Opinion ID: 2589958
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: early history of the silver fork area and the kentucky-utah mine

Text: ¶ 4 Silver Fork is a community in Big Cottonwood Canyon that lies south of Big Cottonwood Creek. Historically, individuals employed in grazing, timber, and mining resided in the Silver Fork area. The actual population of Silver Fork and other communities in the canyon during any specific period is unclear. ¶ 5 There are many mines in Big Cottonwood Canyon, two of which are relevant to this case: the Woodlawn Mine and the Kentucky-Utah Mine. Excavation of the Woodlawn Mine started around 1900. In 1915, miners began excavating the Kentucky-Utah Mine and continued to dig intermittently until 1943. The Kentucky-Utah Mine lies entirely within the Big Cottonwood Drainage Area. Owners excavated the Kentucky-Utah Mine to extract minerals and drain water encountered in other nearby mines, including the Woodlawn Mine. ¶ 6 The Kentucky-Utah Mine intercepts underground percolating water through seepages and cracks in its tunnel walls. This water is collected approximately 1,000 feet inside the tunnel and diverted to its portal. The portal of the mine is located approximately one-quarter to one-half mile south of, and approximately 500 vertical feet above, Big Cottonwood Creek. The portal is also within several hundred feet of the Silver Fork area and approximately 12 miles from the mouth of the canyon. ¶ 7 Evidence at trial indicated the mine did not collect a substantial amount of underground water until well into its excavation, likely after 1930. It is not evident when, during its nearly thirty-year excavation, the mine produced the nearly .5 c.f.s. of water claimed by both Salt Lake and SFPC. Nor does the record disclose how much water collected in the mine, if any, originates from other mines such as the Woodlawn.