History…
repeats itself.
Sort of, but hopefully not, since everyone is aware of the issue and can hopefully solve it before the mud season hits in the April/May time period and the run of forces the issue.
When the YAK tunnel blew out in ’83 it turned the Arkansas red all the way to the Pueblo Res, and killed almost all the fish (and everything else in the river) for most of the entire length of it. Though before the EPA moved in after the YAK tunnel blow out, all the mine drainage tunnels in the area meant that the Arkansas was free of life for 20 miles below Leadville.
This one could be bigger since it is estimated at 1 Billion Gallons so far and growing (or, 3068 acre feet. 1 acre foot equals 1 households usage or water in a year. For comparison, Pueblo reservoir’s surface is 4500 acre feet). One thing that is different between the two tunnels is that the YAK tunnel was Sulphuric Acid based heavy metals, the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel is base since it goes through carbonates…with heavy metals.
Update:
After poking around BLM and USBR PDF's, this is the location of the LMDT Treatment Plant, and the little bit of dark just to the south is the Tunnel in question. So the Trailer park that is RIGHT THERE are the folks in danger, and where 24 crosses the Arkansas will be washed away. There are several other Trailer Parks and other structures that are down stream that will also be in danger.
Update #2:
The Denver Post has a nice little Overview Map.