Projects & Plans
Union-Zaar Mine
The Union-Zaar Mine is an inactive copper mine located in Section 35, T18N, R1E, within the Smith River National Recreation Area in the Six Rivers National Forest, about 25 miles northeast of Crescent City, in Del Norte County, California. The 20-acre site includes roads, adits, and mine waste piles located along the banks of Copper Creek. Copper Creek, a tributary to the Smith River, runs north through the middle of the site. A number of sensitive environments exist at the site and downstream from the site, including habitat known to be used by the following species listed by the federal government as Endangered: McDonalds Rock Cress, Coho salmon, cutthroat and steelhead trout.
The waste rock piles associated with the mine site are in direct contact with Copper Creek. Investigations conducted at the mine site from 1991 to 2007 indicate that the mine waste piles along the creek are the source of the metals contamination observed in the sediments of Copper Creek. The primary pathway for contaminants to migrate from source materials (mine waste piles) to sediment in Copper Creek is via physical erosion of the waste piles where they are in contact with Copper Creek. Materials eroded from the underwater portions of the mine waste piles are transported downstream and re-deposited as sediment in Copper Creek. High creek flow during the Winter and Spring likely contributes more significantly to erosion of the waste piles than low flow during Summer/Fall. The concentrations of metals in sediment decrease with distance downstream from the waste piles, indicating that natural sediments are likely being deposited with contaminated sediments and diluting the effects of the metals-impacted sediment.
The Six Rivers National Forest is preparing to remove the mine related waste materials from the banks of Copper Creek within the Smith River National Recreation Area. This action will be conducted in compliance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). One step in the CERCLA process is to develop an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) and provide it to the public for review and comment. The Six Rivers National Forest has completed an EE/CA for the site and is now making it available to the public.
The EE/CA can be viewed below or at the Smith River National Recreation Area headquarters in Gasquet. A public meeting will be held at the Smith River National Recreation Area headquarters on March 10th at 6 PM to present the EE/CA and answer questions from the public. Written comments on the EE/CA can be mailed to:
- Six Rivers National Forest
- Attn: Cutis Cross
- 1330 Bayshore Way
- Eureka, CA. 95501
Or emailed to comments-pacificsouthwest-six-rivers@fs.fed.us
If you have any questions about the project you can also contact Curtis Cross at (707) 441-3508.
- Union-Zaar Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis - No Appendices (pdf 283kb)
- Union-Zaar
Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis - Appendices
Included (untagged pdf 4.07mb)
(Paper copy may be requested from the Smith River National Recreation Area headquarters in Gasquet) - Figure 1 Union-Zaar Vicinity Map (pdf 361kb)
- Figure 2 Site Location Map (pdf 562kb)
- Figure 3 Site Layout (pdf 232kb)
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