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\^OLUME II ^^i^:,..:.-^^I^SlpJi^^l^^ Goloradb Inactive Mine ReclamatiSnJTlan MinedLand Reclamation Division Department Of Natural 'Resources ••'•• •'&<>.•• -•.-

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Goloradb fiiacflye Mine BeclamatiSiraian Mined LaniiltBclamation Division <^H Department Of Natural Resources f SAN JUAN COUNTY

The inactive mines survey of San Juan County primarily investigated the mining districts surrounding Silverton, to the north toward Ouray, and to the east through Howardsville to the Eureka - Animas Forks Districts. The mining districts range from easily accessible near Silverton to remote and isolated, i.e., Arrastra Basin. Some areas are accessible only by foot after a hard climb. The area is scenic and very popular with tourists, however, the rugged terrain precludes access to many mine sites. Geologically this area is in the San Juan volcanic area and veins are primarily associated with the Silverton caldera. Some chimney deposits within volcanic pipes are also found in the area north of Silverton.

Production history begins in San Juan County in 1873 and by 1908 over $45 million in precious, mainly silver, and base metals had been produced. Towns such as Eureka, Animas Forks, and Howardsville were early settlements north and east of Silverton. Production has continued to the present. Active exploration and development are underway in several areas of the county.

36- 1 HISTORY OF MINING

At least in the ofd days, people in San Juan County liked to boast ,^^-S that not one acre of their land was tillable. Mining, and more recently tourism, support the local economy. San Juan ranks sixth among counties in overall mineral production; among the counties of the , it is second only to San Miguel. ^M

Trends In 1902 the editor of the Silverton Weekly Miner listed several characteristics of mining in the county: the ore is complex and generally low-grade; lodes are large and extensive and can be mined by adits instead of shafts because of the steep topography; the mines tend to drain themselves from the adits and need little m pumping.

As a result of these characteristics, the major mines in the county were located early and have been extremely long-lived. Some have spanned a century of operation. The complexity of the ore insured reasonable stability to the mining industry. Periods of depression have been brief and infrequent. No one mineral has dominated production, and the county's output of gold, silver, lead, and zinc has been approximately equal in value. The primary mineral has changed frequently: gold was important up to 1874; silver until 1892; gold again until 1915; lead and zinc until the 1930's; gold again from the '30's until 1954; after which lead, copper, and zinc have been prominent.

•il: The Baker Party, 1860 The first prospectors into the area were with the Baker Party of ;i]i 1860. This was a ^ery early expedition, occurring just after Gregory's discovery of gold at Black Hawk. Charles Baker was apparently interested in the San Juans not only for their minerals; he also had interests in land development and in building toll roads into the area from Abiquiu, New Mexico. He and his party of prospectors left Denver in July 1860 and made their base in Baker's Park, the future site of Silverton. They found placer gold there, laid out several townsites, and organized numerous mining districts. Baker then circulated sensational reports about the mines they had discovered.

At the same time, Denver was experiencing the second major rush to the Front Range gold diggings, and the news of great finds in the San Juans set off a stampede bound for the southwest. In mid- December 1860, a group of 300 men, women, and children known as the Baker Expedition left Denver for the San Juan gold fields. After much suffering, they reached Animas City, north of the site of Durango, in March, only to find that Baker had greatly exaggerated I: the worth of both townsites and mining properties. They were badly lid 36-2 discouraged and drifted away. Baker himself went off to fight for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He returned to the San Juans in 1867 and was muifdered shortly thereafter. It is uncertain whether he was killed by Utes or by one of his own companions. Either group would have had sufficient motivation: The Utes because he and the other whites had no business settling on the Indian's land; his companions because he had duped innocent families and caused them great hardships. So ended the first attempt at mine promotion in the San Juans.

Early Developments In 1870 placer gold was found in Arrastra Gulch, two miles east of Baker's Park. This led Governor Pile of New Mexico to send out a prospecting party which located the Little Giant gold lode, also in Arrastra Gulch. It was the first mine in the area. Silverton also had its beginnings in 1871 with the building of the first log cabin by Colonel Francis M. Snowden.

The next year, federal troops were sent to the area to keep miners out. The San Juan Mountains were still the Utes, as was all the land in Colorado west of 107 degrees west longitude (approximately from Basalt to Gunnison to Creede). The miners were trespassing, just as Baker had been. The troops, however, were ineffective. In 1873 more miners came and the towns of Animas Forks, Mineral Point, and Howardsville sprang up. The Sunnyside Mine was also discovered then. It was one of the biggest mines in the county and was a strong producer through the 1970's.

