Six years ago a pair of industrious scofflaws came up with a get-rich-quick scheme. They decided to haul a backhoe up to an illegal campsite near the abandoned Hidden Treasure Mine above Alma, CO. Their plan was to find their fortune by digging through the tailings at the mine’s adit. By the time their illegal activity was discovered they had succeeded in directing the water draining from this mine through the disturbed tailings and on into Buckskin Creek. This act endangered health of that creek, the health of the middle fork of the South Platte River downstream, and the health of the residents of Alma that rely on this creek for pure drinking water. The Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) enlisted CCTU’s help in rerouting the drainage, encapsulating the tailings, decommissioning the illegal campsite and mine adit and access road, and revegetating the site.
Recently, CCTU members visiting the area on business were able to tour that site. They were guided by former CUSP employee Jara Johnson, who helped direct that activity in 2014. They are pleased to report that in spite of the extreme altitude and harsh conditions, that construction work is intact and nature continues to repair itself. The vegetation at the site is continuing fill in. The illegal road to the campsite it still effectively blocked and camouflaged to discourage continued use. The French drain constructed to reroute the water exiting the mine still works as designed. That drainage now bypasses the tailings and trickles harmlessly down the slope to the creek.
It is heartwarming to see how well this area is recovering. The town of Alma is still very grateful for the hard efforts of those CCTU volunteers years ago. Our CCTU Board would like to thank all of those folks who volunteered on that conservation project, and the Board encourages all members to get involved in the conservation projects coming up later this year!
First three pictures below are before the CCTU work. Second three pictures are six years later.
