A look back at some of the photos during the first days of the Gold King Mine spill
Kayakers, Dan Steaves, Eric Parker, and David Farkas, find themselves in the Animas River north of Durango on Thursday that is filled with toxic mine waste that flowed into the river from the Gold King Mine north of Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
he mineral flow in the Animas River made it to the north end of town after sunset on Thursday night. The water is filled with toxic mine waste that flowed into the river from the Gold King Mine north of Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Rayna Willhite, of Aztec, holds a bottle of water collected from the Animas River on Thursday near Bakers Bridge. The river is carrying mine waste from the Gold King Mine north of Silverton.. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
KOB-TV in Albuquerque flew over the Animas Valley on Thursday afternoon and captured the toxic wastewater in the Animas River. The wastewater, spilled from the Gold King Mine in Silverton, quickly wended its way downstream from Silverton to Durango. Courtesy of KOB-TV in Albuquerque
The water tastes like iron.” said Eric Parker as he floats down the Animas River near Bakers on Thursday morning after his group ended up in the toxic mine waste that flowed into the river form the Gold King Mine north of Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A partial under water image shows the deeper colors of the Animas River north of Durango on Thursday that is filled with toxic mine waste that flowed into the river from the Gold King Mine north of Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
An orange-colored discharge of sediment and minerals makes its way down the Animas River-Cement Creek junction about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in Silverton, about eight miles downstream from a blowout at the Gold King Mine in San Juan County. The contamination made its way to Bakers Bridge in La Plata County as of Thursday morning. Courtesy of Michael Constantine
The Animas River that has been the life blood of Durango flows through town on Friday afternoon carrying a toxic sludge of minerals the spilled form the Gold King Mine near Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Waters of the Animas River begin to recede revealing what the toxic sludge from the Gold King Mine has left on the bottom of the river on Friday near Oxbow Park north of Durango Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A panoramic view at dawn revealing contaminated water running through town in the Animas River. Herald file
The Gold King Mine exposed adit, which is about 10 feet wide and 15 feet high. The contaminated water began flowing from the adit. Photo taken Aug. 5, 2015. Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency
Waters of the Animas River begin to recede revealing what the toxic sludge from the Gold King Mine has left on the bottom of the river on Friday near Oxbow Park north of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Damage from the blowout at Gold King Mine in San Juan County can be seen in the area. More than a million gallons of contaminated water blew from the mine when a company contracted by the EPA was working on the mine entrance. This photo was taken Aug. 6, 2015. Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency
The pH of the discharge water from the Gold King Mine blowout was about 4 to 4.5 on Aug. 5, 2105. Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency
Hole starting to give way to flow of metals from Gold King Mine adit in San Juan County. Photo taken Aug. 5, 2015. Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency
Contamined water from the Gold King Mine in San Juan County begins to flow at an increased rate after a blowout at the abandoned mine. Photo was taken Aug. 5, 2015. Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency
Nathan Shoutis paddles in the Animas River through heavy-metal mine pollution from the Gold King Mine near Silverton. He took to the river Aug. 7 below Santa Rita Park. The Environmental Protection Agency accidentally released 3 million gallons of polluted water into the river Aug. 5. Courtesy of Steve Fassbinder
In this aerial photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015, waste water continues to stream out of the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colo. Frustration is mounting throughout the Four Corners region among officials and residents who say the EPA has moved too slowly and hasn’t been forthcoming about the dangers of the spill. Geoff Liesik/The Deseret News via AP
A Suburban in the upper-left part of the image is barely visible because it is was submerged in the deluge of contaminated wastewater at the Gold King Mine on Aug. 5, 2015. Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency
Gold King Mine Blowout. Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency
Photograph showing the peak outflow from the blowout. The waste-rock dump is eroding on the right side of the photograph (still frame extracted from a video taken on August 5, 2015, at approximately 10:57 a.m.).
The Animas River just north of Durango during the Gold King spill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
