Homestake Mining Company Water Department Records

The Homestake Mining Claim was founded on April 9, 1876, by Fred and Moses Manuel and Hank Harney. They soon sold their interests to a group of men, led by George Hearst. Under Hearst’s direction, the Homestake Mining Company was incorporated in November 1877 and grew into the major economic driving force of the Black Hills area. Though numerous factors contributed to the success and permanence of the Homestake Mine, the acquisition of water rights was integral to acquiring enough water power to operate the mine and its miscellaneous holdings. Almost immediately after Hearst’s purchase of the mining claim, he and his associates began systematically acquiring rights to the streams, creeks, and ditches in the area. By controlling the water rights, the mine was able to significantly influence the local economy and the politics of the Lead/Deadwood area.

Homestake’s water system originally supplied water for mining and milling operations, by 1902, a water main was laid under Main Street in Lead, allowing for domestic use of Homestake’s water. Homestake’s water service area covered Lead, Deadwood, Central City-Blackstone area, and Pluma. Homestake’s Water Department was often under the purview of the Construction Department, which managed the maintenance and distribution of the water system. In the 1990s, Homestake started the Lead Water Project to ensure an economic source of water for the mine and to divest the domestic portion of their water system in a timely and responsible manner. Between 1993 and 2003, Homestake deeded its water rights, water collection, and water distribution system to the Lead Deadwood Sanitary District.

Homestake’s Wastewater Treatment Plant was created to treat wastewater from their underground mine workings before being discharged into a coldwater marginal trout fishery. Construction began in 1983 and was completed in 1984. The construction of the Wastewater Treatment Plant was the phase of Homestake’s environmental program to safely dispose of tailings, treat the wastewater, and convert Whitewood Creek into a viable trout fishery.