Mining Incidents
Abandoned mine inventory

Abandoned mines in Sweetwater County, Wyoming

Sweetwater County, Wyoming has 691 mine and prospect features on USGS topographic maps published 1957–1996, including 41 mine openings (shafts, adits and air shafts) and 421 prospect pits; 9 of the features carry a name on the map. OSMRE's abandoned mine land inventory lists 366 problems in the county, 64 of them not yet reclaimed. MSHA's register carries 50 mines in the county with status Abandoned or Abandoned and Sealed.

Every mine and prospect feature the USGS digitized from historical topographic maps covering Sweetwater 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)
691
Mine openings
41
OSMRE problems unreclaimed
64
MSHA mines marked abandoned
50
9 features carry a name421 prospect pits87 quadrangle maps, published 1957–1996 366 OSMRE problems, 302 reclaimed 5 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
    123 11.6%
  2. Prospect pits and trenches
    shallow exploration diggings that never became a mine
    421 39.8%
  3. Mines and surface workings
    labelled mines, open pits, strip mines, placer and hydraulic workings
    68 6.4%
  4. Quarries, gravel and borrow pits
    construction-material and industrial-mineral extraction
    157 14.9%
  5. Dumps, tailings, spoil and gob
    what mining left above ground
    38 3.6%
  6. Mills, tipples and facilities
    processing plants and hazardous structures
    7 0.7%
  7. Other reclamation problems
    highwalls, subsidence, polluted or clogged water, fires, slides and gases in OSMRE's inventory
    233 22.0%
  8. Other
    symbols outside the classes above
    10 0.9%
Named features on the maps9 named · from the USGS compilation
Name on map Feature
Canyon Creek Mine Adit
Clark Mine Open Pit Mine area
Copenhagen Mine Adit
D Mine Adit
G Mine Adit
Premier Mine Mine Shaft
Rainbow Mine Adit
Swanson Mine Adit
Westvaco Shaft No 3 Mine Shaft

A name is the label printed beside the symbol on the map. "First mapped" is the earliest topographic edition that shows the symbol, which bounds the feature's age from above; it is not the date it was worked. Unnamed features (most prospect pits, adits and shafts carry no label) are in the counts above but not this list.

