The Site is a former silver, lead, copper, and zinc mine and mill. Records show that the mines in this area were in operation from around 1880 to the 1920’s. There are some remnants of mining equipment in the general mining area, but no equipment or structures are within the area to be excavated. USFS did a potentially responsible party (PRP) search and found no viable PRP. There are tailings with a volume of approximately 7,000 cubic yards at the Site. The majority of tailings are at the mouth of Red Cloud Gulch, a drainage gulch, that feeds Wolftone Creek and a small amount of tailings are deposited in the Red Cloud Gulch. The tailings contain elevated concentrations of arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals. The tailings area terminates at the edge of Wolftone Creek. There is the potential that surface water in Wolftone Creek erodes and/or undercuts the tailings. Wolftone Creek Road, which is a road used by visitors to the Sawtooth National Forest, goes over the tailings and the road base is built of tailings.
