Mining Incidents
Abandoned mine inventory

Abandoned mines in Barton County, Missouri

Barton County, Missouri has 112 mine and prospect features on USGS topographic maps published 1948–1981, including 1 mine openings (shafts, adits and air shafts). OSMRE's abandoned mine land inventory lists 118 problems in the county, 48 of them not yet reclaimed. MSHA's register carries 6 mines in the county with status Abandoned or Abandoned and Sealed.

Every mine and prospect feature the USGS digitized from historical topographic maps covering Barton County, every OSMRE abandoned mine land problem in the county, and every MSHA-registered mine here with status Abandoned. Named features are listed below; unnamed ones are counted by type. Locations are deliberately not shown: this page says what abandoned workings are in the county, not where to find them. They are dangerous and should not be entered.

Mapped mine features (USGS)
112
Mine openings
1
OSMRE problems unreclaimed
48
MSHA mines marked abandoned
6
0 features carry a name0 prospect pits13 quadrangle maps, published 1948–1981 118 OSMRE problems, 70 reclaimed 0 MSHA mines abandoned and sealed
What the features are
  1. Mine openings
    shafts, adits, air shafts, portals and vertical openings: the ways into underground workings
    10 4.3%
  2. Mines and surface workings
    labelled mines, open pits, strip mines, placer and hydraulic workings
    104 45.2%
  3. Quarries, gravel and borrow pits
    construction-material and industrial-mineral extraction
    4 1.7%
  4. Dumps, tailings, spoil and gob
    what mining left above ground
    35 15.2%
  5. Mills, tipples and facilities
    processing plants and hazardous structures
    1 0.4%
  6. Other reclamation problems
    highwalls, subsidence, polluted or clogged water, fires, slides and gases in OSMRE's inventory
    76 33.0%
OSMRE abandoned mine land problems118 on inventory
Problem area Problem Status
Anderson Gob P2 Clogged Stream Lands Reclamation Completed
Anderson Gob P2 Polluted Water: Agricultural & Industrial Reclamation Completed
Anderson Gob P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Ardath P2 Dangerous Highwalls In Reclamation
Ardath P2 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Completed
Ardath P2 Polluted Water: Agricultural & Industrial Reclamation Completed
Ardath P3 Pits Reclamation Completed
Ardath P3 Slurry Reclamation Completed
Ardath P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Bison P2 Clogged Stream Lands Reclamation Completed
Bison P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Bison P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Completed
Bison P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Bison P3 High Wall Reclamation Pending
Brock Farms P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Brock Farms P2 Hazardous Water Bodies Reclamation Completed
Brock Farms P2 Polluted Water: Agricultural & Industrial Reclamation Completed
Clemons Gob Pile P2 Clogged Stream Lands Reclamation Completed
Clemons Gob Pile P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Clemons Gob Pile P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Clemons Gob Pile P2 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Completed
Clemons Gob Pile P3 Pits Reclamation Completed
Clemons Gob Pile P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Correll Coal P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Pending
Correll Coal P3 Gobs Reclamation Pending
Correll Coal P3 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Pending
Correll Coal P3 Other Reclamation Pending
Correll Coal P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Daugherty Gob Pile P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Daugherty Gob Pile P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Completed
Daugherty Gob Pile P2 Polluted Water: Agricultural & Industrial Reclamation Completed
Daugherty Gob Pile P3 Pits Reclamation Completed
Daugherty Gob Pile P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Decker Farm P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Decker Farm P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Decker Farm P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Decker Farm P2 Subsidence Reclamation Pending
Decker Farm P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Decker Farm P3 Spoil Area In Reclamation
Decker Farm P3 Water Problems Reclamation Pending
Gary Peterson P3 Gobs Reclamation Pending
Gary Peterson P3 High Wall Reclamation Pending
Gary Peterson P3 Other Reclamation Pending
Gary Peterson P3 Pits Reclamation Pending
Gary Peterson P3 Slurry Reclamation Pending
Gary Peterson P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Highway 126 P2 Clogged Streams Reclamation Pending
Highway 126 P2 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Pending
Highway 126 P2 Polluted Water: Agricultural & Industrial Reclamation Pending
Highway 126 P3 High Wall Reclamation Pending
Highway 126 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Highway 126 P3 Water Problems Reclamation Pending
