Dames & Moore, 1999 - USDA Forest Service

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17693-005-019Uuly 19. 1999;2:22 PM;DRAFT FWAL RI REPORT
Northwest mining engineer professors" to design the tailings ponds to minimize
adverse impacts to Railroad Creek and the fishery (Adams, 1981).
Howe Sound Company was provided a permit to utilize a portion of Railroad
Creek and Copper Creek water for use in the mill and village. Plans were
developed to build a transmission line from an electrical generation plant in Chelan
(Adams, 198 1 ).
The concentrating plant, docks at Lucerne, shop buildings, living accommodations,
12 miles of road, and 54 miles of power line were constructed. Railroad Creek was
relocated for the construction of tailings pile 1 (McWilliams, 1958).
The Howe Sound Company completed construction of the mill and started
production of ore concentrate. The 1500-level main portal and ventilator tunnel
were established (McWilliams, 1958). The Honeymoon Heights and workings
were abandoned in lieu. of utilizing the 1500 main tunnel for accessing and
removing portions of the ore body (Adams, 1981). The mine and mill structures
were established on patented mining claims. The village. support buildings, and
mine tailings piles were constructed on National Forest System (NFS) lands with
the approval of the USFS.
During this period, the mine and mill were operated by Howe Sound. Nearly 10
million tons of tailings were generated resulting fiom the mining and milling of
ore; approximately 8 million tons were placed in three tailings piles covering
approximately 90 acres, and nearly 1.8 million tons of tailings material were used
as backfill in the mine during the period of operation (McWilliams, 1958).
The abandoned mine structures and 15 patented mining claims were deeded by
Howe Sound Company to the Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle, Washington
(Adams, 1981).
Holden Village, Incorporated was formed to manage the village as an
interdenominational church retreat, which continues today (Quit Claim Deed,
1961).
A Watershed Rehabilitation Plan for Railroad Creek and Copper Creek was
prepared by USFS.
The USFS burned down the Winston townsites for safety considerations (personal
communications with Keith Anderson, formerly of the USFS, 1997); the
underground storage tanks associated with the houses were not removed.
Feasibility and pre-design reports were completed by USFS.
Revegetation test plots were completed on tailings pile I.