San Benito Mountain 41

La Vereda del Monte

May 1

Goldfish at Mendota Pool

At the foot of San Carlos Creek. This majestic pool is downstream from the New Idria mines, a Superfund site. Arsenic and other chemicals used in the processing of cinnabar into Mercury threaten to contaminate the water. but from what I can see it looks like spring water. I wouldn’t drink it, but I might swim in it, there are fish and it’s as clear as a winter sky.

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