Rapid City Council passes resolution opposing gold exploration

Rapid Creek

RAPID CITY – Last evening, February 3, 2020, Rapid City’s City Council passed a resolution that put the City on record in opposition to gold exploration and mining in the Rapid Creek watershed. Rapid Creek and its related aquifers – the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers – provide 100% of the City’s water supply. The City also supplies water to Ellsworth Air Force Base, a major military installation just east of Rapid City.
“This is an important step toward protecting the water of the central Black Hills, as well as the area’s economy and key cultural resources,” said Lilias Jarding of the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance. “We are grateful to the City Council members and the citizen groups who stepped up, joined together, and made this resolution a reality for the City and the region.”
Two gold companies are currently operating in the Rapid Creek watershed. Mineral Mountain Resources, a Canadian company, has been doing exploratory drilling on private land within its 7500 acres of claims. Its claims are near Pe’ Sla, a Lakota spiritual and cultural site, and surround the town of Rochford. F3 Gold, a Minnesota company, has applied to the U.S. Forest Service for permission to drill on the nearly 2500 claims it has on federal land in the Black Hills. The company wants to begin by drilling just upstream from the inlet of Pactola Reservoir, near the town of Silver City.
“This resolution helps protect the wildlife, natural habitats, and water of this area,” said Carla Marshall of the Clean Water Alliance. “We’d like to thank everyone who took action to make this possible and encourage more people to get involved. We need to remember that water is alive and should be recognized as a living entity.”

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