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BRIGGS MINE PHOTO ALBUM |
These photos were taken by Tom Budlong and Bob Ellis over the past couple years. For larger views click on the picture. (Most are 60 to 100K) | |
| The current mine was approved in late 1995. Work started immediately and gold production has been on-going since 1996. An expansion was approved in 1999 for about 100 more acres to the north and south of the original mine. As the price of gold dropped from $400/oz to below $275/oz in the last few years, Briggs has re-focused their efforts on higher concentrations of ore. That has driven them explore for pockets of "high-grade" to the north. A good view of the entire mine can be had from the crest of the Slate Range to the west. |
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| The main source of gold was a large pocket of rock starting at the base of Redlands Canyon and heading uphill. You can see the cliff formed by the cuts blasting away at the mountainside. Below the cliffs in this picture of the North Briggs area is the shoulder of the north waste rock pile. The reclamation plan calls for staining the rockface but no significant work to remove the permanent horizontal rock bench scars. They will somewhat contour the corners of the waste rock piles, but the large man-made features will stay long beyond our lifetimes. |
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| This shot from the Wingate Road just north of the mine shows the cyanide heap leach pad. This is where the crushed rock is placed in layers atop plastic liners and cyanide is dripped on top. The gold is dissolved out of the rock into the cyanide and the fluid which drains out of the leach pile is then processed for the gold. The pile, looking like a truncated Egyptian pyramid, is growing on the right and will remain after the mine ceases production. |
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| This picture shows the mine from Wingate Road south of the mine. The main open pit is obscured by the south waste rock piles. The cuts on the North Briggs area are clearly visible from here. Sadly, also clearly visible are the longitudinal rockface cuts of the exploratory drilling roads on the south side of the mine. These are the sort of impacts that can be expected on the steep faces from the proposed Briggs Exploratory drilling project to the north. |
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| This picture is taken opposite the mine. The tiered leach pile is mostly on the left with Redlands Canyon opening in the rear of the mine. The air pollution involved in this type of mining process is being monitored by sampling stations at some distance on either side of the mine. Witnesses often see plumes of dust rise from blasting operations or smaller dust emissions from rock dumping and crushing. The fence prevents the public from getting closer to actual operations. |
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| In the 1849 adventure when Manley and Rogers rescued the Bennett and Arcane families from Death Valley, it is fairly certain they came over the Panamints and down Redlands Canyon. They were delayed by what was called Manly Fall, an almost 200 foot dry fall which had to be carefully bypassed. Manly Fall, as shown on the USGS topo maps, now no longer exists. It was chopped away and now we have the new sheer rock face above the main open pit. (Briggs Fall?) |
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Occasional dust plumes generated by the Briggs Mine hang over the southern Panamint Valley. Air pollution sampling usually measures concentrations averaged over a 24 hour period of longer. These dust plumes usually represent blasting which occurs only periodically. There is certainly a significant visual air pollution impact. Whether this violates official air quality standards, I don't know. |
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Panamint Valley Threatened Briggs Exploratory Roads Panamint Valley Views |