The 1874 Boom In 1874 the Brunot Treaty expelled the Utes from the San Juan Mountains. Over 2,000 miners flooded the area and significant silver mining began. The Pride of the West, a major, long-lived producer, was discovered and shipped ore with handsome masses of wire silver to Del Norte by burro. Other properties such as the Aspen on Hazleton Mountain between Silverton and Arrastra Gulch were also worked heavily. The 30 ton Greene and Company smelter, the most renowned of any in the San Juans, was erected north of Silverton, having been packed in on burros all the way from Pueblo. It operated intermittently and never very successfully in Silverton until 1880 when it was bought by a Denver & Rio Grande Railroad affiliate, moved to Durango, and refurbished. In Durango, it finally operated properly and continued to treat San Juan ores until it closed in 1931. A story is told about how Silverton became the county seat in 1874. The major town in the area then was Howardsville, named after George Howard, a member of the Baker Party and the discoverer of the Sunny­ side. Accordingly, when La Plata County was formed, Howardsville became the center of county government. Silverton, however, was also growing. It coveted the honor of being county seat, so a 36-3 delegation of men one day went to Howardsville, got the county officials drunk, and stole the records, taking them to Silverton. When San Juan County was split off from La Plata in 1876, Silverton remained the county seat.

That tale is reminiscent of another one told about George Howard. •>rtS It is said that he got his cabin at the future site of Howardsville built with drinks of whiskey; passersby were offered a drink as pay for their assistance in lifting the logs into place. He reportedly had no trouble finding helpers.

In 1875 silver replaced gold as the county's most important product. The Highland Mary Mine opened in 1875, and the La Plata Miner, the first Colorado newspaper west of the Continental Divide, began m publication. By 1879 both Crooke & Company, owners of the Lake City S.g; smelter, and Mather & Geist, owners of the Pueblo smelter, had ore buying stations in Silverton, and roads were extended to Durango and to the camps of Poughkeepsie Gulch and Mineral Point.

Mining in the Upper Animas Districts

Those camps of the upper Animas were noted for their great plans and little production. The Silverton Weekly Miner in 1897 said: "More than one schemer found that the altitude of Mineral Point was invigorating and inspiring and caused the most gigantic and elastic imaginations to fructify and develop into ideas of no mean proportions." In one brochure, promoters showed a river steamboat floating on the Animas with the mines of Mineral Point in the background. What activity there was, according to Ransome,

was in great part feverish and unwholesome. The success of a few encouraged extravagance in the incompetent, and opened a rich field to unscrupulous and dishonest promoters. Smelting plants and mills were erected before the presence of ore was ascertained. Reduction processes were installed without any pains having been taken to ascertain their applicability to the particular ore to be treated...The Bonanza Tunnel, a mile and a half west of (Animas Forks) was run 1,000 feet at the extravagant cost of $300,000 or $400,000, and then abandoned. Around Mineral Point probably $2,000,000 or $3,000,000 were squandered in mining operations which resulted in no permanent improvements or actual development. (Ransome, 1901) Aside from the Old Lout, which produced $400,000 worth of silver ore from 1876 to 1888, the upper Animas area was fairly unproductive during the 1870's and '80's.

36-4 The 1880's in Silverton In July 1882, the D&RG completed its branch line from Durango to Silverton. This drastically lowered shipping costs for both ore and concentrate and made it profitable to work many more of the lower- grade deposits typical of the county. A road was also completed over Red Mountain Pass to the newly discovered deposits in Ouray County's Red Mountain District such as the Yankee Girl and the Guston.

As a result of the railroad, Silverton boomed in 1883. Production rose 400% above the previous year, and the great Silver Lake Mine at the head of Arrastra Gulch came into prominence. It was owned and operated by E.G. Stoiber, one of the area's most prominent mining men. Turning out over $11 million worth of ore to 1908, it was worked as late as 1941. The Stoibers were famous around San Juan County for their huge estate, Waldheim, which was run by Mrs. Stoiber, an imperious woman whom the miners called "Captain Jack" or "Jack Pants." The Iowa -Tiger Mine was located near the Silver Lake and was also a sizeable producer.

The winter of 1883-84 was noted for its many snowslides. In San Juan County, these seemed to occur especially during late winter. On February 2, 1884, a huge slide came down on the Durango-. Others followed, cutting off Silverton from the outside world for 73 days. Food ran low in town and the mines all closed. It took 400 men to dig out the track; there were no rotary snowplows in those days. Finally, on April 17, service was restored. In 1887 another of the great San Juan mines was located: the Gold King up Cement Creek north of Silverton. It did not achieve prominence, however, until problems with milling its ore were overcome. In 1893 the demonitization of silver occurred. Since 1874 silver had been the county's primary mineral product, comprising 58% of its value. The Panic of '93 shut down many silver camps, but not San Juan County's. Its ores were diverse enough to allow production to continue. Silver production fell for two years, but by 1895 the County was turning out more silver than ever: 1.9 million ounces, more than double the peak output of any previous year. This extremely rapid recovery in silver production is perhaps unique among the counties of Colorado. During the next 20 years, however, the value of the gold produced in the county was 80% greater than the silver.

Gold Mines From 1894 to 1896 Thomas Walsh operated a 100 ton per day smelter in Silverton treating low-grade pyritic ores from the Red Mountain District. The smelter closed when he made his great gold find at the Camp Bird Mine, also in Ouray County. 36- 5 In '95 the ore from the Gold King was successfully milled, signalling the start of its prominence. It quickly became one of the most important .mines in the county, ranking with the Silver Lake, the Iowa, and the Sunnyside. The Gold King would operate off- and-on over the years, but as late as 1960 it was still being worked. The mine was part of a sizeable financial empire. In 1899 the company built a private railroad - the Gladstone, Silverton, and Northern - from Silverton to the mine; it also owned the city and the Champion coal mines outside Durango, which also were large producers. In 1902, the Gold King became the largest mine in the county.

