Cattle and sheep graze in the area during the summer. There are no residences or schools within 2 miles of the site. The nearest year-round downstream residents are in Jasper on the Alamosa River, approximately 7 miles downstream of the site. The irrigated areas of the San Luis Valley receive both spray and ditch irrigation. The land adjoining the Alamosa River is primarily meadows and pasture land.
Most farms have livestock that graze along the river and use the river for drinking water.
Dominant crops include potatoes, barley, wheat, and alfalfa. Natural Resource Use Summitville Mine lies in a highly mineralized region. Bedrock in the area of the site consists of quartz latite or andesite. The mineralized areas contain gold, silver, copper, and other metals. Cropsy Creek flows into Wightman Fork, which flows into the Alamosa River about 4 miles downstream.