Mayer Ranch

Water at the Tar Creek Superfund site in Oklahoma’s Tri-State Lead-Zinc District contains elevated concentrations of trace metals that have degraded local streams. To remedy water and stream quality, the Mayer Ranch passive treatment system uses natural processes to produce treated water that meets in-stream quality criteria and maximizes benefits. This project improved fish communities and reestablished populations of beavers, otters, and other wildlife. This project was born from a partnership of the University of Oklahoma Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, and the Quapaw Nation.