The Gold Hill Mine Safeguard Project was constructed in 2005 and was located within the Gila National Forest in Grant and Hidalgo Counties approximately 10 miles northeast of Lordsburg. The project area was located almost entirely on federal U.S. Forest Service land.

The Gold Hill project site consisted of fourteen different mine sites containing eighteen adits, thirteen shafts, and four miscellaneous features, all of which were dangerous to the public at large.

This project involved the following work:

• Backfilling of 26 features using mine waste;
• Construction and installation of steel bat grates inside culverts at six adits;
• Construction and installation of a steel bat grate at one adit opening;
• Construction and installation of a steel bat cupola at one adit opening;
• Construction of a polyurethane foam plug closure at one declined adit opening;
• Seeding of all areas disturbed by construction.

The work of this project was scattered over area of approximately eight sections of land.

The contractor was St. Cloud Mining Company based in Truth or Consequences, NM. St. Cloud Mining Co. has done many abandoned mine reclamation projects in the past.

Year Completed: 2006
Cost: $173,200.04
Project Engineer: Mike Tompson, P.E.
Project Manager: Randall Armijo and Lloyd Moiola

Press Release for this Project

BEFORE		AFTER
Crescent Mine
A very dangerous mine adit with unstable rock at the front entrance. Bats were found to be living in this feature.		The debris was cleared away and a culvert with bat gate was constructed at the mine entrance. The bat gate is built to allow bats to come and go while keeping curious humans out.
Comet Mine
A 40-ft shaft that turns into a lateral opening on the bottom. Bat were found to be using this feature.		Finished bat cupola that allows people stand on top and look down. Notice the raptor perch attached.
COOP Decline
Steeply declined adit that went down over an unknown depth. The limits were not explored for safety reasons.		A culvert with a bat gate was constructed because bats were seen using the feature. The culvert is held in place with polyurethane foam.
COOP Adit
Adit at the COOP Mine left in a dangerous condition.		Bat gate constructed at the entrance to the adit.
AML 7
Abandoned adit with collapsing rock at the entrance.		Culvert with bat gate inside.