Mines are Everywhere

"With great energy my officers and men...[have] prospected the country, and succeeded in discovering rich gold and silver-bearing rock. It is now a settled fact that the mines of Utah are equal to any west of the Missouri, and only await the advent of capital to develop them."

- Colonel Patrick E. Conner, the "father of mining" in Utah.

The driving of the last spike at Promontory in 1869 joined the Central Pacific Railroad with the Union Pacific Railroad, making Salt Lake City the mining center of the West. This led to the formation of the Salt Lake Stock and Mining Exchange in 1908, the center of Utah's fast-growing mining industry. Today, Kennecott Utah Copper's Bingham Pit reminds us that mining is still an important industry for Utah.

A remnant of this mining heritage is an estimated 20,000 mine openings scattered across Utah--each containing many hazards for unsuspecting explorers. Don't be fooled! Mine shafts, old buildings, and underground workings may seem to invite exploration; but in reality they pose a multitude of dangers. Cave-ins, toxic mine air, falls, and undetonated explosives can cost you your health or even your life!

(Utah Mineral Occurrence System data used in locating presumed abandoned mines.)

The transcontinental railroad and development of ore-extracting technologies fueled the spread of silver mining in Utah. Park City was one of Utah's greatest bonanza towns. The Ontario, Silver King, Daly-West, Daly-Judge, and the Silver King Coalition are some of the best know mines. Between 1867 and 1960, these mines produced over $400 million dollars worth of precious metals. More than half of Utah's mineral production was silver before 1900. This accounted for 20% of the silver production in the United States.

Often when all of the minerals were mined out of an area, a mine was simply abandoned. Equipment and buildings were left standing, waste rock was left in piles, shafts and tunnels were left open, and roads and hillside cuts were left in place. Mining activity was not regulated until 1975 and 1981 by the State of Utah and the BLM, respectively. Today, Federal and State laws require all active mining disturbance to be reclaimed.

"Perhaps the worst part of the whole thing was imagining the literal hell our parents were going through, wondering if they were going to see their boys again...I thought if only I could get out, I'm going to get a whole new perspective on my life, because I've faced death square in the face...Unfortunately, a lot of people don't get that experience...A lot of people don't make it out alive."

- Dennis Workman, a Salt Lake resident trapped in the Maxfield mine for 56 hours.

Mine shafts are vertical mine openings. They represent the number one cause of death and injury in abandoned mines. Because no light enters a mine shaft, the depth is difficult to assess. The shaft collar may be loose and unconsolidated. This material can break away, causing individuals to fall into the shaft. Darkness, loose debris, false floors, rotten timbers, and water can hide vertical openings.

Explosives become highly unstable with time and when exposed to the elements. Old dynamite often contains nitroglycerine, which can explode with the slightest disturbance. Perhaps the most dangerous explosives are blasting caps. Rodents can scatter blasting caps on the mine floor. If stepped on, they will explode. A blasting cap resembles a firecracker with wires

Highwalls are vertical cliffs. They are common features of open pit mines and quarries which can be unstable and prone to collapse. Do not stand near or under highwalls nor attempt to climb them.

Mines are not caves. Caves are formed naturally over thousands or even millions of years. Mines are man-made by blasting, which fractures and weakens the surrounding rocks. Vibrations from walking or even speaking can cause an abandoned mine to cave in.

Abandoned mines are not ventilated. Consequently, pockets of deadly air and gases can be present. Even experienced cavers can die exploring mines, due to lack of oxygen.

Structures are dilapidated. Support timbers, headframes, ladders, pump jacks, tanks, and other related structures may seem safe and solid; but rotted wood will easily crumble under a person's weight. Don't be fooled by appearances. Do not climb on, around, or under structures.

Animals live in abandoned mines. Rattlesnakes, bats, bears, or mountain lions can den or escape the heat in the dark recesses of a mine. Underground mines can be critical habitat for such species. You should not disturb them.

Bad Air is oxygen-deficient or toxic air that can build up in abandoned mines, causing dizziness or even unconsciousness. Bad air is odorless and tasteless. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide often collect in low areas or along the floor in horizontal workings. The motion of walking can cause bad air to mix with good air.

Radioactivity is the result of the natural decay process of radioactive minerals (uranium, vanadium, etc.). The effects of radiation exposure are cumulative through a lifetime. Excessive exposure can be harmful or eventually fatal. Many abandoned uranium mines in southern Utah are potential sources of radiation.

Hazardous Waste such as bags or drums of chemicals used in mining, milling or drilling operations can pose a threat when touched or smelled by an uninformed person. Illegal dumping of industrial hazardous waste can also occur.

Water Hazards occur in flooded abandoned mines. Shallow water can conceal drop-offs (winzes), sharp objects, and other hazards. You can drown in a water-filled shaft.

Timbers were and still are used to support the roof of mines. The timbers weaken over time due to the weight of the roof rocks and the natural breakdown of the wood itself.

The loose rocks and soil above this entry could break away and cover the opening, trapping anyone who entered the mine.

Report the location of any abandoned mine which poses a hazard to the public or the environment. Contact the State of Utah Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program office or the nearest BLM office.

Winze or Lose--It's up to you.

Winzes are like elevator shafts without the elevator. They are steeply inclined shafts that connect one mine level with a lower level. Typically, winzes were used to gravity-feed ore out of the mine. Winzes may be covered by rotten timbers or water which hides their presence. They may also descend to lower, water-filled levels.

Even trained professionals like Bob Gloyn, who was trapped in a mine for 6 days, cannot always predict what will happen next.

"In that little black spot where it was in the shadow, some rotten son-of-a gun had dug a 70-foot winze that covered the width of the drift. I stepped off and fell 70 feet."

Reclamation

"Finding and securing all of the abandoned mines in Utah is a costly joint agency effort to protect the public's safety. It will take years to reclaim them all, so people must realize the danger and stay out of abandoned mines."

- Mary Ann Wright, Former Manager of the State of Utah's Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program

The BLM and the State of Utah's Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program are conducting abandoned mine inventories. These inventories will allow us to identify the most hazardous sites and set priorities for reclamation. Before a site is closed, clearances are obtained. This means checking the site for threatened and endangered plants and animals, such as bats, cultural and historic resources, and wetland values.

We Need Your Help

Abandoned mines are hazardous and should be left alone. For your own safety and the safety of others, do not try to enter abandoned mines. Vandalism of closures endangers innocent people and wastes tax dollars.

To learn more about the dangers of abandoned mines, call the BLM or the State of Utah for a copy of a public safety video entitled "STAY OUT and STAY ALIVE: Abandoned Mine Safety".

For More Information
Or
To Report An Abandoned Mine Hazard

Call the Utah Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program at (801) 538-5323 or send e-mail to
LUCIAMALIN@utah.gov

or

Call the BLM Utah State Office and contact:
Sharon Andrews (801) 539-4080  or

Terry Synder (801) 539-4026.

return to the Utah Abandoned Mine Reclamation Page

Visits since June 5, 2006