Just as the town of Gladstone existed because of the Gold King, Eureka survived because of the Sunnyside. By the mid-1890's. Judge Terry had been working the mine for some time, trying to make it pay. As time went on, his money dwindled, yet he kept pushing the adit deeper. In 1896 he decided to change his tactics. The adit had passed through a long stretch in which the walls were conspicuously barren: there were no little shoots coming off the vein as elsewhere. He chose a spot and drove a crosscut into the barren wall. On July 4, 1896 he broke through to one of the richest gold veins ever found in the county: the so-called Fourth of July stope. This vein was geologically unrelated to the vein he had been working. Its discovery gave new life to the Sunnyside.

Mechanization and Low-Grade Deposits

The 1890's transformed mining in San Juan County, as J.H. Terry of the Sunnyside and E.G. Stoiber of the Silver Lake began milling and concentrating large quantities of low-grade ore. Old-style mining with burros and hand steel was on the way out. Large, mechanized operations were coming to the fore. To Ransome, writing in 1901, the success of Terry and Stoiber "demonstrated that when wasteful and inadequate methods are replaced by modern appliances and shrewd management mines carrying abundant low-grade ore may be made profitable." The Silverton Weekly Miner of November 1, 1901 had a slightly different perspective:

Within the last four years, a marvelous revolution has been in progress in this county. The brawn and sinew of the husky miner has given way to the air drill in matters of development; that faithful, though lazy and indifferent animal, the burro, has given over to the Bleichert and Huson tramway systems the burden of freighting; machinery has taken upon itself to do what nature did not do, viz: get the mineral by itself...The earlier history of this section, so far as mining goes is an ignoble one, but henceforth San Juan will attract the capital and intelligence of the world. What has been proven by the Silver Lake will ever stand as a monument to practicability well applied.

36-6 In 1900 the 200 ton per day Kendrick-Golder pyritic smelter opened north of Silverton, operating on ore from the Henrietta Mine up Cement Creek. No prelim;inary ore roasting was needed with this smelter; the sulfur in the ore was itself used as a fuel. The smelter brought new prosperity to the town, but with prosperity came new problems. The local paper for June 18, 1900 reported that "hobos are coming in thick...willows bordering the Animas are blooming with these fellows...Never before in the history of Silverton has the tramp-holdup element been so numerous."

About this time, many of the major mines in the county were sold, mainly to British investors. The Sunnyside Extension, also known as the Gold Prince, was sold to the company which owned the Smuggler- Union above Telluride, and in 1901 the Stoibers sold the Silver Lake Mine and associated properties totalling 175 claims to ASARCo for $2.3 million!. In 1904 the Gold King was sold for $5 million.

Also in '04, milling in the county advanced when the Silver Ledge Mine outside Chattanooga installed magnetic separating machines to separate iron from the lead-zinc-iron ore. The Silver Ledge was thus the first mill in the county to recover zinc as a marketable product. In 1906 the Gold Prince Mine followed suit and also installed a large 500 ton per day mill with a magnetic separator.

In 1912 the Sunnyside Mine built an electrostatic mill to treat zinc-iron middlings from the amalgamation process and in 1918 it installed the first selective flotation lead-zinc mill in North America.

Thanks to these new milling and concentrating processes the production of lead and zinc peaked in 1920, as did production for the county as a whole. The Dives, Pride of the West, Highland Mary, Mayflower, Silver Lake, Iowa, and Sunnyside Mines were all active, But in 1921, lead and zinc prices slipped by 40% and the county's production dropped to its lowest level since 1882, before the railroads came to town.

Consolidations

It often happens that during slumps when prices are depressed, large consolidations of mining properties are made. Such a consolidation occurred in 1925 when the Shenandoah, Dives, North Star, and Mayflower were brought under single ownership. These fine old mines covered a common vein for over 8,000 feet. The ore was rich not only in gold, but in the base metals, too. Shortly after this major consolidation, the resulting Shenandoah-Dives became the largest mine in the county.

1Bein g fond of mansions, the Stoibers moved to Denver and built a home even larger than Waldheim. Called "Stoiberhof", it is located at 1022 Humboldt Street. 36- 7 Due primarily to the Shenandoah-Dives and the Sunnyside, in 1937 and '^i '38, San Juan County led the state in lead and zinc production and came in third overall, behind Teller and Eagle Counties. In '38, though, the Sunnyside closed and its mill was dismantled. The loss of this fine producer dropped the county to seventh overall. Production from the Shenandoah-Dives, the Pride of the West, and the Highland Mary, however, brought the county back up to the #4 spot in 1943. In '47, it was second in the production of silver and copper to San Miguel County and was behind only Lake County in the production of lead.

This high level of production was ended on March 14, 1953 by the closing of the Shenandoah-Dives. The county's production dropped to its lowest level since 1922 and output stayed low until the early 1960's. From 1953 to '55 only small leasing operations were conducted.

