DIGITAL COMPILATION OF ABANDONED GOLD MINE FEATURES IN CHARLOTTE, MECKLENBURG CO., NORTH CAROLINA – CONSIDERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION

Abandoned gold mines were geospatially located in the southwest of the Charlotte city center using historic documents and rediscovered engineering geology reports. The mines and mine workings comprise the Rudisill – St. Catherine's trace of gold mining that ceased nearly 100 years ago. Geospatial compilation of these features can be of considerable assistance to planning large excavations and foundations as the Charlotte city center expands to the southwest and replaces the current warehouse district that is built over these old mine workings.

Today there is limited evidence of previous gold mining except for street names. However, historic reports and rediscovered engineering reports show excavations of considerable extent that underlie warehouses, commercial structures, major transportation corridors and numerous property parcels.

Knowledge of the location of the old gold mines and related workings (including cut and fill areas) will assist foundation engineering studies for potential redevelopment involving large buildings.

Mining features were identified and located from historic library holdings and rediscovered city engineering geology reports. Features were compiled digitally using geographic information systems (GIS) on a high-resolution color aerial photograph of the city center. The rediscovered engineering geology reports identify areas as large as a city block that are so honeycombed below ground from mining to be a concern in land transfer.

Site-specific geotechnical and/or engineering studies are likely to be required on individual property parcels. Mapped features in this study should be considered approximate. However, the identified gold mining trend in conjunction with a property parcel and street base should provide a useful guide for investigations of individual property parcels.

Localized breaching of subsurface workings has been reported in the past and future ones cannot be precluded.