Railroad Creek monitoring

Railroad Creek flows from the eastern slope of the North Cascades into Lake Chelan. Runoff from the former Holden Mine site has degraded water quality and stream biology over the past several decades. Our scientists are studying how the mine remediation work affects aquatic life uses over time.

A preview of the story map showing some of the tabs available, like results and site photos, with a background image of Railroad Creek with remediation construction in progress.

Monitoring results

Explore the project's background and study results in this interactive story map.

Long-term monitoring plan

We are studying Railroad Creek over the long term to assess aquatic life uses at the Holden mine site.

We're measuring watershed health at multiple locations surrounding the mine site by sampling stream biological communities, water, and sediment, as well as making physical habitat measurements.

By working upstream and downstream from the mine as well as at the mine site, we are able to see how the stream's health changes as it moves from the pristine upper watershed, through the mine clean-up area, and onward to Lake Chelan.

2013: First visit, construction began. 2015: Sampling during remediation. 2017: Construction ends. 2018: second sampling. 2021+: follow-up — Timeline for the Railroad Creek monitoring project

RR Creek remediation site with bulldozer, large granite blocks, culverts, and sandbags. — Ongoing mine remediation work at the Holden mine site on Railroad Creek, 2015

Contact information

Scott Collyard
Monitoring Project Manager
Environmental Assessment Program
scott.collyard@ecy.wa.gov
360-522-3996

John Zinza
Cleanup Project Manager
Toxics Cleanup Program
john.zinza@ecy.wa.gov
509-225-0304

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Railroad Creek monitoring

Monitoring results

Long-term monitoring plan

Related links

Contact information