Mining the Story

On October 19, 2010, my spouse and I had to make an unexpected and unplanned trip from Albuquerque to Rock Springs, Wyoming. Maps, including those on Google, indicated that the shortest route through Colorado included the stretch between Durango and Ouray, Colorado. Although shortest in miles, it was a mountainous route of narrow, switchback roads that took us through high mountain passes at very slow speeds.
The sublime beauty of the landscape was inescapable, and at around 15 miles per hour was easy to take in and photograph.


We drove through Silverton, Colorado and the Red Mountain Mining District north of town. The clerk/server/bartender at a local establishment told us that mining for silver, gold and other precious metals had been the mainstay of the local economy for more than a century, and there had been hundreds of mines in the mountains surrounding Silverton. She said that the last mine closed about twenty years ago and tourism had taken over as the main industry in the area.



Evidence of mining is pervasive in Silverton and in the mountains surrounding the town with mine buildings in various stages of repair. It appeared that some areas were being actively restored while other mine buildings crumbled into piles of rotting lumber on the mountainsides on or near multicolored mine tailings on which no plant life was evident.

Signs placed at various points along the road indicated that the land that had been used for mining was being reclaimed and restored. Much of the vegetation was young, which could suggest recent plantings within the last two decades.

The signs I read stated that the restoration efforts were historical in nature, and that environmental concerns were important in returning the mining district to a more natural state. None of the signs I read noted where the historical and environmental setpoints would be, how they would be determined, and by whom.

Following the streambed down the mountain, the water tumbled over small falls, around rocks and boulders and pooled in eddies in what could have been expected to be an excellent habitat for cutthroat or brown trout as well as other species of life.

However,the water in the stream was yellow and the streambed

had no vegetation growing immediately on its banks, although plants grew at a distance from the water. The rocks on the edge of the stream were as yellow as the water. The water smelled of sulfur and other metallic compounds.

The water flowed off the mountain and would eventually reach the Colorado River.

The drive between Durango and Ouray is indescribably beautiful and from a distance appears nearly pristine and almost humanly untouched. Yet, from a closer view, one can see the damage in the landscape from an industry that had little or no regulation and environmental concern. Perhaps the view was that nature would cure itself. Or, maybe it was thought that the desire for precious metals outweighed damage done. Is it possible for the landscape to be restored to health? If so, how long will it take?