EPA Statement on Water Quality Data Collected in the San Juan River between Farmington and Shiprock, New Mexico
SHIPROCK, NEW MEXICO - Today, EPA has released additional water quality data from Aug. 7 to Aug. 11, 2015, on the San Juan River between Farmington and Shiprock, New Mexico. The August 7 data was collected for baseline purposes to understand river conditions at the Hogback monitoring location, prior to the impact of the upstream contaminants from the Gold King Mine release.
To assess the impacts of the release at the Gold King Mine, water quality samples were collected at four locations for 24 metals. Each surface water sample was analyzed for metals including arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury.
Due to the highly variable conditions typical of this segment of the river, additional testing will be conducted, and we continue to work closely with the Navajo Nation EPA on assessing drinking water, agriculture, livestock, and other critical water needs.
Water quality data from Aug. 7 to Aug. 11, 2015, on the San Juan River between Farmington and Shiprock, New Mexico: