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San Francisco Bay Delta

Removing Mercury in the Guadalupe River Watershed Project

This project will reduce mercury entering the Guadalupe watershed and San Francisco Bay by remediating the last two high priority mine waste sites in the Almaden Quicksilver County Park in Santa Clara County. Remediation of three miles of calcine (roasted mercury ore) paved roads, where mercury concentrations range from 33 mg/kg to 233 mg/kg, will be completed by 2015. A 25% design for remediation at Jacques Gulch is the next critical step needed in developing accurate cost estimates for implementation and solidifying multi agency support for the project called for in the Guadalupe River Watershed Mercury TMDL.

Project Facts

Recipient: San Francisco Estuary Partnership/ABAG
Funding: $800,000 (non-federal match = $800,000)
Project Period: October 2013 – December 2015
Partners: Santa Clara County Parks, Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the San Francisco Estuary Institute

Environmental Results Summary: Removing Mercury in the Guadalupe River Watershed Project - Remediating Calcine Paved Roads and Jacques Gulch

OUTPUTS (Activities, efforts, and/or work product during project period)

OUTCOMES (Environmental results)

SHORT-TERM
(1-5 yrs)

LONG-TERM
(5-20+yrs)

Remove all calcine- (roasted mercury ore) paved roads, approximately 3 miles, within the Almaden Quicksilver County Park with heavy equipment and permanently dispose of it in the San Francisco Open Cut within the park boundaries

Develop 25% design plans for remediating the Upper Jacques Gulch calcine features

Remediate all calcine-paved roads features, sequestering an estimated 24.83 - 263 kg of mercury within the San Francisco Open Cut

Address Guadalupe River Watershed and San Francisco Bay Mercury TMDL goals by reducing mercury inputs in the Guadalupe River Watershed from mine waste and mercury-laden sediments

Full List of Project Summaries