Watershed Symposium 2018

Watershed Restoration of Abandoned Mines in the Wasatch Mountains

Through regular stakeholder engagement, thorough data analysis, and sound engineering, Snowbird and its partners successfully implemented pilot-scale watershed restoration and erosion control projects on high-alpine abandoned mine lands in the Wasatch Mountains this past summer.

Full Abstract
Remnants of historic abandoned mines dot the hillsides of the Wasatch Mountains. To protect and improve water quality in Mary Ellen Gulch of American Fork Canyon, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, along with Trout Unlimited, EarthFax Engineering, Tread Lightly!, and Cirrus Ecological Solutions, implemented pilot-scale, low-risk mine remediation projects to evaluate approaches to reduce non-point source runoff and to control erosion on waste rock piles. This presentation will focus on how Snowbird and its partners were able to successfully implement this high-alpine watershed restoration project this past summer through regular stakeholder engagement, data collection and analysis, and sound engineering.