The Re-Exploration of Mine Site - A Solar Bathhouse and Passive Water Treatment System in the Desert

Abstract

There are over five hundred thousand active and abandoned mine sites throughout the western United States, and it is projected that by the twenty-third century there will be over one hundred thousand square miles of post-mined landscape. The Lone Tree mine, an open pit, gold mine located in the Great Basin Desert in Northern Nevada, is one such landscape with its operations ceasing in 2006. The current acidity of the water is inhibiting the site from having any meaningful use. Creating a destination that explores innovative water reclamation in the context of a decommissioned mine provides an educational opportunity for visitors that encourages interaction with the landscape. By utilizing the inherent features of Nevada, and in particular, this site, this project introduces a system to neutralize the acidic lake water, drawing people into the site to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the land, water and the sky.