OSMRE abandoned mine land problems366 on inventory
Problem area Problem Status
Almy No. 7 P1 Clogged Stream Lands Reclamation Completed
Almy No. 7 P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Almy No. 7 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Almy No. 7 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Almy No. 7 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Bitter Creek Restoration (PF 78) PF Conservation Facilities Reclamation Completed
Black Butte - Gibralter P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Pending
Black Butte - Gibralter P2 Subsidence Reclamation Pending
Black Butte - Gibralter P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Pending
Black Butte - Gibralter P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Pending
Black Butte - Gibralter P3 Slump Reclamation Pending
Blairtown Swtr1024 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Blairtown Swtr1024 P1 Subsidence In Reclamation
Blairtown Swtr1024 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Blairtown Swtr1024 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Blairtown Swtr1024 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Blairtown Swtr1024 P2 Underground Mine Fires In Reclamation
Blairtown Swtr1024 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Blairtown Swtr1024 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Bugas SWTR1099 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Bugas SWTR1099 P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Bugas SWTR1099 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Carb0129 P3 Pits Reclamation Pending
Carb0129 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Carb0203 P3 Pits Reclamation Pending
Carb0203 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Carlson Mine Swtr1019 P2 Clogged Stream Lands In Reclamation
Carlson Mine Swtr1019 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Carlson Mine Swtr1019 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Carlson Mine Swtr1019 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Carlson Mine Swtr1019 P3 Spoil Area In Reclamation
Cc&c N0. 2 Canyonview Rock Springs P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Central Coal and Coke No. 2 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Central Coal and Coke No. 2 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Central Coal and Coke No. 2 P2 Subsidence In Reclamation
Central Coal and Coke No. 2 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Central Coal and Coke No. 2 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Chilton Mine P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Chilton Mine P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Chilton Mine P3 Spoil Area In Reclamation
College Hill Highwall/No. 5 Mine P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Colony Strip Mine No 2 Swtr1027 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Colony Strip Mine No 2 Swtr1027 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Colony Strip Mine No 2 Swtr1027 P3 Pits Reclamation Completed
Colony Strip Mine No 2 Swtr1027 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Colony Strip Mine No 2 Swtr1027 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Colony Strip Mine No 2 Swtr1027 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Crooked Canyon Prospects P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Crooked Canyon Prospects P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark Mines Swtr1150 P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark Mines Swtr1150 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark Mines Swtr1150 P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark Mines Swtr1150 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark Mines Swtr1150 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark Mines Swtr1150 P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark Mines Swtr1150 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark Mines Swtr1150 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark Mines Swtr1150 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark No. 1 Mine Swtr1133 P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark No. 1 Mine Swtr1133 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark No. 1 Mine Swtr1133 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark No. 1 Mine Swtr1133 P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark No. 1 Mine Swtr1133 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark No. 1 Mine Swtr1133 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
D.o. Clark No. 1 Mine Swtr1133 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Dead Horse Creek (PF 60) PF Other Reclamation Completed
Dines Swtr1111 P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Dines Swtr1111 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Dines Swtr1111 P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Dines Swtr1111 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Dines Swtr1111 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Dines Swtr1111 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Dines Swtr1111 P2 Surface Burning Reclamation Completed
Dines Swtr1111 P2 Underground Mine Fires Reclamation Pending
Dines Swtr1111 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Dines Swtr1111 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Green River Water System (PF25) PF Public (Infra) Structure Reclamation Completed
Gunn Quealy Strip No. 1 P1 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Gunn Quealy Strip No. 1 P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Gunn Quealy Strip No. 1 P3 Haul Road Reclamation Completed
Gunn Quealy Strip No. 1 P3 Slump Reclamation Pending
Gunn Quealy Strip No. 1 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Gunn-Quealy P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Gunn-Quealy P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Gunn-Quealy P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Gunn-Quealy P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Gunn-Quealy P2 Subsidence In Reclamation
Gunn-Quealy P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Gunn-Quealy P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Gunn-Quealy P3 Pits In Reclamation
Gunn-Quealy P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Gunn-Quealy P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Gunn-Quealy P3 Spoil Area In Reclamation
Historic Rk Sprgs Old City Hall Sub P5 Historic Purpose Reclamation Completed
Home Mine P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Home Mine P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Home Mine P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Home Mine P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Interstate Camp Swtr0079 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Interstate Camp Swtr0079 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Interstate Camp Swtr0079 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Interstate Camp Swtr0079 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Interstate Camp Swtr0079 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
John Ludvigsen P2 Subsidence In Reclamation
John Ludvigsen P2 Underground Mine Fires In Reclamation
John Ludvigsen P3 Mine Opening In Reclamation
John Park Lease/ Excelsior P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
John Park Lease/ Excelsior P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
John Park Lease/ Excelsior P2 Subsidence In Reclamation
John Park Lease/ Excelsior P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Kent Mine P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P1 Clogged Streams Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P1 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P2 Subsidence In Reclamation
Lionkol Swtr0028 P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Pending
Lionkol Swtr0028 P3 Haul Road Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Lionkol Swtr0028 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Little Bitter Creek Mine P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Long Canyon P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Long Canyon P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Mellor Mine P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Mellor Mine P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Meyers P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Meyers P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
O'Flaherty Mine P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P1 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 1 & 3 Swtr1026 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 12 Swtr1029 P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 12 Swtr1029 P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 12 Swtr1029 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 12 Swtr1029 P2 Subsidence In Reclamation
Peacock No. 12 Swtr1029 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 12 Swtr1029 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 12 Swtr1029 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Peacock No. 12 Swtr1029 P3 Slump Reclamation Completed

…and 216 more problems not listed here.

