AML Home | Projects | Safety | Partnerships | Contacts | Resources | FAQs

Lewis and Clark Trail Abandoned Mine Closures

—> Project Photos

Located near Salmon, Idaho, the Lemhi Pass is a remote region full of magnificant scenery. Visitors experience the same geological and scenic grandeur chronicled by members of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery 200 years ago. These geological formations range from 1.4 billion- to 900 million-years. Visitation to the area has increased dramatically with the commeration of the expedition.

The diversity of minerals in the Lemhi Pass area include gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, cobalt, molybdenum and thorium. In 1866 gold was discovered near a newly established town that later came to be known as Salmon, Idaho.

Past mining and exploration activities left a legacy of physical safety hazards such as open mines, shafts and pits. These hazards also include toxic gases, unstable explosives, vertical shafts and rotten timbers. Thorium prospects in the Lemhi Pass area also have associated radiation hazards.

In 2005, numerous adits were closed to safeguard visitors to the Lewis and Clark Trail. Bat gates were used whenever possible to preserve bat habitat.

For additional information regarding this project, contact the area specialist or call the BLM Salmon Field Office at (208) 756-5400. 

Facts

Location

• Lemhi Pass near Salmon, Idaho 

History

• Gold discovered 1866
• Diversity of minerals mined include gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, cobalt, molybdenum and thorium 

Impacts

• Open mines, shafts and pits 

Risks

• Toxic gases
• Unstable explosives
• Vertical shafts
• Thorium dust 

Actions

• Adit closures
• Bat gates