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Historic photos
CAG collection of historic primary impoundment photos - annotations provided by the CAG
CAG collection of historic secondary impoundment photos - annotations provided by the CAG
Thank you to Colorado Legacy Land who assembled most of the historic photos on this page.
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![September 1954 - aerial view of site activities prior to the involvement of Cotter Corp., including mining, smelting, and railroad infrastructure.](/sites/cdphe/files/styles/image_card/public/CLL%20Sept.%201954.png)
September 1954 - Site activities prior to the involvement of Cotter Corp., including mining, smelting, and railroad infrastructure.
![July 1962 - Cotter had begun their operations in 1958 and started depositing mill tailings into unlined pits. The Shadow Hills Golf Course was also constructed northwest of the mill area.](/sites/cdphe/files/styles/image_card/public/CLL%20July%201962.png)
July 1962 - Cotter had begun their operations in 1958 and started depositing mill tailings into unlined pits. The Shadow Hills Golf Course was also constructed northwest of the mill area.
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![September 1970 - The footprint of Cotter’s operations has increased, including the number of ponds used to discard mill tailings.](/sites/cdphe/files/styles/image_card/public/Sept.%201970.png)
September 1970 - The footprint of Cotter’s operations has increased, including the number of ponds used to discard mill tailings.
![February 1979 - Cotter begins building two lined impoundments to replace the unlined ponds (called the Old Ponds Area) and constructs a new mill. The U.S. Soil Conservation Service completed a flood control dam on Sand Creek in 1972.](/sites/cdphe/files/styles/image_card/public/CLL%20Feb.%201979.png)
February 1979 - Cotter begins building two lined impoundments to replace the unlined ponds (called the Old Ponds Area) and constructs a new mill. The U.S. Soil Conservation Service completed a flood control dam on Sand Creek in 1972.
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![May 1988- Cotter milling operations next to the primary and secondary impoundment. Remnants from the Old Ponds Area can be seen.](/sites/cdphe/files/styles/image_card/public/CLL%20May%201988.png)
May 1988- Cotter milling operations next to the primary and secondary impoundment. Remnants from the Old Ponds Area can be seen.
![September 1994 – aerial of the Cotter mill and vicinity.](/sites/cdphe/files/styles/image_card/public/CLL%20Sept.%201994.png)
September 1994 – The Cotter mill and vicinity.
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![March 2004 – Milling facility and equipment yard.](/sites/cdphe/files/styles/image_card/public/CLL%20March%202004.png)
March 2004 – Milling facility and equipment yard.
![June 2006- During this time the Cotter Mill was in ‘stand-down’ mode (2005 to 2011) prior to decommissioning the facility.](/sites/cdphe/files/styles/image_card/public/June%202006.png)
June 2006- During this time the Cotter Mill was in ‘stand-down’ mode (2005 to 2011) prior to decommissioning the facility.
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Recent photos
September 2020 site photos (photo credit: Colorado Legacy Land)
October 2021 site photos (photo credit: Colorado Legacy Land)
July 2022 site photos (photo credit: Colorado Legacy Land)