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 Abandoned50 on register
  1. 2003 BL Pegson Crusher
    Surface metal/non-metal · Lee Sand and Gravel, Inc · MSHA ID 4801810
    Abandoned
  2. ADDCAR System 18 HWM Serial No 23018
    Surface coal · Eagle Highwall Mining Systems, LLC · MSHA ID 4801645
    Abandoned
  3. Black Butte Interchange-Project #56
    Surface metal/non-metal · Peter Kiewit Sons' Company · MSHA ID 4801242
    Abandoned
  4. Bo'S Rock Pit #1
    Surface metal/non-metal · Bo'S Excavating Inc · MSHA ID 4801432
    Abandoned
  5. Bridger Underground Coal Mine
    Underground coal · Bridger Coal Company · MSHA ID 4801646
    Abandoned and Sealed
  6. Buzzard Pit
    Surface metal/non-metal · Concrete Products Co-Div/Gibbons & Reed Company · MSHA ID 4801270
    Abandoned
  7. Cherokee Hill Pit
    Surface metal/non-metal · Wyoming Highway Department · MSHA ID 4801324
    Abandoned
  8. Crusher #1
    Surface metal/non-metal · Eagle Concrete Products Inc · MSHA ID 4801354
    Abandoned
  9. Crusher #1
    Surface metal/non-metal · Green River Stone & Crushing · MSHA ID 4801672
    Abandoned
  10. Crusher #1
    Surface metal/non-metal · Cole Lumber & Construction Inc · MSHA ID 4801683
    Abandoned
  11. Crusher #1
    Surface metal/non-metal · Terry R. Pitt Construction Inc. · MSHA ID 4801842
    Abandoned
  12. Damifino Pit
    Surface metal/non-metal · Kasler Corp · MSHA ID 4801424
    Abandoned
  13. Dry Claims Joint Venture
    Surface metal/non-metal · Electro-Win Corp · MSHA ID 4801463
    Abandoned
  14. FMC @ GRANGER
    Underground metal/non-metal · FMC Corp · MSHA ID 4800639
    Abandoned
  15. Fmc Gravel Pit #6019
    Surface metal/non-metal · Peter Kiewit Sons' Company · MSHA ID 4801267
    Abandoned
  16. Green River Perlite Processing Plant
    Facility metal/non-metal · Harborlite Corp · MSHA ID 4801423
    Abandoned
  17. Green River Plant
    Facility metal/non-metal · Western Perlite Corp · MSHA ID 4801425
    Abandoned
  18. HARDROCK CONCRETE WASH PLANT
    Surface metal/non-metal · Hardrock Concrete Lc · MSHA ID 4801546
    Abandoned
  19. Huntley Pit
    Surface metal/non-metal · Huntley Construction Company · MSHA ID 4800279
    Abandoned
  20. Jaure Pit
    Surface metal/non-metal · Hyland Enterprises Inc · MSHA ID 4801651
    Abandoned
  21. L & L Pit-Green River
    Surface metal/non-metal · IPE Aggregate · MSHA ID 4801858
    Abandoned
  22. Labarge Pit Or Underpass Pit
    Surface metal/non-metal · Mc Garvin-Moberly Construction Company · MSHA ID 4800819
    Abandoned
  23. Labarge Road Pit
    Surface metal/non-metal · Sunrise Construction Company Inc · MSHA ID 4801245
    Abandoned
  24. Layos Pit 564
    Surface metal/non-metal · Suncore Construction and Materials Inc. · MSHA ID 4801671
    Abandoned
  25. Leucite Hills
    Surface metal/non-metal · Pacific Minerals Inc · MSHA ID 4801338
    Abandoned
  26. Leucite Hills Mine
    Surface coal · Black Butte Coal Company · MSHA ID 4801121
    Abandoned and Sealed
  27. Lewis & Lewis, Portable 01
    Surface metal/non-metal · Lewis and Lewis · MSHA ID 4801482
    Abandoned
  28. Long Canyon Mine
    Surface coal · Sunoco Energy Development Company · MSHA ID 4801118
    Abandoned and Sealed
  29. Lucite #1
    Surface metal/non-metal · Lucite Inc · MSHA ID 4801460
    Abandoned
  30. PCI
