How does mining affect water resources?
1 Answer
Mining can pollute air, soil and water.
Explanation:
If you do not care about environmental quality, mining activities can cause water pollution. Let me give an example. In California, some people discovered gold (nearly 200 years ago) and mining became an important source of employment. Since miners needed water, they diverted water away from streams to other sites. However, riparian property right made zero provision for water to be diverted to other locations.
Due to logging and removal of upper green cover, if it is open mining activity, water will be contaminated with heavy metals, minerals, etc. in the future during mining and after retirement of mining sites.
There are many examples of this type of pollution. When sediment is contaminated even if mining site is managed properly, the contaminated sediment will be continuing pollution of downstream sites.
