and imply long-lasting impacts in similarly affected streams 

worldwide. 

42 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
Maxim Technologies, 1999, New World Mining District response and restoration project: Accessed November 11, 1999 at 

URL http://www.maximtechnologies.com.newworld/. 

This web site has been provided by the Gallatin National Forest to disseminate information, reports, and 

data for the New World Mining District response and restoration project. It includes such features as 

project status, schedule, description, background, contacts, and other general information. From this 

site you will be able to access project reports, documents, maps and key data sets. All relevant reports 

prepared through the duration of this project will be posted to the site. 

Merritt, R.W., and Cummins, K.W., 1996, An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America, 3rd ed.: Dubuque, Iowa, 

Kendall Hunt Publishers, 862 p. 

In the fall of 1995, replicate samples of macroinvertebrates at each site were collected to assess metal 

uptake and to analyze community structure. 

Metesh, John, English, Alan, Lonn, Jeff, Kendy, Eloise, and Parrett, Charles, 1999, Hydrogeology of the upper Soda Butte 

Creek basin, Montana: Billings, Mont., Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, 66 p., 1 sheet. 

Compilation of existing hydrogeological data. Evaluation of ground-water and water-quality 

relationships with respect to ground-water development in the area. 

Meyer, G.A., 1992, Mine tailings sediment contamination in the Soda Butte Creek drainage, Montana and Wyoming: Final 

report, 16.8-25-92. 

_____1993, A polluted flash flood and its consequences: Yellowstone Science, v. 3, no. 1, p. 2-6. 

According to National Park Service records, the McLaren tailings impoundment failed in June 1950, 

spilling a large amount of tailings into the creek. Deposits of the tailings have been found over 15.5 

miles downstream, just above the confluence of Soda Butte Creek and the Lamar River. 

_____1995, Tailings impoundment failure and floodplain sediment contamination along Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone 

National Park, Montana-Wyoming (abs.): Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 27, no. 4, 47 p. 

_____1997, Stream ecosystems and geoscience in northeastern Yellowstone National Park (abs): Geological Society of 

America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 29, no. 6, p. 66. 

Meyer, G.A., and Bingham, M.K., 1995, Soda Butte Creek floodplain tailings deposits and McLaren dam-break flood, in 

Meyer, G.A., ed., Late-Pleistocene-Holocene evolution of the northeast Yellowstone landscape: Middlebury, Vt., Middlebury College, Guidebook, Friends of the Pleistocene Rocky Mountain Cell, p. 13-14. 

Meyer, G.A., and Watt, P.M., 1998, Mine tailings contamination of floodplain sediments in Yellowstone National Park: 

National Geographic Society grant #5699-96. 

Metals-laden mine waste contaminated the Soda Butte Creek floodplain in Yellowstone National Park 

when a tailings dam failed in 1950, producing a major flood. A large volume (approximately equal to 

3.1x104 cubic meters) of contaminated sediments was deposited along the 30-km floodplain. 

Miller, W.R., Meier, A.L., and Briggs, P.H., 1997, Geochemical processes and baselines for stream waters for Soda ButteLamar Basin and Firehole-Gibbon Basin: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-550, 27 p. 

There is minimal to no effect on the chemistry of Soda Butte Creek from the presence of mine workings 

or tailings above Cooke City for this time of year (Fall 1996). 

APPENDIX A 43 
Mills, L.E., and Sharpe, F.P., 1968, Pollution study of Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, [unpublished 

mimeograph]: Fort Collins, Colo., Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Division of Fishery Services unpublished 

mimeograph, 16 p. 

At the request of the National Park Service late in July 1967, and with approval from the Montana Fish 

and Game Department, a pollution study was initiated on Soda Butte Creek on August 3, 1967. The 

investigation was to determine if the apparent poor production in the stream is related to possible 

pollution influences from mining activities near the headwaters and whether or not these influences are 

of sufficient magnitude to warrant more intensive investigations. Initial investigations were limited to 

detailed water analyses and determinations of relative abundance of the major orders of aquatic insects 

inhabiting the substrate at various points along the stream. Detailed water analyses revealed no 

materials considered toxic to fish or aquatic invertebrates. All samples collected in late summer. 

Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, 1976, Final Report, Acid mine drainage control - feasibility study, Cooke City, Montana: Butte, Mont., Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant S-802671, 

182 p. 

Investigation of the McLaren mine and mill sites, and the Glengary mine area. The McLaren mill site 

may be characterized by influent stream conditions, low surficial infiltration rates, and poor 

transmissivity within the tailings. The mill site contributes roughly 77 metric tons of iron per year, 

which is carried into Yellowstone National Park (3 miles downstream) by Soda Butte Creek. Value of 

metals within the tailings is about 4.2 million dollars (gold = $2,975,000, silver = $287,400, and copper 

= $1,006,700). The stability of the tailings pond is questioned because of the appearance of pyrite in 

the outflow water at a spring. It is proposed that fly ash, a waste product from coal-fueled electricgeneration plants with disposal problems of its own, be evaluated for its ability to perform both as a 

sealant and as an in situ base source to neutralize the acid water resulting from sulfide oxidation. 

Montana Department of State Lands, 1986, Application for renewable resource development grant, Soda Butte Creek streambank reclamation project: Helena, Mont., 149 p. 

The proposed reclamation plan will relocate Soda Butte Creek back to its original location through the 

middle of the tailings pile, thus eliminating the seepage of surface water through the tailings. A small 

drainage ditch will also be constructed along the south side of the tailings to divert surface runoff away 

from the tailings location. Part of the old Soda Butte Creek channel will be backfilled to act as a dam 

and divert the creek flows into the proposed diversion. All disturbed areas will be sloped, graded, 

topsoiled, and revegetated. 

Muttkowski, R.A., 1929, The ecology of trout streams in Yellowstone National Park: Roosevelt Wildlife Annals, v. 2, no. 2, 

p. 155-240. 

Work concentrated on Yellowstone and Lamar Rivers and Tower and Lost Creeks, which the author 

considered to represent the major stream types in the Park. 

Nimmo, D. R., Willox, M.J., 1996, Seasonal liabilities from the McLaren tailings on aquatic resources in Soda Butte Creek 

and Yellowstone National Park, in Nelson, J.D., and others, eds., Proceedings of the Third Interagency Conference on 

Tailings and Mine Waste, Fort Collins, Colorado: Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Balkema Publishing, p. 415-420. 

For years, Soda Butte Creek has been adversely affected by metal-laden runoff from the closed McLaren 

Mine tailings impoundment. In 1993, bioassays were conducted using daphnids, fathead minnows, and 

amphipods. 

44 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
Nimmo, D.R., Willox, M.J., LaFrancois, T.D., Chapman, P.L., Brinkman, S.F., and Greene, J.C., 1998, Effects of metal mining and milling on boundary waters of Yellowstone National Park, USA: Environmental Management, v. 22, no. 6, p. 

913-926. 

Aquatic resources in Soda Butte Creek within Yellowstone National Park, USA, continue to be 

threatened by heavy metals from historical mining and milling activities that occurred upstream of the 

park’s boundary. This includes the residue of gold, silver, and copper ore mining and processing in the 

early 1900s near Cooke City, Montana, just downstream of the creek’s headwaters. Toxicity tests, using 

surrogate test species, and analyses of metals in water, sediments, and macroinvertebrate tissue were 

conducted from 1993 to 1995. Chronic toxicity to test species was greater in the spring than the fall and 

metal concentrations were elevated in the spring with copper exceeding water quality criteria in 1995. 

Tests with amphipods using pore water and whole sediment from the creek and copper concentrations 

in the tissue of macroinvertebrates and fish also suggest that copper is the metal of concern in the 

watershed. In order to understand current conditions in Soda Butte Creek, heavy metals, especially 

copper, must be considered important factors in the aquatic and riparian ecosystems within and along 

the creek extending into Yellowstone National Park. 

