Geochemical models of the impact of acidic groundwater and evaporative sulfate salts on Boulder Creek at Iron Mountain, California

During dry season baseflow conditions approximately 20% of the flow in Boulder Creek is comprised of acidic metals-bearing groundwater. Significant amounts of efflorescent salts accumulate around intermittent seeps and surface streams as a result of evaporation of acid rock drainage. Those salts include the Fe-sulfates — rhomboclase ((H3O)Fe3+(SO4)2·3H2O), ferricopiapite (Fe3+5(SO4)6O(OH)·20H2O), and bilinite (Fe2+Fe23+(SO4)4·22H2O); Al-sulfates — alunogen (Al2(SO4)3·17H2O) and kalinite (KAl(SO4)2·11H2O); and Ca- and Mg-sulfates — gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), and hexahydrite (MgSO4·6H2O). The dissolution of evaporative sulfate salt accumulations during the first major storm of the wet season at Iron Mountain produces a characteristic hydrogeochemical response (so-called “rinse-out”) in surface waters that is subdued in later storms. Geochemical modeling shows that the solutes from relatively minor amounts of dissolved sulfate salts will maintain the pH of surface streams near 3.0 during a rainstorm. On a weight basis, Fe-sulfate salts are capable of producing more acidity than Al- or Mg-sulfate salts. The primary mechanism for the production of acidity from salts involves the hydrolysis of the dissolved dissolved metals, especially Fe3+. In addition to the lowering of pH values and providing dissolved Fe and Al to surface streams, the soluble salts appear to be a significant source of dissolved Cu, Zn, and other metals during the first significant storm of the season.