The first event in Tuleyome’s new Monumental Activities series is a guided tour of Corona/Twin Peaks Mercury Mine.
The tour will meet in the Big 5 parking lot (1301 W Covell Blvd, Davis) and will caravan to the mine – about 2 hours away. The hike is moderate to difficult, over uneven terrain and could be challenging depending on the amount of rain we receive and the amount of leaves on the ground. When we reach the mine, Dr. Stephen McCord of McCord Environmental, Inc., and Dr. Vic Claassen of UC Davis, will inform participants of the pioneering work being done to help reduce the amount of mercury eroding with sediments and other elements draining into local waterways. Click here to learn more about the project.
Please be prepared to spend about 4 hours onsite – pack a picnic lunch and have plenty of water.
Price for this event is $25/person plus credit card fee. (Note: credit card fee can be avoided by sending a check to Tuleyome, 607 North St, Woodland, CA 95695.)
If you have questions, contact Nate Lillge at nlillge@tuleyome.org.
Note: All participants agree to abide by the terms and conditions of Tuleyome’s waiver of liability which can be seen and downloaded HERE. All participants also understand that photographs will be taken at the event. If you do not wish to be photographed, you must tell the photographer and avoid the cameras’ line of sight.
Some information on mercury mining in the region:
From the 1850’s into the 1970’s mercury deposits were mined in the upper Cache Creek and Putah Creek watersheds and processed to produce the elemental form known as “quicksilver.” Mercury mined in this region was used during the Gold Rush throughout much of the Sierra Nevada to amalgamate and recover gold particles from ore and placer deposits. More recently, mercury was mined during World War II for ammunitions and in the 1950-1970 period when mercury was used in hearing aids.
Most of the creeks and lakes in the Cache Creek and Putah Creek watersheds are “impaired” by mercury contamination. In waterways, elemental forms of mercury can be converted to methylmercury, a highly toxic and bioaccumulative form that is typically 10-million fold more concentrated in predatory fish than in the water.
