Greenwood Gold Mine
The Greenwood site was situated at the head of the North branch of Quantico Creek on what is now part of Prince William Forest Park near the intersection of Aden and Bristow Roads in the far northwestern area of the park. The site is situated along the Virginia Gold-Pyrite belt, which runs from northeast to southwest primarily through the counties of Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Buckingham, Culpeper, Cumberland, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Goochland, Halifax, Louisa, Orange, and Patrick.
Mining operations consisted of at least one shaft, a stamp mill, and some form of mercury amalgamation recovery. The mine was a significant source of mercury pollution on Quantico Creek, and has since undergone complete reclamation including the sealing of mine shaft(s), soil removal and/or decontamination, and removal of obvious tailings. The area of the former mine is also monitored by an array of groundwater wells, which are maintained by the NPS. The USGS maintains two active monitoring wells downstream of the mine site on the South Fork of the Quantico Creek.
As of 2010, the only visible evidence of the mine are a few depressions in the soil. Engineered drainage structures from the reclamation efforts are visible. No intact structures or equipment remain. The National Park Service charges a fee for entry into the park and does not allow collecting of rocks or minerals.
See also
References
- "A Ground Electromagnetic Survey Used to Map Sulfides and Acid Sulfate Ground Waters at the Abandoned Cabin Branch Mine, Prince William Forest Park, Northern Virginia Gold-Pyrite Belt" by Jeff Wynn, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 20192, retrieved April 7, 2006
Notes
- ^ NPS History - Greenwood Gold Mine Retrieved February 15, 2010
- ^ https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/383423077245901/#parameterCode=72019&period=P7D&showMedian=true
- ^ https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/385607077381101/#parameterCode=72019&period=P7D&showMedian=true
- ^ Fees & Passes - Prince William Forest Park Retrieved July 8, 2021
- ^ Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) 36 CFR §2.1, Retrieved July 8, 2021