Cleaning up the mess

When the Blue River turned bright orange for a few hours last year, it was the first time many visitors - and even local residents - realized that the bustling gold and silver mines of yesteryear still can have a tangible impact on day-to-day life in Summit County.

The message hit home again this year in early August, when a rainstorm sent a surge of chocolate-brown sediment and pollution sweeping down Peru Creek and into the Snake River, killing hundreds of stocked trout. Most of the fish in the stream may have died within just a few days, according to Colorado Division of Wildlife biologist Jon Ewart, who tied the fish kill to a sudden change in acidity.

Local officials have long known that the abandoned shafts and tunnels are the perfect breeding ground for a toxic witch's brew of heavy metals. And while the risk to human health is often described as minimal, the metals - especially zinc - have a measurable impact on aquatic life.

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