Well, it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong...  I only took Geology 101
in college, so I'm by no means any type of expert, but aren't mountains
made mostly out of rock?  Wouldn't water flowing down a rocky stream pick
up minerals?  Maybe the particular area I was reading about had water
coming out of the side of the mountain then.  I'll have to go back and read
it again.  No big deal.  The gist of it was that folks who drink
mineral-rich water were healthier than those who drank mineral-deficient
water.

John Pavao

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 > I read something recently about surface water in mountainous areas
 > being very mineral-rich, ...

That's surprising. Where would the water pick up minerals? Maybe the
article
applied only to a particular region, perhaps an area with geothermal vents
bringing mineral-rich water from the depths.

A couple of data points from my own experience. New York City's water is
very soft and comes mainly from surface runoff from upstate watersheds.
South Bend, IN, gets its water from wells, and the stuff is so hard that,
if
you boil the water in an open pan, you get a film of mineral scale on _top_
of the water.

Bill Dooley