This view upstream is at the beginning of our study reach where the creek normally flowed along the right-hand side in a narrow channel. The texture of the manganese precipitates at Pinal Creek ranges from fine, crumbly materials found in the root structures of aquatic plants to asphalt-like concretions, to completely cemented manganese coated crusts. This site is about 800 m below the start of the perennial reach where contaminated ground water first emerges. The bank that the bottles are sitting on is about 60 cm high and has manganese precipitates distributed from top to the bottom. Pinal Creek MnOX algae Manganese precipitates are not just associated with the sediments.
Mosses growing in the creek have manganese oxide plaques on their exterior tissues.
Moss samples collected from different sites and analyzed for manganese indicate that up to 20 percent by weight of a sample is manganese. Pinal Creek O 2 production Mosses can also be significant sources of oxygen due to photosynthesis. The bubbles turned off when the sun retreats behind clouds or an area is intentionally shaded.