River of Lost Souls Turns Yellow

Colorado’s Animas River translates as “river of lost souls.” The river endured a mine waste spill in 2015 as a result of the mishandling of the Gold King Mine which was inactive. This caused the Animas River to turn a muddy, cloudy yellow and any aquatic life in it had completely vanished. 

Since the mine waste was accidentally spilled into the river, it has been closed to the public. The Colorado River System is thankfully made up of many waterways. As a result, it has been showing signs of recovery.