Standard Metals

In 1957 the Shenandoah-Dives revived as the result of another consolidation, this time when the Marcy Exploration and Mining Company and the Shenandoah-Dives merged into the Marcy-Shenandoah Corporation. This new venture proceeded to recondition the Shenandoah or Mayflower Mill and to develop other mining properties. In '59 the Standard Uranium Corporation (later to become Standard Metals) took over the Marcy-Shenandoah operation. The ore was --#2'i transported to the Shenandoah. The Sunnyside Mine was worked through the American Tunnel at Gladstone and thus, a number of the best properties in the county could now be worked jointly. Standard Metals' consolidation and development program paid off handsomely in 1962; the county showed a 700% production increase over 1961 and a 20-fold increase over 1954. In '63, output climbed another 250%. The Sunnyside's major product was zinc. By 1970, due largely to Standard Metals, the county's output was over 100 times its level of a decade before. In June 1978 the company undermined a lake which burst through into the mine workings. This fortunately occurred on a weekend when the Sunnyside was not being worked. Otherwise, one of the greatest mine disasters in the state's history would almost surely have occurred. The Sunnyside was repaired within a year and is producing 20,000 tons per day from properties first worked in the 1870's and '80's.

36-8 Chronology

1860 Baker Party to headwaters of the . 1871 Little Giant gold lode discovered and worked.

1873 Sunnyside Mine discovered. 1874 Brunot Treaty opens San Juan Mountains; Greene smelter constructed; Pride of the West located; rush ensues. 1875 builds toll road up Animas River to Howardsville, Eureka, and Animas Forks; La Plata Miner published; Highland Mary worked.

1876 San Juan County formed from La Plata County.

1877 Mears' toll road built from Animas Forks to Lake City.

1879 Roads completed from Silverton to Durango and to Mineral Point and Poughkeepsie Gulch. 1881 Greene smelter moved to Durango. 1882 Denver & Rio Grande Railroad builds from Durango to Silverton; Martha Rose smelter operates unsuccessfully; road completed from Silverton to Red Mountain camps, Ouray County.

1884 Snowslides block D&RG for 73 days.

1887 Gold King Mine discovered.

1889 Silverton Railroad built to Ironton from Silverton; Silverton Northern Railroad built to Howardsville. 1893 Silver Panic. 1894 Walsh smelter operating; Silverton Northern Railroad extends to Eureka. 1895 Gold King ore successfully milled. 1896 Fourth of July stope hit at Sunnyside.

1899 Gladstone, Silverton, and Northern Railroad completed to Gold King Mine. 1900 Kendrick-Golder pyritic smelter built; Sunnyside Extension sold to Smuggler-Union; Silver Lake installs air drills.

1901 Silver Lake Mine sold to ASARC for $2.3 million. 36-9 1904 Magnetic separator added to Silver Ledge Mill; Gold King sold for $5 million.

j 1906 Animas Power Co. builds electric plant at Rockwood; snow- slide at Shenandoah kills 12. 1907 Kendrick-Golder smelter closes. 1910 Silver Lake Mine shows signs of exhaustion; Gold King closes. 1912 Electrostatic zinc separator installed at Sunnyside; Silver Lake operated by lessees.

1918 First selective flotation lead-zinc mill in North America built at Sunnyside; flu epidemic kills 146 in County.

1920 County production peaks.

1922 Depressed lead and zinc prices drop production to lowest level since 1882. 1924 Gold King reopens. 1925 Shenandoah-Dives Co. formed from Shenandoah, Dives, North Star, and Mayflower Mines. 1938 Sunnyside closes and mill dismantled.

1953 Shenandoah-Dives closes. County production drops to lowest point since 1922. 1957 Shenandoah-Dives rehabilitated, including Sunnyside Mine.

1959 Standard Metals takes over Sunnyside and Shenandoah-Dives.

National Register of Historic Places: Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad Right-of-way between Durango and Silverton 1882 I

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36-10 If EVALUATION OF INACTIVE MINES

The inactive mine inventory centered on the major districts within San Juan County. The Silverton, Howardsville, Eureka-Animas Forks tft- districts as well as more remote areas such as Arrastra Basin were visited and studied in the field. The county is very scenic and extremely popular with campers and hikers. Many come to explore and photograph the rustic old mines as well as for the scenic beauty. Some areas are remote and accessible only by foot trails through rugged terrain, and many mine openings are located on steep cliff faces, inaccessable to all but technical rock climbers. ¥;• The most common mining method used in San Juan County was tunneling into steep mountain or valley walls along mineralized faults or fractures. Comparatively few shafts were used, and this fact has reduced the occurance of extremely dangerous vertical openings in San Juan County relative to other mining districts in the state. Only 38 shafts were encountered during field work, and of these, » three were extreme hazards and another 19 were rated as dangerous. One of these shafts is near U.S. 550 in Cataract Gulch at the base of a slippery dump. Twelve vertical stope openings were examined and found to be of concern. One stope above the Hercules Mine near Silverton is close to the main highway and over 60 feet deep constituting an extreme danger to persons exploring the attractive mine site. The 11 other dangerous open stopes were all associated with other mine openings on attractive old mine sites likely to be visited frequently by tourists or back country travelers.