Norton, D.A., 1993, 1994a, 1995a, 1996a, 1997a, Monitoring of Soda Butte Creek riparian zone: Denver, Colo., U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Geochemistry, Investigator’s annual reports, accessed November 26, 1999 at URL http:// 

165.83.23.11/amoeba/resiar.nsf, 

Objective [1993, 1994, 1995, 1997 reports]: Establish present-day trace-element concentrations in 

vegetation, soils, water, and stream sediments of the Soda Butte Creek riparian zone to assess the impact 

of past mining operations (McLaren Mine) and to monitor the proposed Noranda (Canadian owned) 

gold, copper, and silver mine to be located 2 miles outside the Park boundary. 

Objective [1996 report]: Establish present day trace element concentrations in vegetation, soils, water, 

and stream sediments of the Soda Butte Creek riparian zone to assess the impact of past mining 

operations (McLaren Mine) and to provide a chemical baseline for these operations and for the 

exploratory operations of the Noranda (Canadian owned) gold, copper, and silver mine located 2 miles 

outside the Park boundary. The baseline is being established in the event that the property trade fails 

to remove the mining operation. If the trade of lands is successful it will still be necessary to proceed 

with the study for the clean-up of the historic mine activities on the mountain and of the McLaren tailings 

and waste ore deposits near Cooke City. 

1993, 1994, 1995 Findings and status: Representative vegetation species, stream sediments, and water 

were collected along the Soda Butte Creek riparian zone, Yellowstone National Park, during a 

reconnaissance field trip in the fall of 1992. Seven sampling sites were established downstream from 

the old McLaren Mine tailings site. The McLaren Mine tailings contain elevated concentrations of 

arsenic, copper, iron, lead, and zinc. Preliminary vegetation results indicate that the highest 

concentrations of copper, lead, and zinc occur at the tailings sites and decrease downstream in samples 

of grass, horsetail, and willow. Results for the other species do not reflect this decrease. [1994, 1995]: 

Iron concentrations in all species sampled do not appear to decrease downstream. 

M.A. Chaffee plans to present his findings for a regional geochemical database to the geographic 

information system for the Greater Yellowstone Area ecosystem at the next annual physical science 

symposium. We will also present a heavy-metals investigations program sponsored by the Gallatin 

National Forest where part of it focuses on the Noranda Mine sites. 

APPENDIX A 45 
1996 Findings and status: Monitoring of the Soda Butte Creek watershed has been in progress since 

1992, and has been continued to date sampling plant species, soils, water, and stream sediments. 

Results from the vegetation samples suggest willow and grass will serve as biomonitors. Chemical 

analysis for plant species has been held up due to lack of funding. Results of water samples taken this 

past field season have been received by William Miller, and will be reported at the next interagency 

meeting to be held in the Park during September 1997. These include chemical analysis for cations and 

anions, pH, conductivity, and alkalinity. Maurice Chaffee will be reporting on our results for stream 

sediments collected by our team of Survey geologists in September 1996. I have completed a series of 

pH, conductivity, and temperature measurements of water samples taken in the field and will be 

reporting on filtration rates and microscopy of precipitate from these samples. At the meeting I will also 

present my findings on sieve testing of stream sediments and microscopy of the separated fractions with 

information on their carbonate and iron contents. I plan to organize and moderate the Fourth 

Interagency Conference on the Soda Butte Creek Watershed to be held in Mammoth in September 1997. 

1997 Findings and status: Results on this project were presented at the Forth Interagency Conference 

held in September, which I organized and moderated. Monitoring of the Soda Butte Creek riparian zone 

continues to be taking place by a number of agencies presenting papers at the symposium. We have 

recommended that the gaging station at the park entry on Soda Butte Creek be upgraded for continuous 

monitoring of the discharge. Our findings on the geochemical sampling and chemical analysis are being 

accumulated into reports by Maurice Chaffee and associates. 

_____1994b, Monitoring of Soda Butte Creek riparian zone (abs. and poster): Proceedings of the American Water Resources 

Association symposium, Effects of Human-Induced Changes on Hydrologic Systems, Jackson Hole, Wyo., Abstracts and 

Posters. 

_____1995b, Monitoring of Soda Butte Creek riparian zone, (abs. and poster): Proceedings of the American Water Resources 

Association symposium, Abstracts and Posters. 

_____1996b, Monitoring of Soda Butte Creek Riparian Zone, in Nelson, J.D., and others, eds., Proceedings of the Third Interagency Conference on Tailings and Mine Waste, Fort Collins, Colorado: Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Balkema Publishing. 

A study of cation and anion concentrations in water, and heavy-metal concentrations. 

_____1996c, Metal uptake of plants along the Soda Butte Creek watershed in Montana and Wyoming, 1992-1994 (abs. and 

poster): Second Interagency Conference on Soda Butte Creek Watershed, Yellowstone National Park. 

_____1996d, Study of cation and anion concentrations in water, and heavy metal concentrations in stream sediments, along 

the Soda Butte Creek watershed in Montana and Wyoming, 1992-1994 (abs. and poster): Second Interagency Conference on Soda Butte Creek Watershed, Yellowstone National Park. 

_____1997b, Monitoring of Soda Butte Creek Riparian Zone, in Nelson, J.D., and others, eds., Proceedings of the Third Interagency Conference on Tailings and Mine Waste, Fort Collins, Colorado: Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Balkema Publishing. 

Establish present-day trace-element concentrations in vegetation, soils, water, and stream sediments of 

the Soda Butte Creek riparian zone to assess the impact of past mining operations (McLaren Mine) and 

to monitor the proposed Noranda (Canadian owned) gold, copper, and silver mine to be located two 

miles outside the Park boundary. 

_____1997c, Environmental geochemical baseline studies in the Yellowstone National Park area: Proceedings of the Greater 

Yellowstone Ecosystem Science Conference, Yellowstone National Park. 

_____1997d, Dispersion of selected elements in stream sediment samples collected between Cooke City, Montana and the 

confluence of the Lamar and Yellowstone Rivers: Proceedings of the Third Interagency Conference on Soda Butte Creek 

Watershed, Yellowstone National Park. 

Obermann, W.R., 1998, Estimates of volume and mass for flood-deposited mine tailings along Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone 

National Park: Middlebury, Vt., Middlebury College, unpublished Bachelor of Arts thesis, 60 p. 

46 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
Omang, R.J., U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1988, Flood peak and flood routing determinations for Soda Butte 

Creek: Helena, Mont., Memorandum. 

Flood studies conducted by the USGS using channel geometry techniques indicate that for Soda Butte 

Creek above the Miller Creek confluence the 50-year design flood is 1,040 cubic feet per second (cfs), 

and the 100-year design flood is 1,430 cubic cfs. Below Miller Creek, the 50-year design flood 

discharge is 1,200 cfs, and the 100-year design flood discharge is 1,620 cfs. Approximately 700 cfs of 

the 100-year flood would discharge across the tailings pond. These data clearly indicate the substantial 

flooding potential which exists at the site. 

Omang, R.J., Parrett, Charles, and Hull, J.A., 1983, Flood estimates for ungaged streams in Glacier and Yellowstone National 

Parks, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 83-4147, 10 p. 

Pickett, F.J., and Chadwick, J.W., 1972, Studies on Soda Butte, Slough, and Iron Springs Creeks, Yellowstone National Park: 

Bozeman, Mont., Montana State University, Final report for contract 2-101-0387, 54 p. 

Seepage from the mill tailings at Cooke City is adversely affecting the water quality of Soda Butte Creek. 

The natural flora and fauna present above the tailings were either eliminated or severely reduced 

immediately below the tailings. 

Richards, D.C., Marcus, W.A., Nimmo, D.R., 1997, Persistent impacts of mining on macroinvertebrates in Soda Butte Creek: 

North American Benthological Society. 

Satchell, B., 1995, A new battle over Yellowstone Park: U.S. News and World Report, March 13, 1995. 

