USFS | Champion Mine Removal Action Design

The Champion Mine, a former hard rock mine in Lane County, Oregon, left behind decades of environmental impacts from historic gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper extraction. To address these legacy conditions, WSB’s team of experts served as the prime contractor to the U.S. Forest Service Region 6, developing a comprehensive Removal Action Design Package focused on site restoration, water quality improvement, and long-term stewardship. For this steep mountainous terrain, WSB’s team designed the removal of approximately 12,000 cubic yards of waste rock across four acres, expanded the waste rock repository, and developed revegetation plans for five acres to stabilize disturbed areas and restore native habitat. The team also designed erosion control measures, installed new culverts and drainage improvements, removed contaminated roadway materials, and resurfaced more than 4,000 linear feet of access road to improve site access and resilience. To support long-term environmental performance, the team updated the site’s Operations and Maintenance Manual, prepared an Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Memorandum, sampled the wetland treatment system, and evaluated existing treatment infrastructure, including the floc log, settling pond, and wetland system. These efforts provided a clear path forward for managing water quality and sustaining restoration improvements at the site.