The hazards associated with horizontal mine openings are much less severe than with deep open shafts. One cannot accidently fall into an adit, and hence, no extreme hazard classifications were assigned to any of the 352 adits examined. There were 36 adits thought to constitute a danger to the public due to ease of accessibility and possible connections with vertical workings. Several cases had clear evidence, such as foot prints, food wrappers, or campfire rings, suggesting entrance or visitation of the tunnels by the public. Another 10 adits were found to constitute environmental m- problems stemming from significant discharges of acid mine water into local streams. Since many of the old mines in San Juan County drain small amounts of concentrated toxic mine water, it is doubtful that abatement of the effects from these 10 adits would significantly improve local water quality. Most draining adits did not appear to significantly affect streams by themselves, however, when all are combined, and the natural run off from mineralized areas is included, the water quality of major streams in San Juan County is degraded to the point where aquatic life is severely limited or does not exist.

Over 300 mine dumps were evaluated in the study, but only four had any significant problems, A dump at the Bonner Mine was unstable m and likely to fail and slide downslope. Three other dumps were 1 being eroded and washed into local drainages contributing large 36- 11 loads of sediment and toxic heavy metal pollution. Many sites had '^^ m significant remains of old mine buildings or structures in various -.^3 is states of decay from remarkably intact to totally collapsed. Only M ^pi:-'m Mij one structure, a tramway terminal building near the Pride of the .••W West Mine, was considered dangerous due to severe instability and -*- : imminent collapse. :5- ? ^ It was impractical to visit every mine opening in San Juan County. However, most of the major districts and back county areas frequented by hikers and tourists were examined and evaluated. It is felt that this inventory covers all the more accessible and historic mines which attract visitors, and can be used as a basis .•=fe' for determining priorities of those hazardous mine areas in need of reclamation or safeguarding, The results of the inventory are shown in Summary Table I, and sites requiring further attention are listed ''i in Table II which keyed to the San Juan County map.

!jil TABLE I: SUMMARY OF INVENTORIED HARD ROCK MINE FEATURES :HS;i!i SAN JUAN COUNTY

Dangerous Non Total Extreme Mine Environmental Hazardous Features Hazards Features Impacts Features Encountered

m Shafts 3 19 — 16 38 u Adits & Inclines — 36 10 306 352 m Stopes 1 11 — 2 14

Pits — 1 — — 1

i! Mine Dumps — 1 3 315 319

Mill I Tailings — — — — — Structures — 1 — 14 15

Total 4 69 13 653 739

Estimated acreage disturbed by past hard rock mining activities: 400. M 36 - 12

l^il TMU II;

WK SITTS WW SiailFlCAMT MFETf W OW—CffM. WOeLPB 1« WM JUWI COUITT

tWP TOTAL INDEX NIME/Sm MME COMWITir EXnEME DMGEROUS MINE ENVIROMCmAL ACREAGE MO. SITE I.D. M. MINED HAZARDS FEATURES IMPACTS DISTURBED

1 L(MGFEI.LaW MINE MctlU OM« Shaft (fid open S(«cr* icid nine 20 1380-61/97-01 •dU ditctlirgc s«er 2 tfiapi Md Into pond

i^- 2 CARBON LAKE Ntttll 2 open thtft> In 40 1380-61/97-0? diking trei

GEORGIA GULCH MitiU Adit driinlng 1380-6S/9S-01 toiic mint xttori, eroding ending djnp* polluting cement creek

0:-:: 4 ROSS BASIN Netili Open shaft 10 ft 10 1380-68/98-01 deep, open adit «/ •ime

s IDUER ROSS BASIN Mctilt 2 open shafts, one 4 1380-68/98-02 has unstable collar w and is 100 ft. deep M. 6 LAKE COMO S.H. Mcttli 3 open shafts, open 10 1380-68/99-01 adit, open stope in hiking erea

7 POUGHKEEPSIE GULCH Metali Open adit beside 2 1310-69/01-02 Jeep road tn hiking area

8 LAKE COM Nettit 2 open shafts s 1381-69/00-01 frequented by hikers

9 OLD LOUT MINE Meteli Open draining adit Acid nine drain­ 5 1381-69/04-01 age eroding amp Into river

10 UPPER ROSS BASIN Netili 2 deep open thefts 2 open shefti, 2 10 1381-69/98-01 on peck treil- open stopes and dtngerous fjies open adit

sumrsiDE MINE Metals Area honcycaabed Lake Eana has 1381-70/98-01 irith 11 open adits, drained and is now and nueerous sub­ a large open pit sidence areas and stopes

12 PLACER GULCN Nettis Adit discharging 1381-71/99-01 tulc acid Bine drainage to strca used bjr caapers

13 TREASURE MTN. Silver 6 Gold Over 14 open adits 10 1381-73/99-02 Natals found near jeeping and hiking area

14 ENGINEER PASS ROAD Silver I Gold Open shaft, open S 1381-74/02-01 Netals (tope, and open edit near road

IS BURNS CULCH NOUni Silver 1 Gold Open adit near Adit discharges .3 1381-75/97-01 Netals road on attractive toalc vine drelnage SlU to Anius River

36 - 13 TABU II: (Centd.)