Shands, Tom, 1998,'Smoking gun' - Researchers link old mine tailings to riparian damage: Yellowstone Ecosystem Studies, 

accessed December 20,1999 at URL http://fp2.in-tch.com/www.yellowstone.org/p_sodabutte.htm. 

“Our research very clearly shows the impacts of past tailings releases,” Dr. Andrew Marcus said, 

adding the extent of the damage to the Soda Butte drainage extends well within Yellowstone Park. 

Marcus said that within the grasslands community in the floodplain of Soda Butte, there was decreased 

biodiversity and decreased biomass. Researchers also compared the macroinvertebrate population of 

Soda Butte Creek below the McLaren tailings to that of Pebble Creek, which is entirely within the Park, 

has never been mined, and flows into Soda Butte Creek. In Pebble Creek researchers found 19 different 

types or organisms. In Soda Butte Creek below the tailings, they only found six types of organisms. 

In addition to the plants and insects,,, he (Marcus) said researchers have also found evidence of 

“bioaccumulation” in fish, particularly the liver and muscle tissue. 

Sharpe, F.P., and Arnold, B.B., 1966, Summary report, 1965: Yellowstone National Park, Wyo., Fishery Management Program, Lake and Stream Surveys, 59 p. 

Focused on certain streams in the northeast section of the Park. General stream survey intended to 

classify waters and locate possible problem areas. 

Shuler, S., U.S. Forest Service, written commun., 1994: Gardiner, Mont., U.S. Forest Service, Gallatin National Forest, Gardiner Ranger District, unpublished data, 45 p. 

In 1993, only two trout were found within 300 meters downstream of the McLaren tailings impoundment. 

Sonderegger, J.L., 1976, Hydrologic and geochemical controls on tailings pond drainage affecting Soda Butte Creek, Cooke 

City, Montana (abs.): Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 8, no. 5, p. 634. 

Sonderegger, J.L., Wallace, J.J., Jr., and Higgins, G.L., Jr., 1976, Acid mine drainage control – feasibility study, Cooke City, 

Montana: Butte, Mont., Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Open-File Report 23, 197 p. 

Stoughton, Julie, 1995, The impacts of trace metals on grass communities along the floodplain of Soda Butte Creek: Bozeman, Mont., Montana State University, unpublished Master of Science thesis, 109 p. 

Results indicated that the density, diversity and biomass of vegetation decreased at threshold 

concentrations for metals and pH at 4 meadow sites along Soda Butte Creek. Plant diversity in relation 

to metals showed a decrease. 

APPENDIX A 47 
Terrasi, J.D., written commun., 1995, Unpublished report on analysis of Soda Butte Creek water and sediments. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1971a, Baseline water quality survey: Kansas City, Mo., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VII. 

In the vicinity of the McLaren mine tailings on Soda Butte Creek outside of the Park boundary, there is 

a decrease in the types and numbers of bottom organisms. 

_____1971b, Baseline water quality survey report – Yellowstone National Park: Kansas City, Mo., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VII, 133 p. 

_____1972, Yellowstone National Park baseline water quality survey: Denver, Colo., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region VIII report for May – September, 1970, 194 p. 

In the vicinity of Cooke City, Montana, a decrease of numbers and types of bottom organisms in Soda 

Butte Creek indicated marginal water quality. 

_____1987, Impact assessment - McLaren mine tailings pile, Cooke City, Montana: Edison, N.J., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Invertebrate densities and diversities decrease immediately below the tailings site and then tend to 

recover further downstream. 

_____1989, Request for removal action approval at the McLaren tailings site, Cooke City, Montana: Action memorandum 

NPL Site ID #93, 7 p. 

A buttress berm was installed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Kennecott to reinforce the 

tailings dam and some of the tailings below the dam were removed. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1977, Fishery and aquatic management program in Yellowstone National Park: Billings, 

Mont., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fisheries Resources Technical report for calendar year 1976, 81 p. 

While angler use and success were average when compared to other Park fisheries, historical 

descriptions of Soda Butte Creek suggest fishing is much below its potential. Correction of the stream's 

pollution problems is needed for any significant improvement in the sport-fishery. 

_____1979, Fishery and aquatic management program in Yellowstone National: Billings, Montana., U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Fisheries Resources Park Technical report for calendar year 1978, 43 p. 

In the late 1800s, Soda Butte Creek had a reputation for “fast fishing and large trout,” but by 1931 the 

fishery was reported as only “fair to poor.” Although angler success is presently only slightly above 

average by Park standards, fishing quality has improved since 1974 despite increasing use, which is 

unusual. This may indicate that the extensive rehabilitation work done on the McLaren tailings in the 

late 1960's has had a positive effect on the fish population. Alternatively, it may suggest that there is a 

population interaction with the Lamar River which has been catch-and-release only fishing for six years 

and has built up a robust population. 

_____1981, Fishery and aquatic management program in Yellowstone National Park: Billings, Mont., U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Fisheries Resources Park Technical report for calendar year 1980, 23 p. 

Declines in the Soda Butte fishery have been compounded by pollution from mine tailings at an 

abandoned mine site in Cooke City, Montana. Angler use on this stream was high in the early 1970's, 

fell in 1974-75, and has increased since that time. Measures of success continue to be above average 

for Park waters; however, these rates are believed to be artificially supported by population interaction 

with the Lamar River which has a documented increase in robustness since catch-and-release 

regulations were implemented in 1974. 

48 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
_____1985, Fishery and aquatic management program in Yellowstone National Park: Billings, Mont., U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Fisheries Resources Park Technical report for calendar year 1984. 

Soda Butte Creek contains the ninth most popular stream fishery in YNP. Approximately 80 percent of 

the fish landed in Soda Butte Creek are released. A decrease in angler use has been the most obvious 

change in the Soda Butte fishery since it was last surveyed in 1981. An increase in fish numbers in the 

upper section signifies improving conditions for the trout population. 

_____1992, 1993: Recovery of a cutthroat trout population in a 5-kilometer reach of Soda Butte Creek: Mammoth, Wyo., 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Yellowstone National Park, Investigator’s annual reports, accessed November 24,1999 

at URL http://165.83.23.11/amoeba/resiar.nsf, 

Objective: To monitor the recovery of the cutthroat trout population affected by the fish toxin rotenone 

during fish management activities in 1988. 

1992, 1993 Findings and status: Abundance, community length structure, and age distribution are 

similar to pretreatment levels, indicating recovery of population. 

Varley, John, 1992, 1993, 1994, Soda Butte Creek mine tailings analysis: Mammoth, Wyo., National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park Center for Resources, Investigator’s annual reports, accessed November 24,1999 at URL http:// 

165.83.23.11/amoeba/resiar.nsf, 

Objective: In 1991, sediments were discovered along the entire length of Soda Butte Creek that have 

been identified as tailings from the McLaren tailings site above Cooke City. Toxicity and heavy metals 

analysis will be performed to determine the impact of these tailings on the ecology of the area. 

1992-94 Findings and status: None. 

Weight, Willis, 1998, Groundwater-flow assessment of the upper Soda Butte Creek drainage basin, Park County, Montana 

and Wyoming: Butte, Mont., University of Montana, Investigator’s annual report, accessed November 24,1999 at URL 

http://165.83.23.11/amoeba/resiar.nsf, 

Objective: To understand the basic hydrogeology of the upper Soda Butte drainage from Silver Gate to 

Cooke City. Characterization will be performed through performing pumping tests, static water-level 

surveys, and stream gaging. Additional analysis of the role of bedrock is to be explored. The data will 

be integrated into a groundwater flow model. 

Findings and Status: Three aquifer tests were performed and water level surveys were conducted in the 

summer and fall of 1997 and throughout the fall of 1998. Stream gaging was performed. A groundwater flow model using a graphical interface GMS was used to create a three layer model of the area. 

