Socorro West Mine Safeguard Project
Office of Surface Mining's 1999 Western Regional Award
These mines operated from 1954 into the early 1960's providing manganese for the U.S. Government's Stategic Minerals Program. The project safeguarded 24 mine openings while preserving underground bat habitat. The mine workings provide very important winter hibernaculum and areas for summer nursery colonies for the Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii). Also using some mine features are Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and Fringed myotis bats (Myotis thysanodes).
Socorro West post-construction report (16 MB pdf)
Year Completed: 1996
Cost: $109,163.54
Project Engineer: John Kretzmann, P.E.
Project Manager: Randall Armijo
These mines operated from 1954 into the early 1960's providing manganese for the U.S. Government's Stategic Minerals Program. The project safeguarded 24 mine openings while preserving underground bat habitat. The mine workings provide very important winter hibernaculum and areas for summer nursery colonies for the Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii). Also using some mine features are Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and Fringed myotis bats (Myotis thysanodes).
Socorro West post-construction report (16 MB pdf)
Year Completed: 1996
Cost: $109,163.54
Project Engineer: John Kretzmann, P.E.
Project Manager: Randall Armijo