NAP TOTAL INDEX MINE/SITE NAME CONODITT EXntEME DANGEROUS MINE EmiRONHENTAL ACREWE NO. SITE I.O. NO. MINED KAZWDS FEATURES INPACTS DISTURBED

16 PICATNE GULCH MOUTH Silver t Gold 2 open adits in i 1381-75/9S-01 Nrtals popular tourist erea, en attractive %z

LOMER ICE LAKE BASIN Silver 6 Gold Adits discharging 1436-66/91-01 Netals Meters ecross .f:1 dwps - pM 4.

MIDDLE FORK MINERAL Silver 6 Gold 2 adits discharg­ CREEK Metels ing acid Bine- 1436-66/91-01 Mter pH 4.

BONNER MINE MeUls Open adit, unstable 3 adits dlscharg- 1437-69/91-01 diiap and collapsing Ing acid uaters subsidence pit over diaips Into Mineral Creek

20 SNOMSLIOE GULCH Netals Open adit near 1437-60/88-01 popular caq>ing and hiking areas

21 HIGHWT TUMU NMals Open unstable adit 1437-60/91-O1 leedlng under highway

22 BUUD BRIDGE Netals 2 open adits near 1437-60/92-01 heavily touristed fji highoay

23 BROWN'S GULCH Netals 2 open edits leed­ .1437-60/93-01 lng far into atn. side

24 IMOGENE MINE Netals Open shaft near 1437-60/94-01 trailhead erea

2S CATNWCT GULCH Netals Ope* shaft at base 1437-64/84-01 of slippery dwp betide aeln highitej

UPPER HERCULES Netals Deep open stope on Tee open adits end 1437-64/8603 attractive sine 3 caving stopes site adjecent to adjacent to •ain MghMy highaay

27 NINNESOTA Am Netals 3 long open adits Large seesonal FAIRVIEU GULCHS end en eiposed toitc eater 1437-64/94-01 •inxe/drlft tystea discharge

SIL«ER LAKE ANO Metals shaft in ald- lOMA MINES rof hiking trail, 1438-70/85-01 open adit-site ettrectlve

29 I AOIT NeUIS Draining adit 1438-71/89-01 discharging toxic •eter neer caa^ site

ROYAL TIGER MINE Metals Open edit neer AREA pepuler hiking 1438-70/85-02 trei I

ii!l

36 - 14 TA«L£ II: (Coatd.)

MAP TOTAL INDEX MINE/SITE NAME COMOOITT EXTREME DMGEROUS MINE ENVIRONMENTAL ACREAfiE NO. SITE I.D. NO. MINED HAZARDS FEATURES IMPACTS DISTURBED

31 MOHAROSVILLE AOIT Metals Unstable portal of .1 1438-72/91-01 edit could cave at anytiae - rotting tiaber

32 aiEEN MOUNTAIN MINE Metals 2 open stope .5 1438-73/86-01 systems about 60' deep

33 PRIDE DF IME UEST Mauls 2 open adits, 1 AREA very unstable tra»- 1438-73/88-02 •ay building

34 ADAMS, RED, AW told 6 Silver 3 opened adits Vegetation des- 5 BONITA MINES neer Gladstone troyed by acid 1380-67/97-01 aine drainage fra« adits

•Si;-, 35 MINERAL POINT Cold t Silver 4 deep open shafts 5 1381-72/04-01 - near old town site - unstable old buildings :i- LONDON MINE Gold 6 Sllv Open shaft neer Acid drainage 1381-73/03-01 jeep road in pop- frtoi adit across ular recreation diaap into streaa area

EUREKA GULCH Gold i Silver Two big open adits 1381-73/95-01 neer popular jeeping m. road.

EUREKA Sold t Silver Five large open Large disturbed 1381-74/95-01 adits with easy placer ained area access, unstable with Aniaas River .*v structures running through

39 NORTH STAR MINE Geld I Sllv Open edit neer Lirge aine dtatps 1.3 1437-63/87-01 highway on attrac­ and old setting tive site ponds affecting Mineral Creek

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36 - 15 HYDROLOGY

San Juan County is located on the south flank of the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The streams in this county have steep gradients, armored channels and flow through narrow valleys. Melting of the mountain snowpack produces high flow regimes during the spring. Surface water quality has been severely affected by metal mine drainage. Mineral Creek, Cement Creek and the headwaters of the Animas River all have elevated levels of manganese, iron, lead and zinc. However, these metal levels fall off as the stream moves down its course into La Plata County because of delution does not affect the mainstem of the Animas outside of San Juan County.

Limited ground water resources are available from the volcanic formations that underlie this county. Coal is not associated with these formations and thus ground water quality has not been affected by past coal mining activities. Underground hard rock mine workings do intercept water bearing faults and fissures and provide discharge points of the ground water to surface streams. The formation of acid mine drainage occurs as these ground waters pass through the mineralized mine workings in the presence of oxygen.

