| Almaden Quicksilver County Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 Senador Mine ruins | |
 Interactive map of Almaden Quicksilver County Park | |
| Coordinates | 37°12′27″N121°52′51″W / 37.20750°N 121.88083°W /37.20750; -121.88083 |
| Area | 4,163 acres (16.85 km2) |
| Established | 1978 |
Almaden Quicksilver County Park is a 4,163 acres (17 km2)park that includes the grounds of formermercury ("quicksilver")mines adjacent to southSan Jose, California,USA. The park'selevation varies greatly: the most used entrances (on the east side of the park) are less than 600 feet (183 m) abovesea level, while the highest point in the park is over 1,700 feet (518 m) above sea level.
The park is owned by theCounty of Santa Clara and managed by theSanta Clara County Parks and Recreation Department. Its grounds include theGuadalupe Reservoir and features sweeping views of San Jose. Adjacent to the park is theAlmaden Reservoir. TheCasa Grande Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum is located in nearbyNew Almaden. The park is named after theNew Almaden Quicksilver Mines, which were named after themercurymine in (old)Almadén,Spain, and produced mercury that was used to process ore during theGold Rush.[1]
The park's New Almaden Mines were in operation from 1847 to 1976. The mines were highly important during theCalifornia Gold Rush, since mercury was used to extractgold fromore. By the timeSanta Clara County bought the mines in 1976 and ended operations, 83,974,076 pounds (37,388 metric tons) of mercury (worth more than US$70 million) had been extracted.[2]
The remains of a variety of structures left over from the 135 years of mining activity, including housing for the up to 1,800 miners, are scattered about the park, with the biggest concentration at what was known as English Camp, established byCornish miners in the 1860s.[3] Some structures were built later by theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers and there is a memorial honoring theCivilian Conservation Corpsfirefighters that were stationed there for a time.
In the period 1976 to 1978, the county developed a number of new large parks in rapid succession includingGrant Ranch Park,Sanborn Park and Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Very soon after buying the mining property in 1976, Santa Clara County began planning for park usage, in an era where the county parks program was aggressively expanding.
The county parks director envisioned a historic park where visitors could experience the mining past and also enjoy thebiodiversity of the natural setting. Facilities plans were created[4] and anEnvironmental Impact Report was prepared.[5]
Principal issues assessed in the park proposal were:
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
