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3 . LAND USE HISTORY <br /> 3. 1 PRE-CLIMAX OPERATIONS <br /> 1859 to 1917 Disturbance Impact <br /> The history of land disturbance in the upper Arkan- <br /> sas, Eagle and Tenmile Valleys and the Fremont Pass area can be <br /> traced back to 1859 . This was the beginning of the mining boom <br /> in the Leadville area. It is doubtful that earlier Indians and <br /> mountain men created any measurable disturbance prior to 1859 . <br /> Tenmile Valley <br /> In the 1860 ' s, placer mining operations took place <br /> along upper Tenmile Creek and one of its tributaries in McNulty <br /> Gulch. <br /> By 1880 , four incorporated towns, Carbonateville , <br /> Robinson, Kokomo, and Recen, were located in the upper valley <br /> of the Tenmile . <br /> By 1881 , one thousand miners and their families occu- <br /> pied the Tenmile Mining District. Robinson had one large <br /> smelter and four sawmills operating full time. At least three <br /> other smelters were located in the area and were active between <br /> 1880 and 1900 . By the end of the 1880 ' s, the Tenmile drainage <br /> had been clear cut and burned out. Soil erosion substantially <br /> eradicated upper Tenmile Creek as a fishery. The creek was <br /> impacted by acid mine water drainage, smelter effluents and <br /> waste from the mining settlements. <br /> Numerous mining claims were filed and prospected . <br /> Exploration holes, mine shafts, mine dumps and spoils dotted <br /> the mining district. Principal mineral products were gold , <br /> silver, lead and zinc. <br /> Railroads <br /> Two railroads pushed into the Tenmile District during <br /> the early 1880 ' s. The Denver and Rio Grande Western RR came <br /> north from Leadville and crossed Fremont Pass in 1881 . The <br /> Denver, South Park and Pacific RR (now "Colorado and Southern <br /> RR" ) came south from Frisco and crossed Fremont Pass enroute to <br /> Leadville in 1883 . Both lines placed additional strains on the <br /> 3-1 <br />