This was put together as part of a MS thesis by Amy Huskey. She defended her thesis is 1998, but 

corrections are still underway. Alan English is continuing a thesis study in the Silver Gate area, 

including water-quality data. 

Womack, Ray, geological consultant, written commun., 1984, Probable maximum flood and failure hazard, McLaren mill tailings, Cooke City, Montana: Billings, Mont. 

Probable maximum flood is approximately 14,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), but would likely range 

from 11,000 to 18,000 cfs. In the event of a probable maximum flood the McLaren tailings impoundment 

is likely to fail, releasing large amounts of tailings downstream. 

Wright, A., 1998, The use of multispectral digital imager to map hydrogeomorphic stream units in Soda Butte and Cache 

Creeks, Montana and Wyoming: Bozeman, Mont., Montana State University, unpublished Master of Science thesis, 76 p. 

APPENDIX A 49 

APPENDIX B


FIELD PARAMETERS AND DISSOLVED SULFATE 


CONCENTRATIONS IN SYNOPTIC SAMPLES FROM


SODA BUTTE CREEK AND INFLOWS, MONTANA 


AND WYOMING, AUGUST 20, 1999


APPENDIX B 51


Appendix B. Field parameters and dissolved sulfate concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte Creek and 

inflows, Montana and Wyoming, August 20, 1999 

[Distance, distance downstream from injection site, in meters; Temperature, water temperature measured onsite, in degrees Celsius; pH, in standard 

units; Ksc, specific conductance, in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; Sulfate, concentrations in milligrams per liter; LB, left bank; 

RB, right bank] 

TemperaDistance Site description ture pH Ksc Sulfate 

Sampling sites on Soda Butte Creek 

-10 T0 Site--Upstream from injection 5.5 7.9 225 5.64 

35 First synoptic-sample site 5.0 8.1 242 5.60 

85 Site to check mixing 5.0 8.1 243 5.62 

133 Above first drainage from mill site 5.0 8.1 244 5.70 

168 Near bedrock outcrop 7.5 8.3 242 5.64 

232 T1 Site--upstream from McLaren Tailings 7.5 8.4 243 5.40 

322 Above road crossing at tailings; "driving range" 8.0 8.4 243 5.74 

372 Riffle below Mill site 8.5 8.2 242 5.77 

445 Above RB inflow that comes through pipe 8.5 8.4 243 5.63 

505 Below cobble inflow 8.5 8.4 239 6.49 

565 Above LB white precipitate--A 8.0 8.4 242 7.65 

565 Above LB white precipitate--B 8.0 8.1 242 7.91 

642 To separate metal-rich inflows 7.5 8.0 266 18.4 

698 At log above largest flowing inflow 6.5 8.2 266 20.4 

760 At stump near narrow bend 6.5 8.1 285 29.6 

820 Above Miller Creek 8.5 8.0 288 31.3 

940 Below Miller Creek 6.5 8.2 263 29.0 

1028 Below Cooke City inflow 6.0 8.2 262 30.0 

1148 Below Soda Butte Lodge 6.0 8.2 261 29.2 

1323 Near LB cabin with green roofing 6.0 8.2 261 29.6 

1529 Near path from Cooke City 5.5 8.2 260 29.6 

1679 T2 Site--Above Republic Street culvert 5.5 8.2 260 28.2 

1785 Above Republic Creek 12.0 8.4 266 29.6 

1922 Below Republic Creek 12.5 8.2 111 4.73 

2172 Above braided channel 13.0 8.3 111 4.70 

2422 Above oxbow 13.5 8.2 111 4.94 

2692 Below RB inflow 12.0 7.9 123 5.46 

2858 Above RB inflow 12.0 8.1 132 6.35 

3052 Channel narrows 11.5 8.3 140 6.54 

3190 Above LB inflow 8.0 8.3 140 6.40 

3490 At meadow, above Sheep Creek 14.0 8.3 144 6.87 

3720 Below Sheep Creek 13.0 8.4 144 6.44 

4020 View to Sheep Creek drainage 12.5 8.4 149 6.58 

4420 Below braids and RB inflow 13.0 8.3 156 7.01 

4720 Below bend with first LB homes 12.5 8.4 157 7.07 

5136 Near RB campfire & cabin 12.0 8.3 159 7.89 

5910 T3 site--Below canyon inflow 12.0 8.6 157 7.27 

6086 At railroad car bridge (private) 11.0 8.2 157 6.95 

6395 Upstream end of town of Silver Gate 1.5 8.3 158 7.02 

6757 Above log jam at bend 11.5 8.4 159 6.98 

7107 Above Silver Gate Bridge 12.0 8.3 160 7.36 

7425 Below second bridge 12.0 8.4 163 6.98 

APPENDIX B 53 
Appendix B. Field parameters and dissolved sulfate concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte Creek and 

inflows, Montana and Wyoming, August 20, 1999--Continued 

TemperaDistance Site description ture pH Ksc Sulfate 

Sampling sites on Soda Butte Creek--Continued 

7745 At bend near highway 22 13.0 8.6 164 7.28 

8090 Above LB talus cone 13.5 8.5 166 7.43 

8247 above low conductance inflow 10.5 8.6 167 7.33 

8379 At double tree fall across stream 12.5 8.6 149 6.09 

8501 T4 site--At Yellowstone National Park boundary 13.5 8.6 149 6.29 

Inflow sampling sites 

146 LB inflow from pit 6.0 8.0 243 6.23 

195 RB inflow from pit 7.0 7.6 237 7.90 

455 RB inflow through cobbles 13.5 8.3 161 22.3 

569 LB inflow from pit at base of bank 9.0 4.0 472 279 

605 Pit at small pipe LB 7.0 5.4 1552 2,450 

607 Pit at base of stream bank LB 10.0 4.2 1536 2,550 

619 Pit at base of tree roots LB 8.5 6.6 1009 468 

620 RB series of small inflows 5.0 7.8 368 65.0 

643 Small iron bog about 10 meters from stream LB 9.0 6.6 551 217 

683 Water seeping from stream bank LB 8.0 7.7 512 93.7 

710 Large flowing LB inflow from toe of tailings 8.0 7.0 741 272 

825 Miller Creek inflow RB 8.5 8.1 160 22.1 

970 Clear water from Cooke City 5.5 7.9 255 31.7 

1037 Second city inflow 5.5 7.7 219 25.6 

1859 Republic Creek inflow LB 12.0 8.3 87 1.58 

2572 RB inflow at edge of cobbles near bank 11.0 8.6 345 10.2 

2792 LB drainage from willows 8.5 7.9 253 17.9 

2885 RB inflow sample back upstream 12.0 8.5 299 8.16 

3204 LB inflow drains back away from stream 8.0 8.4 227 7.69 

3623 Sheep Creek RB 10.5 8.4 135 4.37 

4110 RB inflow draining large cobble bars 6.5 8.0 187 3.43 

4886 RB inflow at large, grey home 7.0 8.4 242 19.4 

5171 LB inflow from willow marsh 10.5 8.5 202 11.5 

5568 Wyoming Creek LB 10.5 8.3 59 1.75 

6419 RB inflow near small cabin 8.5 8.1 240 8.87 

8117 LB inflow from large Guitar Lake canyon 12.5 7.2 66 0.75 

8267 Unnamed Tributary LB 10.5 8.2 41 0.75 

8387 Silver Creek RB 16.5 8.7 174 3.95 

54 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
APPENDIX C


DISSOLVED AND TOTAL-RECOVERABLE CONSTITUENT 


CONCENTRATIONS IN SYNOPTIC SAMPLES FROM SODA


BUTTE CREEK AND INFLOWS, MONTANA AND 


WYOMING, AUGUST 20, 1999


APPENDIX C 55


Appendix C. Dissolved and total-recoverable constituent concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte Creek and inflows, Mo

August 20, 1999 

[All concentrations in milligrams per liter; Distance, distance downstream from injection site, in meters; μm, micrometer] 

