USGS · 70175377
Mercury-contaminated sediments in the North Bay: A legacy of the Gold Rush
Abstract
A legacy of the Gold Rush is mercury-contaminated sediments in the Bay. Miners used mercury to extract gold from tailings during the gold rush. A large amount of this mercury (some estimates are as great as 10,000 tons) was lost during extraction to the watershed during the gold rush era. This mercury-contaminated hydraulic mining debris made its way to the Bay.
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Bruce E. Jaffe. 2001. Mercury-contaminated sediments in the North Bay: A legacy of the Gold Rush. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70175377
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