Mine Water Hydrology of the Schneeberg Mine (Saxony) Fifty Years after Flooding

The Schneeberg mine in the south-western part of Saxony (Germany) is flooded up to the overflow level. The mine water discharges via a historical adit to the Zwickauer Mulde river. Although the Schneeberg mine has been flooded for a 50 years period, and it is relatively small, the mine discharges a significant arsenic load at a nearly constant level, which seems to be typical for base metal/ uranium mines of the Erzgebirge province. Recently, the Schneeberg mine is the most significant arsenic emitter within the Zwickauer Mulde watershed. The paper gives an overview of the hydrology of the Schneeberg mine and its relevance to the prediction of the long-term impact of flooded underground mines in the Erzgebirge Mineral province.