National Demonstration Project

Coordinator: Marcie Demmy Bidwell, Mountain Studies Institute

The Animas River Corridor Revitalization Project is a partnership to develop a Revitalization Plan for Animas River that passes through the town of Silverton, Colorado. San Juan County, Alpine Environmental Services, Animas River Stakeholders Group, and Mountain Studies Institute partnered to provide the county support in the planning process. The Animas River Corridor Plan process will include a series of public meetings to involve community members and obtain feedback on revitalization and recreational uses, incorporate technical information on riparian ecology and hydrology, and produce an Animas River Restoration and Recreation Reuse Plan for guiding development of the river corridor. The goals of the plan are for county residents to develop a vision for the corridor that incorporates economic renewal and the development of recreational amenities that include new trails, fish habitat improvements, a whitewater park, and other economic opportunities based upon ecologically sound restoration activities. The process built upon existing planning documents such as the 1998 San Juan County and Town of Silverton Master Plan and the 2004 Silverton Area Trails Plan.

ANIMAS RIVER CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION PROJECT FUNDS

• EPA Mine-Scarred Lands Initiative - $15,000
• BLM Intern Funding - $10,000 I
• n-Kind Donations - $12,000

ASSOCIATED SAN JUAN COUNTY GRANTS/FUNDING SOURCES ALREADY RECEIVED

• Remediation & Assessment - $10,000,000
• Historic Preservation - $1,200,000
• Recreation Amenities - $1,000,000

Projects Overview

The Brownfields Federal Partnership Mine-Scarred Lands Initiative (MSL) is an interagency partnership working with local communities to explore approaches to mine-scarred lands cleanup and community revitalization. Along with five other national demonstration projects, San Juan County, Colorado was selected to receive technical assistance for developing an effective approach to multi-agency participation in the cleanup and reuse of mine-scarred lands along the Animas River. The project focuses on two mixed public and private ownership project sites: a two-mile section of the Animas River through the Town of Silverton, Colorado, the only incorporated town and San Juan County seat, and the Eureka Town Site, an abandoned mining town eight miles north and upriver from Silverton. Due to the high visibility and federal interagency support for the MSL Initiative, the project will help the community to capture unique collaborative opportunities for revitalization, and will serve as a model to other western communities impacted by hard rock mine-scarred lands. The Eureka Town Site marks the northern extent of the project area, and the two-mile in-town section marks the southern boundary.

• Community-based Recreation Reuse Plan

  Silverton Corridor Plan
  Eureka Plan

• Site Assessment and Potential Redevelopment Activities

  North Animas site Assessment
  South Animas site Assessment

• Research on Funding and Technical Assistance Opportunities

  Animas Tech Workshop-Project Description

• Animas River Corridor Project Plan- Overview

  Animas River Plan Update

Animas River Corridor, Silverton

The Silverton community is developing an Animas River Corridor Revitalization Plan for a two-mile segment of the Animas River that passes through the town of Silverton, Colorado. This section of the river is degraded by abandoned dumpsites, prior mining activities, dewatering of wetlands, and river channels dredged for flood control and gravel mining. The goal of the Animas River Corridor Revitalization Plan is for county residents to develop an action plan that incorporates remediation, ecological restoration, recreation development, historic preservation, and the arts. The plan’s focus is the protection, improvement and expansion of riparian ecosystems (vegetation, wetlands, habitat); development of recreational amenities (trails, winter sports, whitewater accessibility); expansion of community art and performance spaces; and development of interpretative exhibits of San Juan County’s mining, railroad and mountain heritage.

 Project Goals
The goals of the Silverton Corridor are to create a community vision to guide clean up, revitalization and reuse of a 2 mile section of the Animas River Corridor that incorporates the mining and mountain heritage, recognizes the unique San Juan community spirit and respects the natural beauty of the Animas River. Specifically, the project goals are:

• Cleanup the old Town Dump Site to reuse as trails and open space,
• Develop a cleanup, restoration and reuse plan for the Lackawanna Mill,
• Restore wetlands and riparian habitat along the corridor to improve water quality, protect private resources, and increase wildlife on public lands,
• Develop trails and open space with recreation amenities that are accessible and designated to meet needs of a variety of users for hiking, skiing, and snowmobiling,
• Increase use of Kendall Mountain Community Center and Recreation Area, and
• Incorporate art and historic interpretation to tell the story of Silverton’s heritage and future as a mining, railroad and mountain community.

Animas River Plan Update >>
Animas River Newsletter >>
Funding Secure for Trails Implementation >>

Eureka Town Site

The Eureka Town Site poses three distinct challenges to revitalization related to Remediation; Land Reclamation; and Ownership Patterns. Eureka Town Site contains tailings from abandoned gold, silver, lead, and zinc mines; and the Animas River valley floor is contaminated along this mile-long stretch. What should be removed and where should it go? Limited sites exist in mountainous San Juan County for tailings disposal. A complex three-party land trade is in process between the County, Sunnyside Gold Corporation and the BLM to consolidate the existing mixed ownership scenario and best support re-use goals. Although progress is being made, due to concern regarding liability and varied interests, it is slow. The Silverton community wishes to revitalize this area through development of a RV campground; trails and mining heritage exhibits; gravel harvesting for infrastructure supply; and flood plain restoration.

Project Goals
The project goals for the Eureka Townsite are to:

• Finalize land exchange with BLM and Sunnyside Gold Corporation,
• Develop primitive RV park and campground,
• Create interpretive trails, signage and exhibits of the mining history and reclamation efforts, and
• Establish a gravel mine operation.

PROJECT TIME FRAME

• March – August 2006

PROJECT TEAM

• San Juan County
• Mountain Studies Institute
• Alpine Environmental Services
• Animas River Stakeholders
• Mine-Scarred Lands Working Group

FUNDABLE ACTIVITIES

• Site Reclamation
• Environmental Cleanup
• Recreational Amenity Development
• Trail Development
• Infrastructure Improvements
• Wetland and River Restoration
• Historic Preservation
• Property Acquisition
• Mining & Mountain Heritage Interpretation
• Community Arts Development

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Location: San Juan County, CO
• Year-round Population: 576
• Unemployment:    13.4 %
• Poverty Level:    20.9 %
• (Above national average)
• Per Capita Income:    $17,584
• (Below national average)