Where is the continental divide in the united states
The Importance of the Continental Divide
the COS mental divide crosses the United
States
from the northwest corner of Montana to
the southwest corner of New Mexico in
Colorado it follows a series of Peaks
through the Rockies
the tallest of these is also the tallest
in the state Mount Elbert
this hiker attempting the summit of
Mount Albert's 14,000 433 foot peak is
walking the ridge that literally splits
America into any rain or melting snow to
his left flows west towards the Pacific
supplying water to thirsty populations
in the southwest the water that falls to
the right of this Ridge flows east
towards the Atlantic and helps nourish
communities and farms from Colorado's
Plains all the way to the Mississippi
River
a quarter of all water in the u.s.
originates here in the Rocky Mountains
which is why protecting this watershed
is so important
the problem is but the mountains along
the divide also holds some of the
richest mineral deposits in America the
challenge is to get those minerals out
without polluting the drinking water of
millions
25 miles north of Mount Albert the
climax mine straddles the Continental
Divide
it's the largest producer of molybdenum
in the world Mali as it's known for
short he's a key mineral used in the
production of steel to mine it this
company cuts away the earth under the
ore and then as the rock above falls and
breaks gathers it for processing
inside this giant dome chemicals are
used to separate the valuable
molybdenite from surrounding rock
the chemical waste is then sent to pawns
which covers several square miles but
underneath these pawns
a constant stream of groundwater flows
directly to Denver's water system
he in order to keep this water source
pure these tailings ponds have to be
carefully designed and managed so that
mining chemicals don't leach into the
groundwater below and pollute the
watershed of the Continental Divide
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