Highway 160 P1 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Highway 160 P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Lester Davis P2 Dangerous Highwalls In Reclamation
Lester Davis P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Completed
Lester Davis P2 Hazardous Water Bodies Reclamation Completed
Lester Davis P2 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Pending
Lester Davis P3 Spoil Area In Reclamation
Liberal Shaft P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Liberal Shaft P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Massa P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Massa P2 Hazardous Water Bodies Reclamation Completed
Massa P2 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Completed
Massa P2 Polluted Water: Agricultural & Industrial Reclamation Completed
Massa P2 Polluted Water: Human Consumption Reclamation Completed
Massa P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Completed
Massa P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Massa P3 Spoil Area In Reclamation
Max Rose P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Milford P3 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Pending
Milford P3 Pits Reclamation Pending
Milford P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Mindenmines P1 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Mindenmines P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Mindenmines P2 Vertical Openings In Reclamation
Mindenmines P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Moore P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Pending
Moore P3 Gobs Reclamation Pending
Parry P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Parry P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Pending
Parry P2 Hazardous Water Bodies In Reclamation
Parry P3 Gobs Reclamation Pending
Parry P3 Spoil Area In Reclamation
Prairie State Park P2 Clogged Stream Lands Reclamation Completed
Prairie State Park P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Prairie State Park P2 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Completed
Pre 87 - Anderson P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Completed
Pre 87 - Anderson P2 Polluted Water: Human Consumption Reclamation Completed
Pre 87 - Anderson P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Reclaimed P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Pending
Reclaimed P3 Pits Reclamation Pending
Shawnee Trail P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Shawnee Trail P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Completed
Shawnee Trail P2 Hazardous Water Bodies Reclamation Completed
Shawnee Trail P2 Polluted Water: Agricultural & Industrial Reclamation Completed
Shawnee Trail P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Subsidence Prone P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Subsidence Prone P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Subsidence Prone P2 Hazardous Water Bodies Reclamation Completed
Subsidence Prone P2 Subsidence Reclamation Pending
Subsidence Prone P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Pending
Subsidence Prone P3 High Wall Reclamation Pending
Subsidence Prone P3 Slump Reclamation Pending
Subsidence Prone P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Swimming Pit P2 Clogged Stream Lands Reclamation Completed
Swimming Pit P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Swimming Pit P2 Hazardous Water Bodies Reclamation Completed
Swimming Pit P2 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Completed
Swimming Pit P2 Polluted Water: Agricultural & Industrial Reclamation Completed
Swimming Pit P2 Polluted Water: Human Consumption Reclamation Completed
Swimming Pit P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Swimming Pit P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Turner P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Turner P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Turner P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Tusconia P2 Dangerous Highwalls In Reclamation
Tusconia P2 Hazardous Water Bodies In Reclamation

Problem types carry OSMRE's priority prefix: P1 and P2 are threats to health, safety and property, P3 is environmental. A problem area is a cluster of problems reclaimed as one project; several rows can share one location.

MSHA-registered mines with status Abandoned6 on register
  1. Bar Co Roc
    Surface metal/non-metal · Barton County Rock Asphalt Company Inc · MSHA ID 2300537
    Abandoned
  2. Blue Mound Mine No 1
    Surface coal · Alternate Fuels Inc · MSHA ID 2302023
    Abandoned
  3. Empire Mine
    Surface coal · Pittsburg & Midway Coal Mining Company · MSHA ID 2300462
    Abandoned
  4. Jasper #15
    Surface metal/non-metal · Midwest Minerals Inc · MSHA ID 2300199
    Abandoned
  5. Sunpyre-Minden Mine
    Facility coal · Sunpyre Mining Inc · MSHA ID 2301912
    Abandoned
  6. Taylor Quarries, Inc.
    Surface metal/non-metal · Taylor Quarries, Inc. · MSHA ID 2300748
    Abandoned

Status and date are as reported to MSHA by the operator. Each mine's own page carries its accident, citation and inspection record.

