MAMMOTH, AZ — Nestled along the banks of the San Pedro River in Pinal County are scenes that tell the story of Arizona: wide open spaces, habitat for wildlife, and saguaros as far as the eye can see.
There is a chance, however, that the open views that Mammoth has been accustomed to since the 1870s might be replaced by another view that also tells the story of Arizona’s economy and livelihood long before the Copper State even became a state: mining.
Specifically, copper mining on more than 25 square miles of land that’s coincidentally called Copper Creek.
The land that Copper Creek winds through could be mined in the future by Faraday Copper, a Canadian mineral exploration company that considers the area, according to its website, one of the largest undeveloped copper projects in North America.
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Peter Else, a Mammoth resident since the early '90s and chairman of the Lower San Pedro Watershed Alliance, understands the importance of copper for current and future technologies but claims that a possible mine on the essentially untouched Copper Creek would do irreversible harm to its distributary: the San Pedro River.
“This would have significant impacts on the landscape,” Else told ABC15. “Historically, mines have not reclaimed, to any effective degree, the lands that they’ve disturbed with open-pit mining.”
Else is also concerned about impacts on the local groundwater supply.
The land the proposed mine sits on is outside the boundaries of an Active Management Area, where groundwater in Arizona is regulated.
“To major corporations, this means free water basically, and there is not an unlimited supply of water anywhere in Arizona,” Else stated.
In a statement, Faraday Copper told ABC15 that they are evaluating future needs and that “any plans for future mining operations would be done with respect for the long-term balance and vitality of the regional water supply."
There are still active copper mines near Mammoth. The Ray Mine, north of Kearny, is one of the largest copper mines in Arizona and one of the largest open pits in the United States.
Karen Crawford, who was born in Ray when it was a town, doesn’t want Mammoth to share the same fate.
“When I heard that, it really made me sad,” she stated.
She now resides in California but grew up along the Copper Corridor, with her father working as an electrician at the nearby smelter in Hayden. Crawford vividly remembers the sulfur smoke emitted from the stacks as a child and said she’s still dealing with the effects to this day.
“I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my entire life, and when I go in for any type of test, they think I have smoker’s lungs.”
Aravaipa resident Dorinda Shelby also grew up along the Copper Corridor. She told ABC15 that she remembers her stepfather coming home with gray dirt after working at the smelter.
“It was bad, but it was a job,” Shelby stated. “It supported his family and raised me and supported part of my family.”
Some residents in Mammoth are in favor of the mine, wanting to go back to the days when the town benefited from surrounding mining communities like nearby San Manuel when its mine was operational.
“They remember when there was a car dealership in Mammoth,” Peter Else stated. “They remember when there were three bars and dancing on Friday and Saturday nights. They remember when there were lots of jobs and they want to go back to that time.”
Faraday Copper told ABC15 that no mining will be done anytime soon as they are currently in the early stages of exploration and are awaiting additional approval from the Bureau of Land Management to do further exploration.
Peter Else is hopeful, however, that no mine will be built on Copper Creek.
“We’re going to do everything possible to make sure that the people who follow us will be able to enjoy the same diversity that we’ve been able to witness during our lifetimes.”
