The dusty road runs down San Juan Ridge to a one-room former schoolhouse. Here the neighbours gather. It’s a Sunday afternoon atmosphere as old friends catch up with each other. But this is no social gathering and an underlying anxiety packs the room. The cause – the potential reopening of an historic goldmine in the heart of this rural community.
This is an arid area constantly under threat from drought and forest fires. Yet the proposed mine will use up to 3.7 million gallons (14 million litres) of water every day throughout its undetermined life. Water that will be sucked out of natural underground aquifers and turned into industrial discharge, threatening headwaters and wetlands and the wildlife that inhabit them. This is the same water the community relies on for its wells.