By source vocabularythe publishers' own terms
Feature type Features
Strip Mine 104
P3 Spoil Area 18
P2 Dangerous Highwalls 16
P2 Hazardous Water Bodies 8
P2 Polluted Water: Agricultural & Industrial 8
P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments 8
P2 Industrial/Residential Waste 7
P2 Vertical Openings 6
P3 Gobs 6
P3 Pits 6
P2 Clogged Stream Lands 5
P3 High Wall 4
Tailings - Undifferentiated 3
P1 Subsidence 3
P2 Polluted Water: Human Consumption 3
P1 Dangerous Highwalls 2
P3 Equipment Facility 2
P2 Subsidence 2
P2 Portals 2
P3 Industrial/Residential Waste 2
P3 Slurry 2
Quarry 2
P3 Water Problems 2
P3 Other 2
Adit 1
Gravel Pit 1
Gravel Pit 1
P1 Vertical Openings 1
P2 Clogged Streams 1
P3 Slump 1
P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities 1
Other counties in MissouriAll counties →
How to read these numbers

A USGS feature is a symbol on a historical topographic map, there when the map was surveyed; it may since have been sealed, reclaimed, built over or reopened as a working mine, and the map does not say which. An OSMRE row is a problem the abandoned mine land program tracks, not a mine. An MSHA mine is a registered operation whose operator reported abandonment, a record that starts in the 1970s. The three overlap and are never added together. The county is assigned from each feature's coordinates against the Census 2023 county boundaries. The full method is on the national page.

Sources
  1. USGS, Consolidated Prospect- and Mine-Related Features from 7.5- and 15-Minute Topographic Quadrangle Maps of the United States (USMIN)
    597,612 point and area features digitized from about 106,350 historical topographic maps published 1886–2006; public domain (CC0). A feature is a map symbol, not a field-verified site, and the map does not say whether it was still worked.
  2. USGS Fact Sheet 2025–3003, The Abandoned Mine Inventory of the United States
    States that as of 2025 there is no comprehensive national inventory of abandoned mine features, and that the detailed national database now being built will not be published.
  3. OSMRE, Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System (e-AMLIS), public Problems layer
    One row per abandoned mine land problem in a problem area, with its type, funding program and reclamation status; mostly coal mined before the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Coordinates are the problem area's.
  4. MSHA, Mines dataset (Mine Data Retrieval System)
    Every mine registered with MSHA since the 1970s; a mine reads Abandoned or Abandoned and Sealed when its operator reported that status. Refreshed weekly.
  5. US Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic county boundaries (1:500,000)
    Each feature's county is assigned by its coordinates against these boundaries, not copied from the source file.
  6. GAO-20-238, Abandoned Hardrock Mines (March 2020)
    Federal agencies had identified at least 140,000 abandoned hardrock mine features on federal land and estimated more than 390,000 more not yet captured in their databases.
  7. Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation (AHMR) Program, US Department of the Interior
    The program the USGS inventory is compiled for. Its appropriations and the 674,000 field-confirmed feature count on this page were provided by the program manager, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, and are cited with permission (2026-09-08).
  8. IMCC-NAAMLP Hardrock AML Report
    Page 48 carries the two figures this page leans on: USGS estimates 633,181 of the 725,690 mine features it recorded from historic topographic maps, 87 percent, are hardrock; and state and federal agencies have submitted more than 724,000 AML features to the national database being built, already more than the historic maps hold. Year-by-year AHMR funding is on page 35.