    Surface metal/non-metal · Pallesen Const. Inc · MSHA ID 4801758
    Abandoned
  31. Rainbow #7
    Underground coal · Gunn-Quealy Coal Company · MSHA ID 4800091
    Abandoned
  32. Rainbow No 7 Prep Plant
    Facility coal · Gunn-Quealy Coal Company · MSHA ID 4800709
    Abandoned
  33. Rainbow No 8 Mine
    Underground coal · Columbine Mining Company · MSHA ID 4800661
    Abandoned
  34. Red Arm Mine
    Facility metal/non-metal · Calcitron Metals Inc · MSHA ID 4801484
    Abandoned
  35. Red Desert Project
    Surface metal/non-metal · Union Minerals Exploration · MSHA ID 4801114
    Abandoned
  36. Reliance Coal Strip
    Surface coal · Rocky Mountain Associated · MSHA ID 4800187
    Abandoned
  37. Rocks In Stones #1
    Surface metal/non-metal · Rocks In Stones, LLC · MSHA ID 4801738
    Abandoned
  38. Rocky Mountain Coal Company, LLC
    Surface coal · Rocky Mountain Coal Company, LLC · MSHA ID 4801725
    Abandoned
  39. Section 20 Pit
    Surface metal/non-metal · Clark'S Ready-Mix & Construction Inc · MSHA ID 4801171
    Abandoned
  40. Sims Corporation Screening Plant
    Surface metal/non-metal · Sims Corp · MSHA ID 4801446
    Abandoned
  41. Split Rock Project
    Surface metal/non-metal · N A Degerstrom Inc · MSHA ID 4800559
    Abandoned
  42. Stansbury Mine
    Underground coal · New Stansbury Coal Company LLC · MSHA ID 4801012
    Abandoned and Sealed
  43. Sunrise Crusher
    Surface metal/non-metal · Sunrise Construction Company Inc · MSHA ID 4801277
    Abandoned
  44. Swanson Mine
    Underground coal · Cougar Coal Company · MSHA ID 4800082
    Abandoned and Sealed
  45. Sweetwater Mine
    Surface metal/non-metal · Water Remediation Technology, LLC · MSHA ID 4801629
    Abandoned
  46. Sweetwater Uranium Project
    Surface metal/non-metal · Minerals Exploration Company · MSHA ID 4801181
    Abandoned
  47. Taliaferro
    Surface metal/non-metal · IHC Scott · MSHA ID 4801851
    Abandoned
  48. Tata Chemicals Mill
    Surface metal/non-metal · Tata Chemicals (Soda Ash) Partners · MSHA ID 4801497
    Abandoned
  49. Wash Plant #1
    Surface metal/non-metal · Eagle Concrete Products Inc · MSHA ID 4801437
    Abandoned
  50. Wylie Pit
    Surface metal/non-metal · Wylie Construction Inc. · MSHA ID 4801630
    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
Prospect Pit 421
P2 Subsidence 59
Disturbed Surface 46
Gravel Pit 42
P3 Slump 40
Borrow Pit 40
P3 Mine Opening 39
P1 Subsidence 37
Borrow Pit 36
P2 Portals 34
Adit 33
P3 Spoil Area 29
Gravel Pit 28
P1 Portals 26
P2 Vertical Openings 16
P2 Underground Mine Fires 14
P3 Pits 12
Disturbed Surface - Pit 8
Gravel/Borrow Pit - Undifferentiated 8
Mine Shaft 8
P2 Dangerous Highwalls 6
P1 Vertical Openings 6
Open Pit Mine 6
Strip Mine 5
P2 Clogged Stream Lands 5
P3 Haul Road 5
P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities 4
P3 Gobs 4
P1 Hazardous Equip & Facilities 3
P1 Dangerous Highwalls 3
P3 Equipment Facility 3
PF Public (Infra) Structure 3
Tailings - Pond 3
PF Public Utilities 3
Quarry 3
Open Pit Mine 3
PF Other 2
P2 Surface Burning 2
P1 Underground Mine Fires 2
P1 Clogged Stream Lands 2
P1 Dangerous Piles & Embankments 1
P2 Hazardous Water Bodies 1
P5 Historic Purpose 1
Mine Dump 1
PF Roads 1
P1 Clogged Streams 1
P2 Clogged Streams 1
PF Conservation Facilities 1
Other counties in WyomingAll 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.