Animas River Above Silverton

The upper Animas River drains one of the most heavily mineralized and mining impacted areas in the state. Heavy metals and acid mine drainage have destroyed the biological integrity of many reaches in the upper Animas tributary system. Mine related drainage also has rendered this portion of the river unacceptable for public water supplies. The following table displays heavy metal contamination in the Animas River system above Silverton. Toxic levels of lead, I manganese, and copper are present. Acidity in this drainage also undermines water quality. Iron oxide, which is soluble under acid conditions. precipitates onto the stream bottom as the water becomes more alkaline downstream. This precipitate destroys the population of aquatic insects (benthos) upon which fish depend for a food supply. Extremely low pH values are found in the Animas at Silverton. I'l

36-16 HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION ANIMAS RIVER DRAINAGE (micrograms/liter)

Proposed Standards Cadmium Copper Iron Lead Zinc

Cold Water Biota .4 10 500 4 50 1 Potable Supplies 10 500-1000 300 50 600-5000 fe Sampling Locations Cunningham Creek 0 0 0 0 0

Animas (Eureka) 2 0 300 0 850

Cement Creek 7 70 5300 145 2800

Mineral Creek 0 0 1900 — 350

Animas (Silverton) 1 0 1600 0 470

Cement Creek

The most significant tributary source of metals contamination to the Animas River is Cement Creek. Intensive mining activities during the boom period of the 1800's in the headwater tributaries (i.e., California Gulch and Burrows Creek) upstream of Animas Forks have resulted in background cadmium and zinc concentrations acutely toxic to trout given the soft waters in the uppermost tributaties. The presence of toxic concentrations of metals in these scattered subalpine tributaries to the Animas River in the vast tundra valleys above timber line is an indication of how widespread both point and non-point acid-metals loading is to the Animas River. These feeder streams far above timber line probably could not support a trout fishery due to winter kill even if all abandoned mine portal discharges and spoils were either chemically treated or removed. This water flowing in the Animas River downstream of Animas Forks, a location where the physical habitat would probably support aquatic communities, would prove chemically toxic to trout populations. 'Examination of the Animas River substrate 2.0 miles south of Animas Forks revealed a bottom fauna to be absent from the stream. The aquatic community normally present in a Rocky Mountain stream is absent from the upper reach of the Animas River due to metal-mine runoff.

Between Animas Forks and Eureka Gulch, three tributaries. Cinnamon and Grouse Creeks and Picayne Gulch, which entered the Animas River, contained no detectable metals concentrations. These tributaries would dilute the metal concentrations in the Animas River. Mayflies 36- 17 and midges were present in all of these tributaries indicating the presence of "high" quality water throughout the year.

Any increase in water quality in the Animas River attributable to Cinnamon and Grouse Creeks and Picayne Gulch is offset by Burns and Eureka Gulches and the Silver Wing Mine discharge at Burns Gulch. Both Burns Gulch and Eureka Gulch contain concentrations toxic to trout of both cadmium and zinc. The mine effluent from an inactive copper producing work at Rurns- Gulch contained the highest concentrations of metals measured at any sampling location on this stream segment. Excessive concentrations of copper, cadmium and •W zinc are being discharged directly to the Animas River from this inactive mine. This discharge raises the copper concentration to a toxic level in the Animas River just above Eureka Gulch.

The presence of fishermen on the Animas River upstream of Silverton, Colorado but downstream of Cunningham, indicates some salmonids may have become acclimated to the metals concentrations in the Animas River although no fish were observed. The pH levels of less than 6.0 encountered during March sampling of 1975 and 1977 may well force any trout out of this stream segment perhaps to Cunningham Creek or Minnie and Maggie Gulches. This stream does not appear to currently present a year-round habitat required for permanent i i salmonid colonization.

Mineral Creek and South Fork of Mineral Creek introduce an extremely acid (pH - 2.8) flow to the South Fork of Mineral Creek. The metals concentrations in this reach do not exceed acutely toxic concentra­ tions yet no trout were observed downstream of the bog in 1977. 'I The other point source was the Bandora Mine high on the drainage. Care should be taken to stop this affluent from reaching and degrading the South Fork of Mineral Creek, one of the few stream reaches to contain a viable fish population. nil vr

36- 18 FLORA AND FAUNA

Alpine tundra is found in the eastern portion and along the northern and western boundaries of San Juan County. Subalpine forest dominates the interior with a small pocket of grasslands of the i foothills and mountain valleys located in the north central and three isolated fingers of montane forest extending into the county from the south.

THREATENED OR ENDANGERED MAMMALS, BIRDS OR FISH SPECIES

Common Name Scientific Name Location in County

•Greater Sandhill Grus Canadensis Tabida Migration route Crane

Whooping Crane Grus Americana Migration route of experimental flock # '% .;*^ American Peregrine Falco Peregrinus Anatum Southern Part - Falcon Hunting habitat -Sk •Considered THREATENED or ENDANGERED by state Only.

THREATENED OR ENDANGERED plant species: None.

36 - 19 SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

The 1980 population of San Juan County was 833, two more people than the 1970 census recorded. The town of Silverton reported a population of 794 and the unincorporated area of the county, 39.

Mining and tourism are the most important sectors contributing to the economic base. Although mining has declined in recent years there is still some exploration underway and summer tourism has helped to level off the declining economic base. The 1980 annual average resident labor force for San Juan County was 395 with total employment at 378, an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Ninety-two percent of the residents were employed in non- agricultural industries and eight percent self or privately employed.

