Restoring the Moonscapes of the Mt. Haggin Uplands Pedro Marques Restoration Programs Manager

A history of mining 1864: Gold in French Gulch of French Creek 1865: “Mountaineer City” aka “Old French Town” established 20-30 homes, 2 shops, two blacksmiths, shoemaker Claims paid $300-$700 per day to five hands Up to $5 a pan 1868: French Gulch district produced $1-$5 million. Town in steep decline by 1870 1871: Future MT Lieutenant Gov. Edward Allen born in French Gulch

1864-1870: Pick, shovel and sluice box mining Canals and ditches divert water from American Creek 1877-1890’s: Chinese placer mining 1880’s-1900’s: Hydraulic “giant”, Hydraulic elevator and “endless chain” bucket dredge 1930’s: Mechanized placer mining

- Reporter from Minneapolis, 1886 ‘for a distance of 30 miles the great clouds of smoke that rise from among the mountains indicate the location of Anaconda and the greatest copper smelter in the world’ - Reporter from Minneapolis, 1886 History 1885- upper works, 1886 #2 Washoe Smelter in 1901- Old Works across the valley at current Stucky Ridge site. Before big stack. Washoe smelter Raised from 300’ to 585’ between 1911 to 1918 Logging- 75000 cords of wood per year before coal (1890’s-early1900’s)- 1907 manual by company already uses coal Estimates suggest that as much as 59 pounds of arsenic and considerable quantities of sulfur dioxide,copper, antimony, lead, and zinc emanated daily from the stacks of the Washoe smelter. So thick lay the waste that after a few years of operation the company swept the denuded mountainsides immediately adjacent the smelters to retrieve over six million dollars worth of copper from the dust. MacMillan, Smoke Wars (note10), 87-92 1885: Anaconda Upper Works 1901: Washoe Smelter 1911-1918: Washoe Smelter raised from 300’ to 585’

“As much as 59 pounds of arsenic and considerable quantities of sulfur dioxide, copper, antimony, lead, and zinc emanated daily from the stacks of the Washoe smelter.” “After a few years of operation the company swept the denuded mountainsides immediately adjacent the smelters to retrieve over six million dollars worth of copper from the dust.” - MacMillan, Smoke Wars (note10), 87-92 History 1885- upper works, 1886 #2 Washoe Smelter in 1901- Old Works across the valley at current Stucky Ridge site. Before big stack. Washoe smelter Raised from 300’ to 585’ between 1911 to 1918 Logging- 75000 cords of wood per year before coal (1890’s-early1900’s)- 1907 manual by company already uses coal Estimates suggest that as much as 59 pounds of arsenic and considerable quantities of sulfur dioxide,copper, antimony, lead, and zinc emanated daily from the stacks of the Washoe smelter. So thick lay the waste that after a few years of operation the company swept the denuded mountainsides immediately adjacent the smelters to retrieve over six million dollars worth of copper from the dust. MacMillan, Smoke Wars (note10), 87-92 H. Shoebotham, Anaconda: Life of Marcus Daly, The Copper King, Harrisburg, 1956, 77.

A history of logging 1880’s: 1st timber cut- McCune supplies ACM w/ 300,000 cords

1880’s: 1st timber cut- McCune supplies ACM w/ 300,000 cords 1906: French Gulch timber sale begins (lasts 10 years)

1880’s: 1st timber cut- McCune supplies ACM w/ 300,000 cords 1906: French Gulch timber sale begins (lasts 10 years) 1906: Big Hole Forest Reserve established (precursor to Beaverhead NF)

1880’s: 1st timber cut- McCune supplies ACM w/ 300,000 cords 1906: French Gulch timber sale begins (lasts 10 years) 1906: Big Hole Forest Reserve established (precursor to Beaverhead NF) 1908: Gifford Pinchot visits sale

Past the Ecologic Tipping Point Down to friable mineral “soil” in volcanic welded tuff parent material Loss of 6”-18” of forest soil= all organics and most water holding capacity Seed sources few and far between

Past the Ecologic Tipping Point Down to friable mineral “soil” in volcanic welded tuff parent material Loss of 6”-18” of forest soil= all organics and most water holding capacity Seed sources few and far between Extreme summer, winter climate + wind erosion Seed predation

Past the Ecologic Tipping Point Down to friable mineral “soil” in volcanic welded tuff parent material Loss of 6”-18” of forest soil= all organics and most water holding capacity Seed sources few and far between Extreme summer, winter climate + wind erosion Seed predation Loss of natural grade control =

Past the Ecologic Tipping Point Down to friable mineral “soil” in volcanic welded tuff parent material Loss of 6”-18” of forest soil= all organics and most water holding capacity Seed sources few and far between Extreme summer, winter climate + wind erosion Seed predation Loss of natural grade control = sediment superhighways

8 larger sediment plume areas

26 inches Pushed stream against mountain, turned lush wet bottom into upland vegetation Grazing doesn’t help Taking the area immediately visible at 26” down= 8931 tons of sediment. 1% gets to stream every year and we stop this plume, this one area accounts for 16% of the TMDL Upland sediment reduction.

Incised Stream associated with sediment plumes below gullies Loss of hydrologic connectivity Beaver activity and habitat drastically reduced “Perched” riparian Herbivory