The Old Works Golf Course,
Anaconda, Montana

by Bruce Borland, ASGCA from BrownfieldGolf.com, photos from oldworks.org

Years of mining and smelting activity left behind hundreds of acres of waste in the area that is now the Old Woks Golf Course. Mine tailings, slag piles and rubble piles from the long abandoned Old Works buildings lay scattered around the site. In 1977, the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) purchased the Anaconda Company with intentions of continuing mining operations. Operations, however, quickly closed down and ARCO inherited the responsibility of cleaning up more than 100 years of pollution. In 1983, the property was designated a Superfund site.

Before	During	After

ARCO faced the choice of either removing tons of waste materials from the property or taking remedial actions. ARCO conducted studies and interacted with the community to determine the best solution. The decision was to transform the Superfund site into a topnotch golfing facility for the town of Anaconda and Door Lodge County.

Construction began in 1994 and the Old Works Golf Course opened in 1997. Designers of the course were confronted by a number of environmental issues related to the site. As a result of the mining operations, the soil contained concentrations of arsenic, lead and copper. Scattered throughout the site were piles of rubble and garbage. One of the major concerns was the erosion of contaminated soils into the nearby Warm Springs Creek during storm runoff. Related to the erosion was the potential problem of ground water contamination. There was also a concern that the small particulate matter from the contaminated soils could become airborne and create problems.

The agencies involved with this project included:

• Environmental Protection Agency (State and Federal)
• Montana Department of Health and Environmental Sciences
• U.S. Department of Justice
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife
• Anaconda/Deer Lodge Golf Course Authority
• Department of Natural Resources

The golf course routing took advantage of natural and man-made features. Several holes on the front nine play along stone smelting ovens, flues and brick walls. Four holes are routed to take strategic advantage of Warm Springs Creek.

Other areas of the site dictated that fairways be routed over contaminated soils. The agencies determined that these areas be covered with two inches of lime rock and capped with 16 inches of clay soil. The cap was then covered with six to eight inches of topsoil and grassed.

EPA standards required that these capped areas be irrigated and drained. The irrigation system was designed to provide water and keep the clay cap moist so that it would not dry out and crack. A complex drainage system was designed to prevent contamination of ground water. The system captures the excess irrigation and storm water and returns it to one of two irrigation ponds lined with a protective neoprene material.

The course's bunkers are unique. Tons of inert piles of black slag material left by the copper smelting process were used in the bottoms of the bunkers. The slag met all requirements for drainage and playability and provided visually stunning effects.

Initially, Old Works was to be a desert links-style course with green ribbons of grass flowing through badlands. However, the EPA believed that more of the property needed to be capped and grassed. Approximately 70 acres are grassed with native materials.

A key element in the successful remediation of the property is the prevention of storm and irrigation water from making contact with the capped waste materials. To achieve this separation, the complex subsurface drainage system is connected to all the irrigation mainline drains and blow-offs. This solution, protects the clay cap in the event of an irrigation pipeline break.

The four holes that border Warm Springs Creek had to be protected from potential irrigation failures that would bring excessive water flows into the creek. Flow sensors and shut off valves on all lateral lines along these holes trigger automatic valve shut-off in the event of a break.

The mining operations had virtually decimated all natural vegetation and wildlife. Native areas and tree plantings were used to create an enhanced environment in what had been a virtual moonscape for nearly 100 years. In addition to the 400 trees planted during construction, the course adds new plant materials on an annual basis.

To see more Brownfield Golf Success Stories go to brownfieldgolf.com

To find out more about Old Works Golf Course go to OldWorks.org

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