The 1979 per capita personal income was $5,791 compared with a state per capita personal income of $9,114. The following table represents Wage and Employment covered by unem­ ployment insurance by industrial sector for the .2nd Quarter of 1980. Total average monthly employment for the county was at 380 with services and retail trade ranking highest in terms of number of employees and total wages paid.

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36- 20 COLORADO EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES -m COVERED BY UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE 2ND QUARTER 1980

SAN JUAN COUNTY

AVERAGE AVERAGE MONTHLY MONTHLY DIVISION UNITS TOTAL WAGES EMPLOYMENT WAGES

Federal Government 1 7,440 3 827 f State & Local Government 7 227,966 63 1,200

Total Government 8 235,406 66 1,183 "Ife'

Private i •Mining •Manufacturing m • 1 Retail Trade 21 87,299 92 317 1 Services 18 881,652 222 1,326 39 968,951 1,031 it Total Private 313

.44, County Total 47 1,204,357 380 1,057

•Data cannot be re leased due to confidentiality. Data for these industries is included in services.

Services includes data that has not been classified by industry.

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•i- 36- 21 H!'

RECREATION

Virtually all the reasonably accessible portions of the county contain inactive mines and, in fact, are accessible because of that mining activity. Many of the recreational activities in the county involve jeeping on old mining roads and exploring the areas around old mining camps and mines. At least one advertisement for a local ili:.; ! commercial campground exhorts yisitors to "pan for gold, go for a jeep ride, visit ghost towns or old abandoned mines."

••'Si The U.S. Forest Service, in 1980, reported 133,400 visitor days of outdoor recreation at sites in the county. Although there is only one USFS maintained campground in the county, there are numerous unofficial campsites on USFS, BLM, and private lands. A commercial campground and a limited number of motel units are available in li Silverton.

Probably the most popular tourist activity in San Juan and La Plata Counties is riding the narrow gauge train between Silverton and Durango. Other activities include hiking, backpacking, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and cross country skiing.

AESTHETICS I This is one of the most rugged counties in Colorado. Lying in the heart of the San Juan Mountains which range to over 14,000 feet high, there are few level spots in the county. Low lying areas consist of narrow valleys and some small parks. Vistas are dominated by this alpine terrain along with evidence of past and current mining activity. Such evidence is considered an asset to ! the economy and a drawing card for tourism. Snow avalanche paths on the mountain sides are more numerous and of greater visual impact than most of the easily visible mining scars.

36- 22

J; BIBLIOGRAPHY

History Benham, Jack L. Silverton and Neighboring Ghost Towns. Bear Creek Publishing Co., Ouray, Colorado 1977. Another of the fine short histories of San Juan mining by a mining geologist. Daughters of the American Revolution, Sarah Piatt Decker Chapter. Pioneers of the San Juan country. Outwest Printing and Stationery Co. 4 volumes Colorado Springs 1942-1961.

A delightful collection of short essays and recollections covering the entire San Juan area. Appears to be reliable.

Henderson, Charles W. Mining in Colorado: a History of Discovery, Development, and Production. USGS Prof. Paper 138. 1925.

King, William H. and Allsman, Paul T. Reconnaissance of Metal Mining in the San Juan Region, Ouray, San Juan, and San Miguel Counties, Colorado. US Bureau of Mines Information Circular 7554. 1950. Ransome, F.L. A Report on the Economic Geology of the Silverton Quadrangle, Colorado. USGS 182 Bull. 1901. Silverton Weekly Miner. 1897-1904 Inactive Mine Inventory

Cross, Whitman, Howe, E. Ransome, Fl. Silverton Folio, USGS Geological Atlas, 120. 1905. Del Rio, S.M. Mineral Resources of Colorado, First Sequel. Colorado Mineral Resources Board. 1960. Henderson, C.W. Colorado Mining USGS Prof. Paper 138. 1926.

Ransome, F.L. Economic Geology of the Silverton Quadrangle USGS 182. 1901.

Vanderwilt, J.W. Mineral Resources of Colorado. Colorado Mineral Resources Board. 1947. Maps

Eight USGS 7.5' quadrangles were used for the inventory. They are: Ironton (1380), Handies Peak (1381), Silverton (1437), Howardsville (1438), Hermosa Peak (1492), Engineer Mountain (1493), Snowden Peak (1494), and Storm King Peak (1495). 36-23 ;i,' PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE COLORADO INACTIVE MINE RECLAMATION PLAN. VQMiiiPi| The results of the inactive mine inventory for San Juan County were mailed to individuals within the area who had expressed an interest in our program. This allowed them to review and comment on the Plan Document before it was submitted to the Office of Surface Mining for approval. Comments and responses were recorded and when appropriate, addressed by the staff.

The following comments were received from San Juan County:

Respondents: 1 HISTORY OF MINING

"Fairly entertaining and readable." li HAZARD ABATEMENT AND RECLAMATION ACTIVITY

"Potential Activity seems reasonable especially regarding owner iiili participation." COUNTY RESOURCES Socio-economic and Demographic Profile:

"Fair - I feel mining is perhaps a greater ground factor than indicated. Often the summer hustle hides the year around significance of mining."

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