Snowy River Flowing Again

A sparkling subterranean crystalline calcite formation known as Snowy River is no longer a dry riverbed. Scientists say Snowy River, discovered in 2001, is now running with between a half-foot to a foot-and-a-half of water.The formation, which is not open to the public, was discovered by a U.S. Bureau of Land Management team led by veteran speleologist John McLean of Colorado. The passage, which looks like a river of snow surrounded by walls of brown clay and black manganese dioxide deposits, stretches more than 2 miles from a passage in Fort Stanton Cave.

Water originally carved a channel in the clay and gravel, then eventually filled it with brilliant white calcite. In some places, the ceiling soars up to 40 feet; in others it's down to 16 inches.

Scientists believe the last time water flowed in the Snowy River formation may have been 150 years ago.

The flowing water, coupled with a recently completed safer entrance, will allow researchers to do more studies, Penny Boston, associate director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in Carlsbad and director of the cave and karst studies program at New Mexico Tech, said in a news release Monday.

Researchers at New Mexico Tech, the state Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, the University of New Mexico and the National Cave and Karst Research Institute have already discovered aspects of Snowy River's age, hydrology, exotic manganese-eating microorganisms and antibiotic-producing bacteria on the walls.

Now they'll be able to study the cave's active hydrology and its relationship to surface water sources, to continue to look for unique microorganisms that could have potential uses as antibiotics or novel enzymes and to do paleoclimate studies that are critical to managing water resources in the face of future climate change, she said.

The water flowing in Snowy River means cave and karst scientists will be able to compare water chemistry and environmental tracers between Snowy River and surface water streams and springs to determine the source and fate of Snowy River's water.

"It is critical to understand the hydrology of such regions of our state because the quality and quantity of our precious water resources depends on such knowledge," Boston said.

Cave stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the Snowy River calcite, preserve geochemical traces of the past climate, she said.

"This insight is critical in helping us understand our present climate and predict what our statewide and global climate future may be in an era of anticipated changing world climate," Boston said.

The route first used into the formation was too hazardous, and in 2004, the BLM closed access until a safer route could be found. BLM volunteers finished digging a safer opening on June 30.

Access will continue to be limited to scientific researchers.

Snowy River is the largest single calcite formation known anywhere at more than 2 miles in length. Scientists expect more to be found with future exploration.

—The Associated Press

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Credit: Associated Press/Courtesy The Bureau of Land Management