California Gulch

Mining in the Leadville area began in 1859 when prospectors working in the channels of the Arkansas River tributaries discovered gold at the mouth of California Gulch.

[3] In 1876, piles of sand once considered bothersome to placer gold miners, were discovered to contain lead carbonates and were traced back to California Gulch.

[5] Mining, mineral processing, and smelting in and near Leadville produced gold, silver, lead, copper, manganese, and zinc for more than 130 years.

In 1998, EPA and the state of Colorado signed agreements to provide public access to open space near the Arkansas River.

The designation highlights the Upper Arkansas River's improved water quality and revitalized habitats for trout and other wildlife.

The Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up contaminated land and responding to environmental emergencies, oil spills and natural disasters in the United States.

This hazardous waste and low-pH water also reduced biological diversity and caused stress in the ecosystem, decreasing the trout populations.

[7][11] Since 1995, removal and remedial activities have been conducted through federal, state, and PRP actions to consolidate, contain and control more than 350,000 cubic yards of contaminated soils, sediments and mine-processing wastes.

Although risk may be low, blood lead levels are a major concern, especially for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children as contaminants can cause a variety of adverse health effects such as cell toxicity or neurodevelopmental defects.

[7] The next step in the cleanup process is to conduct a 5-year review to determine the success of the current plan in protecting human health and the environment.

These statistics indicate that the spill has not had a significant adverse impact on the growth for Leadville; however, it also highlights the need for ongoing monitoring and sustainable solutions for existing and expanding residents.

So we skipped over it.”[21] As a result of the clean up efforts and the Gold Medal designation, there were over 100,000 anglers fishing the Arkansas between Leadville and Parkdale in 2012.

Newspaper Leadville: Our wonderful mineral productions - hauling machinery in the mountains, near the timberline, at Leadville, 10,500 feet above the level of the sea
Grand or massive mountain, from near mouth of California Gulch, Sawatch Range . Photograph by William Henry Jackson , 1873.
The mining, milling and smelting process that transforms ores into precious metals creates many types of wastes, which contaminated land and waters in and around Leadville.
Map of California Gulch Superfund site, Operable Units and Deletion Status, March 31, 2016 EPA
EPA Superfund Sites in Reuse in Colorado - Sports Complex