Historic
There are a few photos from when the mine was operating and shortly after closure which show the large lake of acid water and barren landscape left from mining activities.
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Acid lake 1974 (190kb)
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Quarry 1955 (230kb)
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Metallurgical plant
The metallurgical plant is where the minerals were processed during mining. This area has since been demolished and rehabilitated with native vegetation.
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Metallurgical plant (240kb)
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Metallurgical plant (310kb)
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Tailings storage facility
In the early days of rehabilitation the acid water from the tailings storage facility was pumped and treated at the lime neutralisation plant. Once this acid water was removed the site was planted out with native vegetation. The original trees are now mature and a substantial soil cover has developed.
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Tailings storage facility, 1973 (270kb)
Tailings storage facility, 1985 (350kb)
Tailings storage facility, 1992 (420kb)
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Tailings storage facility - face, December 1992 (340kb)
Tailings storage facility, 1997 (350kb)
Tailings storage facility - face, August 1999 (70kb)
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Gypsum sludge ponds
The underflow from the plant is a chemical precipitate of gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O, hydrated calcium sulphate). The pulp produced is pumped to the sludge ponds for further dewatering by evaporation. Annually, during summer, the sludge is removed from the ponds to establish a void for holding the coming year's production of precipitate. The excavated sludge has been carted to the main quarry bench where it is stacked and used as a clay-soil cover on the exposed rock bench. Trees and shrubs planted direct into the heaped sludge have shown exceptional progress since the first plantings in June 1999.
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Planting trees in sludge, 2000 (330kb)
Sludge pond, 2002 (330kb)
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Excavating sludge, 2002 (290kb)
Close-up of sludge, 2003 (190kb)
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Acid ponds
The tailings storage facility was constructed in a valley. One of the results of this is a small volume of acid water seeping through the lower end of the ‘historic valley’. This water is collected in ponds and pumped to the treatment plant for neutralising.
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Acid seepage pond, 2001 (320kb) |
Acid seepage pond, 2001 (360kb)
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Wells and pumps
There are numerous pumps near Dawesley Creek which pump acid water to the treatment plant.
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Collection of acid water to be pumped to plant, 2000 (340kb) |
Pump shed, 2001 (280kb)
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Temporal and spatial water quality monitoring
The determination of annual and seasonal loads of various chemical contaminants carried by Dawesley Creek is achieved by the continual logging of creek flow and the collection of flow-rate proportional composite samples at two hydrometric stations located above and below the mine site. Composite water samples are collected fortnightly for assay and the results are tabulated together with flow data.
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Solar powered downstream composite sampler and data logging station, 2001 (280kb) |
Water samples being collected from Dawesley Creek (270kb)
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Biological monitoring
Biological monitoring in the Dawesley Creek–Bremer River system commenced in September 1996 with the selection of six monitoring sites. A control is located upstream and five are downstream of the Brukunga mine site. Stream sampling is performed on a quarterly basis for PIRSA by a biologist from the Australian Water Quality Centre (AWQC).
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An AWQC biologist uses a net in the creek to collect macroinvertebrate (290kb) |
An AWQC biologist collecting samples of netted macroinvertebrates (270kb)
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University and school students
The Brukunga mine site has been highly used as an educational resource to School, TAFE and University students around the state.
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21st October 2002, Brighton Secondary School (320kb) |
3rd April 2003, Flinders University (280kb)
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