Second Successful Gold King Mine Conference Hosted by NM WRRI (continued)

By Jesslyn Ratliff, NM WRRI Program Specialist/ Water Science & Management Student Program Coordinator

A poster session was also part of the conference program and included 13 posters. The conference concluded with a panel session on making the community whole again in which the public was invited to attend free of charge. Panel discussion was influenced by questions and remarks that came from the audience.

Following the conference was a one-day field trip that explored various topics and issues in the Animas and San Juan watersheds of northern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado. Wonderful weather, beautiful vistas, and a wealth of information provided by experts on topics such as water quality, agriculture, history, mining, and Gold King Mine site remediation contributed to a successful and educational experience.

The conference planning committee consists of a collaboration of people from the following entities: NM Water Resources Research Institute, NM Environment Dept., U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, NM Tech, NM Office of Natural Resources Trustee, San Juan Soil & Water Conservation District, NM Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, City of Farmington, and San Juan Generating Station (PNM).

The 3rd annual Animas conference will take place in May or June of 2018.

Click here (https://animas.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/2017/speaker-slides/) for speaker presentations.