Alumi- Potas- Magne- Manga- 

Distance num Arsenic Calcium Cadmium Copper Iron sium sium nese Sodium Nickel Lead Sil

Soda Butte Creek, dissolved (0.45 μm filter) concentrations 

-10 0.026 <0.002 35.0 <0.008 <0.010 0.025 0.622 6.59 <0.003 1.13 <0.040 <0.100 11

35 <.010 <.002 36.8 <.008 <.010 <.010 .607 6.53 <.003 1.10 <.040 <.100 1085 <.010 <.002 37.3 <.008 <.010 <.010 .603 6.60 <.003 1.10 <.040 <.100 10

133 <.010 <.002 37.6 <.008 <.010 <.010 .594 6.63 <.003 1.12 <.040 <.100 10168 <.010 <.002 36.7 <.008 <.010 <.010 .613 6.49 <.003 1.13 <.040 <.100 10232 <.010 <.002 37.1 <.008 <.010 <.010 .617 6.53 <.003 1.12 <.040 <.100 10322 <.010 <.002 37.2 <.008 <.010 <.010 .613 6.56 <.003 1.10 <.040 <.100 10372 .011 <.002 37.6 <.008 <.010 <.010 .623 6.69 <.003 1.12 <.040 <.100 10445 <.010 <.002 37.8 <.008 <.010 <.010 .611 6.66 <.003 1.10 <.040 <.100 10505 <.010 <.002 36.3 <.008 <.010 <.010 .618 6.38 <.003 1.09 <.040 <.100 10642 <.010 <.002 4.1 <.008 <.010 .106 .660 7.08 .024 1.12 <.040 <.100 10698 .038 <.002 38.1 <.008 <.010 .118 .673 7.21 .031 1.13 <.040 <.100 11760 <.010 <.002 44.5 <.008 <.010 .013 .770 7.90 .060 1.14 <.040 <.100 10820 <.010 <.002 44.2 <.008 <.010 .061 .792 7.91 .055 1.17 <.040 <.100 9940 .017 <.002 41.1 <.008 <.010 .062 .716 7.16 .037 1.05 <.040 <.100 9

1,028 <.010 <.002 4.8 <.008 <.010 .098 .724 7.08 .036 1.06 <.040 <.100 91,148 <.010 <.002 4.8 <.008 <.010 .045 .712 7.05 .035 1.05 <.040 <.100 91,323 <.010 <.002 41.6 <.008 <.010 .072 .735 7.11 .020 .985 <.040 <.100 101,785 <.010 <.002 42.5 <.008 <.010 .096 .799 7.26 .014 1.02 <.040 <.100 102,422 .163 <.002 13.5 <.008 <.010 .329 .421 3.57 <.003 4.79 <.040 <.100 172,692 .034 .011 15.3 <.008 <.010 .070 .404 3.72 <.003 4.60 <.040 <.100 152,858 .065 .004 16.0 <.008 <.010 .083 .431 4.02 <.003 4.55 <.040 <.100 163,052 .062 <.002 17.1 <.008 <.010 .082 .458 4.32 <.003 4.40 <.040 <.100 163,190 .060 <.002 17.1 <.008 <.010 .073 .456 4.38 <.003 4.46 <.040 <.100 153,490 .035 .004 19.3 <.008 <.010 .061 .460 4.54 <.003 4.42 <.040 <.100 153,720 <.010 <.002 19.3 <.008 <.010 .044 .422 4.76 <.003 3.57 <.040 <.100 12

APPENDIX C 57 
58 Appendix C. Dissolved and total-recoverable constituent concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte Creek and inflows, Mo

August 20, 1999--Continued 

METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 

Alumi- Potas- Magne- Manga- 

Distance num Arsenic Calcium Cadmium Copper Iron sium sium nese Sodium Nickel Lead Sil

Soda Butte Creek, dissolved (0.45 μm filter) concentrations--Continued 

4,020 0.019 <0.002 2.4 <0.008 <0.010 0.039 0.450 5.00 <0.003 3.66 <.0040 <0.100 134,420 .024 <.002 21.4 <.008 <.010 .021 .426 5.06 <.003 3.40 <.040 <.100 124,720 .024 .002 22.2 <.008 <.010 .042 .471 5.12 <.003 3.57 <.040 <.100 135,136 .012 <.002 22.5 <.008 <.010 .018 .442 5.39 <.003 3.28 <.040 <.100 125,910 <.010 <.002 21.2 <.008 <.010 .025 .448 5.10 <.003 3.46 <.040 <.100 126,086 .017 <.002 21.4 <.008 <.010 .030 .476 5.15 <.003 3.60 <.040 <.100 136,395 .046 .005 20.2 <.008 <.010 .041 .476 5.11 <.003 3.76 <.040 <.100 136,757 .039 <.002 20.5 <.008 <.010 .040 .494 5.16 <.003 3.84 <.040 <.100 137,107 .042 <.002 20.7 <.008 <.010 .039 .494 5.16 <.003 3.85 <.040 <.100 137,425 .017 .008 22.8 <.008 <.010 .026 .497 5.36 <.003 3.70 <.040 <.100 137,745 .012 .008 22.6 <.008 <.010 .028 .491 5.30 <.003 3.69 <.040 <.100 138,090 .021 .004 23.2 <.008 <.010 .027 .499 5.41 <.003 3.81 <.040 <.100 138,247 .048 .002 21.8 <.008 <.010 .045 .523 5.35 <.003 4.06 <.040 <.100 138,379 .066 .009 18.8 <.008 <.010 .071 .506 4.93 <.003 4.26 <.040 <.100 148,501 .032 .004 20.2 <.008 <.010 .058 .484 4.96 <.003 4.07 <.040 <.100 14

Soda Butte Creek, total-recoverable concentrations 

-10 <.028 <.002 36.5 <.010 <.012 <.014 .611 6.68 <.003 1.16 <.050 <.130 10

35 <.028 <.002 36.2 <.010 <.012 <.014 .610 6.63 <.003 1.13 <.050 <.130 1085 <.028 <.002 36.2 <.010 <.012 <.014 .604 6.61 <.003 1.13 <.050 <.130 10

133 <.028 .003 36.6 <.010 <.012 <.014 .615 6.64 <.003 1.12 <.050 <.130 10168 <.028 <.002 36.5 <.010 <.012 <.014 .630 6.66 <.003 1.18 <.050 <.130 10232 .035 .009 36.4 <.010 <.012 .033 .671 6.67 <.003 1.15 <.050 <.130 10322 .042 <.002 37.0 <.010 <.012 .041 .676 6.76 <.003 1.13 <.050 <.130 10372 <.028 <.002 40.3 <.010 <.012 .035 .726 7.36 <.003 1.24 <.050 <.130 11445 .035 <.002 37.1 <.010 <.012 .039 .675 6.80 <.003 1.17 <.050 <.130 10505 .049 <.002 35.9 <.010 <.012 .053 .665 6.52 <.003 1.09 <.050 <.130 10

565A <.028 .010 36.3 <.010 <.012 .009 .630 6.56 <.003 1.13 <.050 <.130 10

565B .047 <.002 36.3 <.010 <.012 .054 .666 6.60 <.003 1.10 <.050 <.130 10
Appendix C. Dissolved and total-recoverable constituent concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte Creek and inflows, Mo

August 20, 1999--Continued 

Alumi- Potas- Magne- Manga- 

Distance num Arsenic Calcium Cadmium Copper Iron sium sium nese Sodium Nickel Lead Sil

Soda Butte Creek, total-recoverable concentrations-Continued 

642 0.049 0.005 39.4 <0.010 <0.012 0.552 0.711 7.15 0.037 1.11 <0.050 <0.130 10698 .061 <.002 40.0 <.010 <.012 .539 .719 7.28 .038 1.11 <.050 <.130 10760 <.028 .008 43.1 <.010 <.012 1.24 .783 7.98 .063 1.16 <.050 <.130 10820 .051 .006 43.7 <.010 <.012 1.30 .827 8.09 .064 1.15 <.050 <.130 10940 .045 <.002 40.0 <.010 <.012 .746 .777 7.17 .049 1.05 <.050 <.130 10

1,028 <.028 <.002 40.4 <.010 <.012 .904 .728 7.23 .041 1.08 <.050 <.130 101,148 <.028 <.002 40.6 <.010 <.012 .833 .732 7.19 .038 1.07 <.050 <.130 101,323 .047 <.002 40.0 <.010 <.012 .631 .770 7.10 .045 1.04 <.050 <.130 101,529 <.028 <.002 40.1 <.010 <.012 .724 .734 7.02 .035 1.05 <.050 <.130 101,679 .043 .008 39.9 <.010 <.012 .581 .771 7.10 .043 1.06 <.050 <.130 101,785 <.028 .005 40.7 <.010 <.012 .640 .784 7.19 .032 1.07 <.050 <.130 101,922 .380 <.002 13.3 <.010 <.012 .824 .451 3.89 <.003 4.87 <.050 <.130 192,172 .518 <.002 13.4 <.010 <.012 .915 .476 3.96 <.003 4.90 <.050 <.130 202,422 .392 .002 13.3 <.010 <.012 .809 .448 3.89 <.003 4.82 <.050 <.130 192,692 .340 <.002 15.3 <.010 <.012 .737 .444 4.26 <.003 4.74 <.050 <.130 182,858 .320 <.002 16.9 <.010 <.012 .690 .466 4.47 <.003 4.62 <.050 <.130 183,052 .323 .004 17.2 <.010 <.012 .551 .507 4.81 <.003 4.49 <.050 <.130 183,190 .277 <.002 17.2 <.010 <.012 .530 .506 4.79 <.003 4.47 <.050 <.130 183,490 .271 <.002 18.9 <.010 <.012 .598 .500 4.92 <.003 4.45 <.050 <.130 183,720 .211 .007 18.9 <.010 <.012 .440 .453 5.15 <.003 3.82 <.050 <.130 154,020 .196 .004 19.9 <.010 <.012 .395 .457 5.10 <.003 3.71 <.050 <.130 154,420 .180 .008 21.4 <.010 <.012 .343 .522 5.36 .005 3.51 <.050 <.130 154,720 .182 .010 21.3 <.010 <.012 .326 .529 5.33 .003 3.51 <.050 <.130 155,136 .153 <.002 22.3 <.010 <.012 .300 .528 5.73 .003 3.43 <.050 <.130 145,910 .193 .002 21.3 <.010 <.012 .349 .533 5.51 .004 3.60 <.050 <.130 146,086 .192 <.002 21.2 <.010 <.012 .375 .502 5.46 <.003 3.69 <.050 <.130 146,395 .201 <.002 21.3 <.010 <.012 .359 .502 5.44 <.003 3.68 <.050 <.130 146,757 .210 .008 20.7 <.010 <.012 .327 .528 5.42 <.003 3.89 <.050 <.130 15

APPENDIX C 59 
60 Appendix C. Dissolved and total-recoverable constituent concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte Creek and inflows, Mo

August 20, 1999--Continued 

METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 

Alumi- Potas- Magne- Manga- 

Distance num Arsenic Calcium Cadmium Copper Iron sium sium nese Sodium Nickel Lead Sil

Soda Butte Creek, total-recoverable concentrations--Continued 

7,107 0.198 <0.002 20.8 <0.010 <0.012 .308 0.529 5.40 <0.003 3.84 <0.050 <0.130 157,425 .294 <.002 21.3 <.010 <.012 .381 .562 5.52 <.003 4.02 <.050 <.130 167,745 .207 <.002 21.2 <.010 <.012 .299 .535 5.44 <.003 3.94 <.050 <.130 148,090 .172 .002 21.5 <.010 <.012 .281 .534 5.49 <.003 4.05 <.050 <.130 158,247 .206 <.002 21.8 <.010 <.012 .302 .550 5.57 <.003 4.05 <.050 <.130 158,379 .368 <.002 19.0 <.010 <.012 .506 .559 5.09 <.003 4.28 <.050 <.130 178,501 .252 <.002 19.9 <.010 <.012 .517 .526 5.11 <.003 4.09 <.050 <.130 16

Inflows, dissolved (0.45 μm filter) concentrations 

146 .089 <.002 34.9 <.008 <.010 .109 .725 6.63 <.003 1.19 <.040 <.100 11195 <.010 <.002 38.2 <.008 <.010 .025 .666 6.26 <.003 1.08 <.040 <.100 12455 <.010 <.002 26.3 <.008 <.010 <.010 .553 3.69 <.003 .795 <.040 <.100 8569 8.96 <.002 49.4 <.008 1.90 2.10 1.56 14.4 1.59 1.71 .047 <.100 47605 .603 <.002 273 .008 .127 7.33 3.22 55.3 8.26 3.06 .163 <.100 25607 2.47 <.002 232 .008 .149 5.3 3.90 56.2 5.29 2.91 .114 <.100 30619 .482 <.002 153 <.008 <.010 56.1 5.92 29.5 1.62 1.85 <.040 <.100 22620 <.010 <.002 60.3 <.008 <.010 <.010 .769 9.81 <.003 1.22 <.040 <.100 11643 <.010 <.002 59.2 <.008 <.010 11.9 3.06 14.7 1.85 1.35 <.040 <.100 13683 <.010 <.002 85.3 <.008 <.010 .057 1.04 15.4 .157 1.54 <.040 <.100 13710 <.010 <.002 114 <.008 <.010 15.2 3.97 25.5 1.08 1.83 <.040 <.100 13825 <.010 <.002 26.3 <.008 <.010 <.010 .519 3.70 <.003 .773 <.040 <.100 8970 <.010 <.002 43.8 <.008 <.010 <.010 .730 5.86 <.003 .970 <.040 <.100 9

1,037 <.010 <.002 37.4 <.008 <.010 <.010 .689 4.94 <.003 .942 <.040 <.100 91,859 .083 <.002 8.74 <.008 <.010 .129 .363 2.85 <.003 5.41 <.040 <.100 182,572 .034 <.002 49.5 <.008 <.010 .020 .876 14.6 <.003 1.21 <.040 <.100 122,792 .120 .017 34.3 <.008 .036 .138 1.44 6.89 .020 4.30 <.040 <.100 142,885 .037 <.002 38.0 <.008 <.010 .027 .902 15.4 <.003 1.20 <.040 <.100 113,204 <.010 .010 31.8 <.008 <.010 <.010 .569 8.84 <.003 3.32 <.040 <.100 103,623 <.010 <.002 18.6 <.008 <.010 <.010 .306 5.43 <.003 1.74 <.040 <.100 7
Appendix C. Dissolved and total-recoverable constituent concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte Creek and inflows, Mo

August 20, 1999--Continued 

Alumi- Potas- Magne- Manga- 

Distance num Arsenic Calcium Cadmium Copper Iron sium sium nese Sodium Nickel Lead Sil

Inflows, dissolved (0.45 μm filter) concentrations--Continued 

4,110 <0.010 <0.002 28.0 <0.008 <0.010 <0.010 0.432 5.99 <0.003 1.66 <0.040 <0.100 94,886 .024 <.002 29.0 <.008 <.010 .019 .616 11.8 <.003 1.48 <.040 <0100 85,171 <.010 <.002 28.9 <.008 <.010 <.010 .504 6.01 <.003 4.08 <.040 <.100 125,568 .180 <.002 4.65 <.008 <.010 .368 .315 1.73 <.003 6.43 <.040 <.100 196,419 .019 .009 32.3 <.008 <.010 .019 1.22 9.02 <.003 6.25 <.040 <.100 88,117 .636 .003 5.56 <.008 <.010 1.56 .505 3.22 <.003 5.98 <.040 <.100 318,267 .188 <.002 2.23 <.008 <.010 .456 .362 1.33 <.003 5.55 <.040 <.100 208,387 .010 .007 21.8 <.008 <.010 .011 .582 5.53 <.003 7.64 <.040 <.100 14

