Big Brown Mine
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Almost 2 million cubic yards of earth material waits to be moved to reclaim the 1.57-mile-long final pit
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With leveling operations underway, the land begins to take on its original contours
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Newly established vegetation thrives around the half-filled lake
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At approximately 112 surface-acres, the impoundment provides a rare opportunity for fisheries research on a controlled private lake
Luminant began mining lignite at the Big Brown Mine, near Fairfield, Texas, in 1971. Since then, over 15,000 acres have been mined and reclaimed. In its 41-year history, Big Brown Mine has moved over 2.3 billion cubic yards of earth material and mined an estimated 175 million tons of lignite. Lignite is delivered directly to the nearby power plant, which generates economical and reliable electric power for the citizens of Texas. Mining occurred from 1996-2001, with backfilling and grading of the final pit completed in 2005 and the lake filled to capacity in 2009.
(Photos courtesy of Interstate Mining Compact Commission)
