Kutná Hora

Location: The Central Bohemia Region, Kutná Hora area

Brief history

Underground mining of silver began here in the 13th century, peaked in the 14th century (14.56 metric tons of Ag annually) and continued into the 19th century. The historic mines were substantially widespread, with their center to the south of Kutná Hora. Granite deposits containing silver ore, silver-galenite, copper ore and sphalerite were accessed in the middle ages by dozens of shafts and adits. Most important was the central-bohemian deposit with several mainly pyritous veins.

Modern mining took place her from 1945 to 1991. The main mining components were the Turkaňk downcast air shaft, the Pánská upcast air shaft, the 14 Pomocníků (14 Helpers) adit and the Skalecká adit. Between 1958 and 1991, 2,230.7 kt of ore were extracted with a metal content of 2.0% Zn (44 624.98 metric tons of Zn). Polymetallic ore in the amount of 861 kt has been recorded. The Kutná Hora mining district has not been cancelled.

Type of activity

Underground mining of polymetallic ore from several granite deposits using the shrinkage stopping method and the open chamber and winze method.

Present-day conditions

The mine was dismantled, the underground was filled with water and the surface partly reclaimed. The removal of unusable structures and rehabilitation is in progress. The mine water is being pumped out through boreholes at the Turkaňk shaft where a mine water treatment station has been reconstructed and is now in operation. The historic 14 Helpers drainage adit has been made passable and cleaned to prevent it from carrying metallic sludge.

The Environmental Problem and its Solution

Effects on the Landscape

Direct and indirect negative effects on the surface (continuous and sporadic damage to the terrain, depressions, cave-ins) have resulted due to an abundance of historic mining work vertical shafts, and shallow mining. In the Turkaňk area, approx. 1.9 mil. m³ of open space is still underground.

Mine Water

Highly contaminated and acidic mine water is pumped to the water treatment station and released into the Šífovka stream. Seepage water is drained through the 14 Helpers adit into the Beránka stream.