Freeport McMoRan-Safford Mine Groundwater Monitoring Active
In December of 2007, Freeport-McMoRan Safford Inc. (FMSI) (formerly Phelps Dodge Safford, Inc.) began production at the Safford Mine in southeastern Arizona, about 8 miles north of the town of Safford in Graham County. This was the first major copper mine opened in Arizona since 1973. Mining operations currently require about 5,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater, with a total estimated demand of 74,000 acre-feet of groundwater over the life of the mine operations.
The long-term role of the USGS at the Safford Mine is to help ensure that the effects of mine-related pumpage on the regional aquifer are known and quantified. The USGS assists with the operation and quality control of the groundwater monitoring plan, provides technical comments on annual reports, and maintains a project Freeport McMoRan-Safford Mine Groundwater Monitoring Story Map to facilitate public access to project data. The USGS began its active involvement with the monitoring plan at the end of June 2004, and will be involved with the project throughout the life of the mine and beyond.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Freeport McMoRan-Safford Mine Groundwater Monitoring
In December of 2007, Freeport-McMoRan Safford Inc. (FMSI) (formerly Phelps Dodge Safford, Inc.) began production at the Safford Mine in southeastern Arizona, about 8 miles north of the town of Safford in Graham County. The long-term role of the USGS at the Safford Mine is to help ensure that the effects of mine-related pumpage on the regional aquifer are known and quantified.
- Overview
In December of 2007, Freeport-McMoRan Safford Inc. (FMSI) (formerly Phelps Dodge Safford, Inc.) began production at the Safford Mine in southeastern Arizona, about 8 miles north of the town of Safford in Graham County. This was the first major copper mine opened in Arizona since 1973. Mining operations currently require about 5,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater, with a total estimated demand of 74,000 acre-feet of groundwater over the life of the mine operations.
The long-term role of the USGS at the Safford Mine is to help ensure that the effects of mine-related pumpage on the regional aquifer are known and quantified. The USGS assists with the operation and quality control of the groundwater monitoring plan, provides technical comments on annual reports, and maintains a project Freeport McMoRan-Safford Mine Groundwater Monitoring Story Map to facilitate public access to project data. The USGS began its active involvement with the monitoring plan at the end of June 2004, and will be involved with the project throughout the life of the mine and beyond.
- Web Tools
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Freeport McMoRan-Safford Mine Groundwater Monitoring
In December of 2007, Freeport-McMoRan Safford Inc. (FMSI) (formerly Phelps Dodge Safford, Inc.) began production at the Safford Mine in southeastern Arizona, about 8 miles north of the town of Safford in Graham County. The long-term role of the USGS at the Safford Mine is to help ensure that the effects of mine-related pumpage on the regional aquifer are known and quantified.