30 years ago – September 29, 1989

There may be a body in an inactive mineshaft on Alps Hill, according to Gilpin County mine rescue official Van Cullar. A lady’s jacket and scarf were spotted just outside the shaft by hikers on Sunday, and the mine rescue team was called in to investigate. A number ofitems of clothing could be seen, and Cullar said the shaft will be explored in the near future by the mine rescue team. Since it is not known if anyone is in the shaft, and any mine rescue poses hazards to rescuers, Cullar said the team will prepare and plan the operation before descending into the shaft.

North Clear Creek is “the nearest thing to a death zone you’ll find in this area,” according to John Woodling of the Colorado Department of Wildlife. Referring to the creek’s inability to sustain fish life, Woodling made his comment during a meeting of the citizen review committee that is following the work of the State Health Department, which is performing water quality studies in Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund cleanup of acidic mine drainage and mine waste in the area. Asked to elaborate on his assessment of North Clear Creek water, Woodling said that based on the “extremely high concentration of metals” in the water, the creek is so horrendous that trout couldn’t live for more than a few hours in it.” The Department of Wildlife performed a creel survey, in which fishermen were interviewed to determine what type and how many fish were being caught along Clear Creek and its main tributaries. The study, which began in May and ended in September, showed numerous varieties of trout in fairly large numbers above Georgetown, with those numbers and types declining drastically downstream. Areas surveyed included the main stem of Clear Creek from above Georgetown to Golden; the West Fork from Empire to I-70; and the U.S. Highway 6. North Clear Creek contributes the heaviest load of metals into area streams, Woodling indicated. While almost all the data in the water quality study has been gathered, analysis has just begun. Preliminary results of the study are expected by December, said Health Department spokesman Jeff Deckler. Additional studies will be performed to determine just how much the water quality must be improved in order for the stream to support fish life. A more detailed explanation and analysis of the water quality study will appear in the Register Call soon.