Tailings Ponds Reclamation

Tailings Ponds Reclamation. . , Reclamation in Action , During its more than half century of operation, the Mayflower Mill created four major tailings ponds, two oldest and largest (No. 1 on the right, No. 2 on the left) are in the immediate foreground. Ponds No. 3 and No. 4, both dating from the mid-1970s, are located further down the road. Together, the four ponds contain about 10 million tons of tailings., The Mayflower Mill's tailings-disposal system once represented the pinnacle of environmental practice, but later generations had more exacting standards. The tailings pond itself with its unsightly, barren slopes - became an object of environmental concern. American mining companies therefore developed methods to make tailings ponds more compatible with the surrounding landscape. These activities are known as reclamation., Reclamation of the Mayflower's tailings ponds began in 1989, two years before the mill closed. First, the sides and tops of the mounds were reshaped for greater stability. Next, soil was applied to the surface, and the mounds planted with a mixture of self-sustaining native grasses and trees. Because of high altitude and dry climate, these plantings will require several years to mature. By 1993, reclamation was complete on Ponds No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3. The lowest pond, No. 4, was still being used to store solids, but it, too, is scheduled for eventual reclamation., Modern mining companies often reclaim historic sites as part of their contemporary mining activities. The reclamation at the Mayflower Mill Tailings Ponds is an excellent example of how mining companies are cleaning up historic mine sites and blending them back into the land. From innovative tailings ponds to reclaimed wildlife habitat, this site chronicles the evolving environmental awareness of the American mining industry., Captions , 1. Tailings Pond No. 1 during reclamation, 1992. , (Courtesy of Sunnyside Gold Corporation) , 2. Tailings Pond No. 1 after reseeding, 1994. , (Courtesy of Sunnyside Gold Corporation) . This historical marker was erected by San Juan County Historical Society. It is in Silverton in San Juan County Colorado