THE LEGACY OF MINING IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI: PAST AND PRESENT CONDITIONS OF THE TRI-STATE MINING DISTRICT

The historic Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) was located in southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma and has a legacy that extended over a hundred years. During the district’s peak production period, from 1885-1955, the TSMD was one of the world’s largest producers of lead and zinc. The mining activities in the TSMD produced economic growth that supported the local community. Additionally, the metal ores mined in the district were essential to the victory of the United States during World War I and World War II. However, beginning in the 1920s the mining activities throughout the district slowly began to cease due to depletion of metal ores and competition from imports. The last mine in the TSMD closed in 1970.

Unfortunately, the negative consequences of the mining industry have had a lasting effect in the TSMD. Abandoned mining sites have caused lead and zinc contamination in the soils, sediments, and streams throughout the district. This study builds on the research that has already been completed in the TSMD. This study assists in identifying sites with contaminated levels of heavy metals in the sediment due to over a hundred of lead and zinc mining in southwest Missouri. Contamination of sediments have been determined by collecting and mapping geochemical and spatial data from previous studies and comparing the data to the background concentration level known in the study area. The purpose of this study is to (1) provide an historical description of the mining activities in southwest Missouri, (2) aid in further understanding the extent of contamination caused by the historic mining activities in southwest Missouri, and (3) attempt to aid in an understanding of the effectiveness of remediation.