Survival of Salmo gairdneri (rainbow trout) in the zinc polluted Molonglo River near Captains Flat, New South Wales, Australia

Remedial efforts sought to rehabilitate mine tailings and disposal sites at an abandoned metal mine at Captains flat, Australia. Trout were held in closed cages submerged in the Molonglo river to determine whether the cleanup had effectively improved water Quality. The river is still highly polluted with zinc and copper, as evidenced by concentration gradients in water samples and by metal levels in fish gills. Fish mortality was greatest at test sites downstream from the mine.