Title

McLaren Tailings Abandoned Mine Site Reclamation Project - A New Beginning

Document Type

Lecture

Publication Date

10-12-2016

Abstract

From 1933 to 2010 the McLaren Tailings Abandoned Mine Site impacted the downgradient Soda Butte Creek with ferrous iron precipitates and heavy silt loads from the tailings. It was considered the most polluted stream entering Yellowstone National Park. This photo shows the area down gradient of the Site in the fall of 2008 (left side) and 2013 (right side) after reclamation efforts. By the fall of 2013 all the tailings, mine wastes, and impacted soils were removed and placed in an on-site repository. The water quality now meets state water quality standards. Through the reclamation efforts, by 2013, the ecosystem in Soda Butte Creek immediately downgradient of the site was reestablished and fish were observed in the reconstructed portions of Soda Butte and Miller Creeks.

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