Inflows, total-recoverable concentrations 

146 6.52 <.002 41.9 <.010 .074 9.10 1.87 9.01 .435 1.71 <.050 <.130 40195 6.09 <.002 39.7 .012 .291 55.3 4.85 8.95 .127 1.97 <.050 <.130 58455 .032 .013 25.6 <.010 <.012 0.027 .616 3.70 <.003 .753 <.050 <.130 8569 122 <.002 52.8 .063 6.08 418 4.86 27.1 2.60 2.81 .200 .603 187 605 9.54 <.002 279 .016 .558 45.4 4.30 59.7 7.74 3.82 .178 <.130 59607 6.52 <.002 234 .015 .255 71.5 4.54 59.1 5.03 3.36 .116 <.130 48619 .926 <.002 150 .010 .021 60.0 5.99 29.7 1.62 1.83 <.050 <.130 25620 <.028 <.002 60.8 <.010 <.012 <.014 .788 10.2 <.003 1.25 <.050 <.130 11643 1.46 <.002 72.8 <.010 .086 31.6 3.86 18.7 2.35 1.66 <.050 <.130 19683 .149 <.002 86.4 <.010 <.012 2.62 1.08 16.0 .156 1.60 <.050 <.130 14710 .032 <.002 113 <.010 <.012 24.0 3.94 25.4 1.08 1.78 <.050 <.130 14825 <.028 <.002 25.6 <.010 <.012 <.014 .531 3.71 <.003 .748 <.050 <.130 8970 <.028 .004 43.2 <.010 <.012 <.014 .745 6.00 <.003 1.02 <.050 <.130 9

1,037 <.028 <.002 37.1 <.010 <.012 <.014 .712 5.07 <.003 .998 <.050 <.130 91,859 .451 <.002 9.41 <.010 <.012 .885 .421 3.41 <.003 5.49 <.050 <.130 212,572 .069 <.002 52.3 <.010 <.012 .035 .897 14.7 <.003 1.22 <.050 <.130 112,792 <.028 .006 38.5 <.010 <.012 <.014 .667 6.97 <.003 4.08 <.050 <.130 142,885 .063 <.002 37.6 <.010 <.012 .048 .895 15.1 <.003 1.17 <.050 <.130 10

APPENDIX C 61 
62 Appendix C. Dissolved and total-recoverable constituent concentrations in synoptic samples from Soda Butte Creek and inflo

ws, Mo

A

ugust 2

0, 1999--Contin

ued 

METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE Alumi- Potas- Magne- Manga- 

Distance num 

Arsenic Calcium Cadmium Copper Iron sium sium nese Sodium Nickel Lead Sil

Inflo

ws, total-recoverable concentrations--Contin

ued 

3,204 <0.028 0.005 31.1 <0.010 <0.012 <0.014 0.553 8.91 <0.003 3.36 <0.050 <0.130 103,623 .035 <.002 17.2 <.010 <.012 .033 .331 5.36 <.003 1.90 <.050 <.130 84,110 .036 <.002 26.7 <.010 <.012 .023 .476 6.04 <.003 1.76 <.050 <.130 104,886 <.028 <.002 29.3 <.010 <.012 .027 .592 11.8 <.003 1.51 <.050 <.130 75,171 .042 .003 28.8 <.010 <.012 .050 .523 6.18 <.003 4.11 <.050 <.130 135,568 .642 <.002 4.94 <.010 <.012 1.44 .501 2.58 .011 6.57 <.050 <.130 266,419 .964 <.002 31.8 <.010 <.012 .915 1.40 9.41 .004 6.31 <.050 <.130 148,117 .890 <.002 5.83 <.010 <.012 1.86 .521 3.42 <.003 5.98 <.050 <.130 308,267 .862 <.002 2.53 <.010 <.012 1.58 .460 2.17 <.003 5.55 <.050 <.130 268,387 .101 <.002 20.3 <.010 <.012 .087 .592 5.47 <.003 7.69 <.050 <.130 14
APPENDIX D


ANALYSIS OF WATER SAMPLES COLLECTED AT U.S. 


GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GAGING STATION 06187915, 


WATER YEAR 1999


APPENDIX D 63 

--

--

--

-- --

Appendix D. Analysis of water samples collected at U.S. Geological Survey gaging station 06187915, water year 1999 

(Modified from Swanson and others, 2000, p. 424-426) 

[All units as milligrams per liter unless otherwise indicated; ft3/s, cubic feet per second; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; OC, 

degrees Celsius; mm of Hg, millimeters of mercury; --, missing data; <, less than minimum reporting level; E, estimated} 

Barometric HardSpecific pH Air Water pres- Oxygen, ness, Calcium, CalDis- conduc- (stan- tempera- temper- sure Oxygen, dis- total total cium, 

charge tance dard ture ature (mm of dis- solved (mg/L as recover- disDate Time (ft

3/s) (μS/cm) units) (oC) (oC) Hg) solved (percent) CaCO3) able solved 

01-21- 1000 2.0 238 7.7 -3.0 0.0 570 12.0 110 120 34 34 

02-09- 1400 2.6 240 7.7 .5 .5 569 11.1 103 120 34 34 

03-03- 1400 1.8 266 7.7 .0 .0 579 12.2 110 110 33 32 

04-05- 1500 2.4 236 8.3 .0 2.0 572 11.3 109 110 33.9 33 

05-14- 1100 E20 219 8.3 3.5 4.0 580 10.4 105 110 31.7 30 

05-25- 1215 213 121 8.1 21.0 6.0 583 8.6 91 54 16.8 16 

06-08- 1330 261 130 7.8 3.0 5.0 576 10.1 105 60 16.9 18 

06-22- 0800 545 81 7.9 10.0 3.5 574 10.5 105 34 15.8 10 

07-13- 1530 294 81 7.7 30.0 10.5 580 10.8 128 33 9.6 

08-10- 0800 45 140 8.1 17.0 6.0 582 12.4 130 64 18.4 19 

09-13- 0930 19 180 8.1 6.0 1.5 585 10.4 96 79 23.3 23 

Alkalinity, Alkalinity, 

Magne- Potas- Bicar- dis- dissium, Magne- Sodium, Sodium sium, Potas- bonate, solved, solved, Chlototal sium, total Sodium, adsorp- total sium field field lab Sulfate, ride, 

recover- dis- recover- dis- tion recover- dis- (as (as (as dis- disDate able solved able solved ratio able solved HCO3) CaCO3) CaCO3) solved solved 

01-21- 8.0 7.5 3.0 4.1 0.2 0.5 0.5 139 114 10 0.4 

02-09- 7.2 7.5 4.9 3.9 .2 .4 .5 143 117 11 .4 

03-03- 8.4 7.2 4.5 4.1 .2 .5 .5 142 116 10 .5 

04-05- 7.5 7.6 4.4 4.4 .2 .4 .5 151 124 116 9.7 .5 

05-14- 7.3 7.2 3.8 4.0 .2 .5 .6 124 102 108 11 .4 

05-25- 4.8 3.6 3.6 3.5 .2 .5 .3 65 54 59 5.0 .5 

06-08- 4.5 4.0 3.4 3.3 .2 .5 .5 74 61 63 4.3 .3 

06-22- 6.8 2.2 3.3 2.6 .2 1.2 .3 46 38 40 2.4 .1 

07-13- 2.8 2.2 3.2 3.1 .2 5.5 .3 45 37 38 2.6 .5 

08-10- 4.7 4.4 3.8 4.0 .2 .4 .4 82 67 68 5.7 .2 

09-13- 6.2 5.5 4.3 3.9 .2 .4 .4 85 7.4 E.2 

APPENDIX D 65 

9.6 
--

-- -- --

Appendix D. Analysis of water samples collected at U.S. Geological Survey gaging station 06187915, water 

year 1999--Continued 

DisDis- solved Dis- Dissolved solids, solved solved Nitrogen, Nitrogen,


Silica, solids, sum of solids, solids, Nitrogen, Nitrogen, Nitrogen, ammonia ammonia 


