Long-Term Impact of Historical Mining on Water Quality at Mount Lyell, Western Tasmania, Australia

During the twentieth century, inadequate management of mine waste at the Mount Lyell Copper Mine affected the ecology of the Queen-King Rivers and Macquarie Harbour, western Tasmania, Australia. Over the past two decades, the water quality of the river system has been measured semi-annually to investigate the long-term hydrochemical and environmental impacts caused by these historical mine practices and the waste associated with the Mount Lyell mine to the Queen-King Rivers. At sample sites below the confluence of Haulage Creek, the water pH was below pH 3.5, remaining below pH 5 across all sites to Macquarie Harbour. Local baseline rivers ranged from pH 4.0 to 8.4. Elemental concentrations of dissolved metals in water samples downstream of Haulage Creek were above the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) water quality guidelines. Copper, Fe, and Zn were not attenuated along the length of the river, with concentrations remaining elevated to the King River Delta. Mineralogical analyses demonstrated secondary minerals in sediments at Haulage Creek and pyrite concentrated at the King River Delta. Static tests on mining-affected sediments indicated risk of AMD and metal(loid) leaching in the river system. Since 2016, after flooding of the Prince Lyell mine, dissolved metal levels in the Queen-King Rivers have decreased; however, concentrations remain above guidelines. Almost three decades after legacy mine waste disposal ended, it still poses a long-term risk to the downstream environment, implying that without effective management of these historical mine wastes, the Queen-King Rivers will continue to be severely impacted.

Automated summary

Inadequate management of mine waste at Mount Lyell Copper Mine in western Tasmania has negatively impacted the Queen-King Rivers and Macquarie Harbour. Water quality in the river system has been monitored every six months for the past two decades to investigate the long-term hydrochemical and environmental effects of historical mine practices and waste. The presence of dissolved metals and the low pH levels in the water indicate ongoing contamination and a risk to the downstream environment.