An abandoned mine shift at the Button Rock Preserve will now be permanently gated under an agreement between the city of Longmont and the state’s Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety.
There will be no cost to the city as the permanent closure of the mine shaft will be paid for through the state’s Abandoned Mines Program. The program is funded in part by fees collected on active coal mines by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, according to a city staff report.
The city asked the state to permanently seal off the entrance of the mine since there are signs people occasionally visit its location. The partially constructed mine shaft was created during construction of Ralph Price Reservoir and Button Rock Dam between 1967 and 1968, the staff report states.
The shaft was built as a diversion route for North St. Vrain Creek. The shaft is carved into a granite bluff, is about 60-feet long by six-feet tall, and is occasionally inundated by North St. Vrain Creek, the staff report states.
City staff members say abandoned mine shafts are dangerous and even deadly to humans due to the potential for harmful gasses, unstable ground, or large mammals visiting the area.
Also, if wildlife is using the area, humans can unintentionally introduce disease, the staff report states.
Longmont has put up a temporary close and “no trespassing” sign at the mine but a more stable, permanent closure is needed. A permanent gate will be installed this fall, the staff report states.