Fluoride, dissolved residue constitu- (tons per (tons per- nitrite, No2+No3, ammonia, + organic, + organic,


Date dissolved (as SiO2) (at 180oC) ents acre-feet) day dissolved dissolved dissolved total dissolved


01-21- <0.1 11 148 136 0.20 0.80 <0.01 0.14 0.02 <0.1 <0.1


02-09- <.1 10 145 139 .20 1.02 <.01 .12 <.02 E.06 E.06


03-03- <.1 9.6 144 135 .20 .70 <.01 .10 <.02 E.05 <.1


04-05- <.1 9.2 140 140 .19 .92 <.01 <.05 .02 E.08 E.06


05-14- <.1 9.1 130 124 .02 <.01 <.05 <.02 E.07 <.1


05-25- <.1 9.2 96 70 .13 55.2 <.01 .08 <.02 .2 E.09


06-08- <.1 10 90 77 .12 63.4 <.01 .05 <.02 .1 E.09


06-22- <.1 8.5 40 49 .05 58.9 <.01 <.05 <.02 .4 <.1


07-13- <.1 9.4 55 50 .07 43.7 <.01 <.05 <.02 1 <.1


08-10- <.1 11 84 85 .11 10.2 <.01 <.05 <.02 E.06 <.1


09-13- <.1 11 95 <.01 <.05 <.02 E.08 E.08


Phos- Alumi- BerylPhos- phorus, num, Alumi- Anti- lium, BerylPhos- phorus, ortho, total num, Anti- mony, Arsenic, Barium, total lium, 

phorus, dis- dis- recover- dis- mony, dis- Arsenic, dis- dis- recover- disDate total solved solved able solved total solved total solved solved able solved 

01-21- 0.025 0.025 0.02 0.200 0.001 <0.001 <0.001 0.001 <0.001 0.019 <0.010 <0.001


02-09- .025 .024 .02 .02 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 .018 <.010 <.001


03-03- .026 .022 .02 E.014 <.001 <.001 <.001 .001 <.001 .017 <.010 <.001


04-05- .021 .018 .02 .058 .002 <.001 <.001 .001 <.001 .017 <.004 <.001


05-14- .017 .012 .01 .078 .002 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 .021 <.004 <.001


05-25- .094 .034 .03 <.028 .001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 .012 <.004 <.001


06-08- .051 .029 .03 .541 .008 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 .014 <.004 <.001


06-22- .34 .029 .03 4.640 .015 <.001 <.001 .004 <.001 .007 <.004 <.001


07-13- .072 .035 .04 .600 .007 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 .008 <.004 <.001


08-10- .045 .035 .03 .236 .003 <.001 <.001 <.001 .002 .013 <.004 <.001


09-13- .034 .029 .03 .197 .002 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 .016 <.005 <.001


66 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
--

--

Appendix D. Analysis of water samples collected at U.S. Geological Survey gaging station 06187915, water 

year 1999--Continued 

Cad- Chromium, mium, Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Lead, 

water Cad- total Chro- total total total total 

unfilterd mium, recover- mium, recover- Cobalt, recover- Copper, recover- Iron, recoverDate total dissolved able dissolved able dissolved albe dissolved able dissolved able 

01-21- <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 0.002 <0.001 <0.001 <0.010 <0.001 0.060 <0.010 <0.001


02-09- <.001 <.001 <.001 .004 <.001 <.001 .010 <.001 .050 <.010 <.001


03-03- <.001 <.001 <.001 .007 <.001 <.001 <.010 <.001 .050 <.010 <.001


04-05- <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.012 <.001 .084 <.010 <.001


05-14- <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.010 <.001 .198 <.010 <.001


05-25- <.001 <.001 .0015 <.001 .002 <.001 E.011 .002 1.730 .016 .001


06-08- <.001 <.001 .0013 <.001 <.001 <.012 .001 .842 .015 <.001


06-22- <.001 <.001 .0048 <.001 .005 <.001 .022 .002 6.260 .012 .013


07-13- <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.012 <.001 .753 E.009 <.001


08-10- <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.012 <.001 .395 <.010 <.001


09-13- <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.020 <.001 .445 <.010 <.001


Manga- MolybdeLithium, nese, Mercury, num, Nickel, 

total total Manga- total total Molybde- total SeleLead, dis- recover- recover- nese, recover- Mercury, recover- num, recover- Nickel, nium, 

Date solved able able dissolved able dissolved able dissolve able dissolved total 

01-21- <0.001 <0.010 <0.010 <0.001 <0.0001 0.0015 0.001 <0.001 <0.001 0.001


02-09- <.001 <.010 <.010 <.001 <.0001 <.0001 .0016 .001 <.001 <.001 <.001


03-03- <.001 <.010 <.010 <.001 <.0001 <.0001 .0014 <.001 <.001 .001 <.001


04-05- <.001 <.012 <.003 <.001 <.0001 <.0001 .0014 .001 <.001 <.001 <.001


05-14- <.001 <.016 .0068 .003 <.0001 <.0001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001


05-25- <.001 <.012 .0377 .003 .0001 <.0001 <.001 <.001 .005 <.001 <.001


06-08- <.001 <.012 .0180 .002 <.0001 <.0001 <.001 <.001 .002 <.001 <.001


06-22- <.001 <.012 .210 .003 .0001 <.0001 <.001 <.001 .013 <.001 <.001


07-13- <.001 <.012 <.0151 .001 <.0002 <.0001 <.001 <.001 ..002 <.001 <.001


08-10- <.001 <.012 <.0070 .002 <.0001 <.0001 <.001 <.001 <.001 .001 <.001


09-13- <.001 <.007 <.0056 .002 <.0001 <.0001 <.0016 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001


APPENDIX D 67 
--

Appendix D. Analysis of water samples collected at U.S. Geological Survey gaging station 06187915, water 

year 1999--Continued 

Sediment 

Stron- disSilver, tium, Zinc, Carbon, Sedi- charge, 

Sele- total total total Uranium Carbon, organic ment, susnium, recover- Silver, recover- recover- Zinc, natural, organic sus- sus- pended 

Date dissolved able dissolved able able dissolved dissolved dissolved pended pended (tons/day) 

01-21- <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 0.100 <0.010 <0.001 <0.001 0.6 0.2 1 0.01 

02-09- .001 <.001 <.001 .140 <.010 .001 <.001 .7 <.2 1 .01 

03-03- <.001 <.001 <.001 .130 <.010 .001 <.001 .6 <.2 1 .00 

04-05- <.001 <.001 <.001 .134 E.0311 <.001 <.001 .7 .2 1 .01 

05-14- <.001 <.001 <.001 .117 E.0302 <.001 <.001 1.2 <.2 1 

05-25- <.001 <.001 <.001 .0686 <.040 <.001 <.001 2.2 .6 55 32 

06-08- <.001 <.001 <.001 .0650 <.040 .001 <.001 2.3 .3 23 16 

06-22- <.001 <.001 <.001 .0759 E.0233 <.001 <.001 1.6 1.3 289 425 

07-13- <.001 <.001 <.001 .0413 <.040 <.001 <.001 .9 <.2 27 21 

08-10- .001 <.001 <.001 .0715 <.040 .002 <.001 .7 .2 3 .36 

09-13- <.001 <.001 <.001 .0884 <.031 <.001 <.001 .9 <.2 2 .10 

68 METAL LOADING IN SODA BUTTE 
Boughton — Metal Loading in Soda Butte Creek Upstream of Yellowstone National Park, Montana and Wyoming — WRIR 01-4170