New Transdisciplinary Project for Abandoned Mine Lands Data
According to the Bureau of Land Management, over 200,000 abandoned mine land features are estimated to be in Arizona. The University of Arizona is undertaking a new project to compile current data about abandoned mine lands in order to gain a better understanding of the distribution of abandoned mine features and potential hazards and benefits associated with them.
Patrick Hellmann, project manager, previously worked in rehabilitation of burned lands and other natural resource related projects for the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition prior to coming to the University of Arizona to start his Master’s program. He gained experience working around abandoned mine shafts while in eastern Nevada. He received a Master’s in GIST, Geographic Information Systems Technology, from the University of Arizona. GIS is a computer system used to map, visualize, and analyze geospatial and geological data.
Hellmann was first introduced to the project by Julie Neilson, the Director for the Center of Environmentally Sustainable Mining, and hired by Mark Barton, Director for the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources.
Compiling a new database
While there are currently multiple abandoned mine land databases available, they are not always comprehensive and accessible. This project seeks to solve that issue by cataloging current data about abandoned mines in Arizona to create a comprehensive interactive, user-friendly website to understand where abandoned mine features are in Arizona. There are currently multiple databases available, but they are not as comprehensive as the one Hellmann is hoping to compile.
Abandoned mine features often pose a danger to community members who do not know they are there or have little experience with mine features. “Most [abandoned mine features] are not on maps,” says Hellmann. They can also feature various environmental hazards that need to be remediated.
Hellmann predicts the project will not involve new field work, but the project team hopes to use satellite imaging and past data collection to find previously unmapped mine features and populate the database with environmental and geologic information. The data can then be used to determine which sites may be good candidates for remediation and rehabilitation.
Engaging the community
The project is a combination of two grants, one being a partnership with Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University. The project will also engage across disciplines, working with at least six departments across UArizona.
Hellmann says there will be several ways for students to get involved. They will be hiring a student to help with digitization of historic documents regarding mines. Later in the project, he also wants to bring in geology and GIS students.
Hellmann believes the abandoned mine lands can be reclaimed or remediated. With a database tool, such as the one Hellmann hopes to put together, lands can be identified that can be reprocessed, revegetated, or secured safely to make the lands safer for civilians and the environment.
More information on abandoned mine lands: