British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium

Safety and sustainable habitat considerations for the Lakeview Dividend Mine closure : bats in the adit Steller, Bill; Reggin, Lara; Schmidt, Tara; Sylte, Scott

Abstract

The Lakeview Dividend Mine near Osoyoos, B.C. operated intermittently from 1898 to the 1940’s, and was closed before reclamation legislation was in place. In 2007, The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources prioritized this project for reclamation due to hazards posed by the remaining adits, shafts, unstable rock ledges, and a stope which had partially caved to surface. Reclamation plans for the site included many unique and complex components. The property has significant historic importance to the community of Osoyoos and is located adjacent to a residential neighbourhood, providing challenges related to community engagement and public safety. The mine’s location is within the fragile and endangered Great Basin Ecosystem, and the mine has been recognized as an area of environmental importance due to habitation of the abandoned adits by red- and blue-listed bat species. Technical challenges in this project included preserving the bat habitat in the adits through the installation of bat gates and a ventilation raise, stabilization of a high rock face above the homes in the adjacent residential community, infilling of the open and partially collapsed stope, and regrading and revegetation of the site.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International