Park City and Kennecott—Post-Mining Land Use at Two Historic Sites in Utah in-person lecture given by Donovan Symonds, Amy J. Richins, and Michael G. Nelson

Park City Museum and Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History will host an in-person lecture called Park City and Kennecott—Post-Mining Land Use at Two Historic Sites in Utah given by Donovan Symonds, Amy J. Richins, and Michael G. Nelson on Wednesday, October 5th from 5-6 p.m. at the EDUCATION AND COLLECTIONS CENTER 2079 SIDEWINDER DRIVE. Please register for the lecture at www.parkcityhistory.org/events.

Mining at two locations in Utah have resulted in vastly different post-mining land use. Copper ore was discovered in Bingham Canyon in 1848. Mining of placer deposits began in 1863, and high-grade porphyry ore in 1887. Low-grade porphyry copper was not mined until D.C. Jackling started open-pit mining with steam shovels and rail haulage in 1906. The Bingham Canyon mine is still operating, at about 200,000 short tons of ore daily. High-grade silver ore was discovered near Park City in 1872. The district produced complex ores containing lead, zinc, copper, gold, and silver. Production slowed in the early 1950s, and the last mine closed in 1982. Post-mining land use in these two sites varies markedly. Bingham Canyon is an active mine, with large waste dumps, a mill, a tailings pond, and a smelter. Still, several areas are undergoing active redevelopment. Park City is now a high-end ski resort town with million-dollar residences. It also has a legacy of post-mining land use challenges, including deteriorating head frames and shafts, malls and houses built on un-reclaimed tailings, and more. This presentation describes some of the activities of in both areas.

Register for this lecture