Mercury Pollution

One source of pollution is mercury pollution. It is coming from abandoned mines into the Cache Creek. It is spreading to the northern california chaparral because Cache Creek drains eastward through the chaparral to the Cache Creek Settling basin on the valley floor. As a result, the mercury is killing the vegetation near it. Consequently, the animals and other organisms in the chaparral will suffer and eventually perish because the food web has been tampered with. Excavation would be the most effective way to solve the problem.