Rocky Mountain Mining & Reclamation Conference

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Join us in Durango for networking, conversations, presentations, field tours and fun!

insert_invitation Sun, Aug 30 at 5:00 PM (MDT) - Wed, Sep 2 at 12:00 PM (MDT)

location_on Fort Lewis College - Student Union Ballroom, Durango, Colorado

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Formerly known as the San Juan Mining and Reclamation Conference, the roots of this event will always exist in the San Juan Mountains. However, the history of mining in Colorado extends throughout the Rockies. Therefore, we are excited to expand the geographic reach of our conference and our name. We are now called the Rocky Mountain Mining and Reclamation Conference.

Our mission is to bring together diverse professions and perspectives to think collectively about mining and its impact. We aim to discuss science and policy of preserving and restoring water quality at mine sites and mine lands remediation. The result is new partnerships on restoration and remediation projects, improved processes, and state-of-the-art best practices that foster both economic and environmental health.

2026 Theme - Rocky Mountain Resilience: Reclaim, Reprocess & Reimagine Mining

General Event Schedule:

Sunday, Aug 30: Keynote, Meet & Greet

Monday, Aug 31: Conference Technical Talks at Fort Lewis College

Tuesday, Sept 1: Field Tours and Evening Reception & Dinner

Wednesday, Sept 2: Half Day Conference Technical Talks & Closing Remarks at Fort Lewis College - Student Union Ballroom

Field Tour Descriptions:

You will have the option to choose from one of the following field tours which run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 1. Some have limited space, and registration will be on a first-come basis.

TOUR 1: Gold King Water Treatment Plant and Mayflower Tailings Repository

Tour the Bonita Peak Superfund site’s Gold King Water Treatment Plant and Mayflower Tailings Repository in Silverton, Colorado. This tour will look at the entire process of how the Gold King Mine drainage is treated and how the treatment plant sludge is collected, transported, and placed into the Mayflower Tailings Repository for long term storage. Transportation in shared 14-passenger vans.

TOUR 2: Rico Argentine Mine
Tour the Rico Argentine Mine site and the St. Louis Tunnel mine drainage in Rico, Colorado. This tour will look at Enhanced Constructed Wetland Treatment System design for mine drainage treatment. Innovative passive treatment systems have been tested at this site from demonstration through pilot scale. Transportation in shared 14-passenger vans.

TOUR 3: La Plata Canyon
Tour into the heart of the La Plata Mountains with Metallic Minerals’ exploration team. Explore the geology of the ore deposit and discuss with local experts the geologic history that created this stunning mountain range. Transportation in private high-clearance 4WD/AWD vehicles; carpooling strongly encouraged.

TOUR 4: Silverton Mining Heritage
Tour the San Juan County Historical Society Mining Heritage Center and the Mayflower Gold Mill Tour. The Mining Heritage Center is one of the top mining museums in the United States and the Mayflower Gold Mill Tour is a unique peek into how mills operated, showing all the steps from crushing through flotation processes used in the past. Stand inside the tram terminal where the Mayflower Tram Towers and buckets still hang in the air. Transportation in private vehicles, carpooling encouraged.

TOUR 5: Old Hundred Gold Mine and Beavers
Go underground and tour the Old Hundred Gold Mine on a vintage electric mine train with a short walk, and see real mining equipment in action to learn the current and historic mining processes. Then, shift to modern day and take a short drive up Cunningham Gulch to see beaver restoration projects being implemented by the Bureau of Land Management. Transportation in shared 14-passenger vans.