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Open Access Knowledge and Scholarship

Date of Award

5-2026

Culminating Project Type

Thesis

Styleguide

apa

Degree Name

Geography - Geographic Information Science: M.S.

Department

Geography and Planning

College

School of Public Affairs

First Advisor

Jeffery S Torguson

Second Advisor

Mikhail S Blinnikov

Third Advisor

Coleman J Henry

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Keywords and Subject Headings

groundwater, tamarack intrusive complex, geology, gis

Abstract

Sulfide-mineral mining in glaciated terrains presents environmental risks due to the potential generation and transport of acid mine drainage (AMD) and associated heavy metals through complex groundwater systems. This body of research evaluates the potential for contaminant transport associated with the proposed Tamarack Intrusive Complex (TIC) copper–nickel mining project in east-central Minnesota, located within the Mississippi River–Grand Rapids (MRGR) and Kettle River (KR) watershed study areas. The primary objective is to identify potential migration pathways for AMD and heavy metals through Quaternary glacial deposits underlying the proposed mine infrastructure, with particular focus on the proposed Co-disposed Filtered Tailings Facility (CFTF). Conceptual groundwater flow models were developed using static water-level data derived from the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), National Wetlands Inventory (NWI), and Minnesota Well Index (MWI). Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Surfer software were used to generate groundwater surfaces, stratigraphic cross sections, and groundwater flow-direction models. Model validation was conducted through comparison with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources statewide water-table elevation dataset using root mean square error (RMSE) and normalized RMSE metrics. Results indicate that groundwater flow within both watersheds is dominated by local flow systems controlled by low-permeability glacial tills interbedded with discontinuous sand lenses. These tills substantially limit vertical and lateral groundwater movement, reducing the likelihood of regional contaminant transport. However, near-surface glacial sands and hydraulically connected surface-water features, particularly County Ditch 13 in the MRGR watershed, represent localized pathways that could facilitate AMD and heavy metal migration. Wetlands underlain by hydric soil may further mitigate contaminant mobility through natural attenuation processes. Overall, the findings suggest that widespread groundwater contamination is unlikely under current geologic conditions, although targeted monitoring of preferential flow pathways is recommended.

Comments/Acknowledgements

This research would not have been possible without the assistance, encouragement, and support of many individuals. I would first like to express my deepest gratitude to my daughter, Tara, whose patience, understanding, and unwavering support during the long days and evenings spent writing made the completion of this work possible.

I am sincerely grateful to my parents, Connie and John, for their continuous encouragement and support throughout the past seven and a half years as I worked to complete this research and thesis. I would also like to thank my brother, Justin, for sharing his experience in writing and defending a master’s thesis, which provided valuable insight into the process. I am equally thankful to my sister, Brittany, for her encouragement and support.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to my advisor and committee chair, Jeffrey Torguson, for his guidance, patience, and support throughout this project, and especially for encouraging me to pursue graduate studies in 2018. I also thank my committee members, Mikhail Blinnikov and Coleman Henry, for their time, expertise, and support. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Coleman Henry for contributing his expertise in hydrology and for stepping in when an additional committee member was needed.

Finally, I am also grateful to my colleagues at SWCA Environmental Consultants for their advice and encouragement throughout my master’s journey, particularly my supervisor, Marcel Browne, and Principal Geospatial Sciences Program Lead, Anne Russell.

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