NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF GEOLOGY & MINERAL RESOURCES

Mine maps at the NMBG&MR

Over the years mine maps have been acquired through donations from
individuals and companies and through the Abandoned Mine Lands progTam.
The INM Bureau of Geology was a major participant in the AML project.
Collecting data relating to historical mining in New Mexico is part of
the Bureau\'s mission to conduct studies and disseminate information on
geology, mineral and energy resources, geologic hazards, and
environmental problems.

Coal program (Gretchen Hoffman)

As a result of the AML program the Bureau published Bulletin 111, Coal
Mining in the San Juan Basin, a compilation of the data on individual
mines and the mining history for the northwest corner of the state. Data
ffom the AML is available for other areas of the state but has not been
published.

An Access database has been developed including the data acquired by the
AML studies and additional information has been added ffom other
sources. Over 560 mines from 14 counties are documented in this database
with varying degrees of information. These mines are classified by
county, quadrangle, and geologic unit. Lf?cation data (T, R, sec,
latitude, longitude) production, ownership, and geologic information are
included in the database. Available coal mine maps (approximately 90)
are listed in the Geographic Information Center database and some maps
reside in the coal database library. None of these maps have been
digitized or scanned.

More recent underground mines are included in mine plans required by the
Mining and Minerals division who are the regulatory agency.

Uranium program (Virginia McLemore)

Over200 mines in 18 counties inNewMexico yielded 164,575 tonsofU3Osffom
1948 to 2000, which is nearly 40°/\~ of the total uranium production
ffom the United States. A compilation of these mines and prospects and
data on the location, production reserves, geology, development,
ownership, type of deposit, geochemistry, and sources of other
information was developed by McLemore (1983) and summarized by McLemore
and Chenoweth (1989) and is now available in computerized database
(McLemore et al., 2001). NMBGMR has numerous mine maps of uranium mines
and we may also be obtaining additional maps ffom BHP-Billiton of the
former Kerr McGee mines. CurTently there is no uranium mining in the
state.

Metal/nonmetal mines (Virginia McLemore, Robert Eveleth)

The NMBGMR has collected published and unpublished data, including mine
maps on the districts, mines, deposits, occurTences, and mills since it
was created in 1927 and is slowly converting historical data into a
relational database, the New Mexico Mines Database. The purposes of this
database are to provide computerized data that will aid in identifying
and evaluating resource potential, resource development and management,
production, and possible environmental concerns, such as physical
hazards (i.e. hazardous mine openings), indoor radon, regional exposure
to radiation ffom the mines, and point-sources of possible contamination
in areas of known mineral deposits. One of the f ture components of the
New Mexico Mines Database is to tie the data in the database to
electronic copies of mine maps. Many mine maps have been published in
various NMBGMR and USGS publications and theses.

Summary

Although many people over the years have accessed the mine maps, there
is a real need to catalog the maps we have and make the maps available
digitally. The NM Bureau of Geology does not have a dedicated person
assigned to this task, nor is the money available to hire someone. Some
areas are lacking data; whether maps exist or not is questionable.
Although there is only one underground coal mine operating in the San
Juan Basin and none in the Raton Basin, some areas of past underground
coal mines are becoming more populated or have become areas of interest
for coalbed methane development. In both cases, knowing where the
underground workings are located could be significant to development.