Save the Scenic Santa Ritas

Fighting to protect the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains from the devastating impacts of mining.

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Copper World – Directions

1. Start at Sahuarita and Santa Rita Roads intersection, which is just east of the Pecan Festival Grounds in Sahuarita, about 3 miles east of I-19. Turn south onto Santa Rita Road (start, 0.0 miles)

2. Pass Sahuarita Highlands subdivision (3.0 miles from start)

3. Enter on to the improved-dirt road (4.0 miles). This is Santa Rita Road/Road 505.

4.  Pass the first Tucson Electric Power Toro Switchyard-to-Rosemont Switchyard project sign (7.3 miles)

5. Pass Huerfano (“Orphan”) Butte, (10 miles). Huerfano Butte is on the south side of the road.

6. Pass the fork for Road 486 (11.3 miles). Bear straight. (Road 486 goes south to Box Canyon, exiting near Madera Canyon.) 

7. Pass the fork for Road 485 (11.5 miles). Bear left. (Road 485 also goes south to Box Canyon.)

8. Arrive at Helvetia cemetery (11.8 miles). Caution: Park carefully at the roadside, pulling off the road, as this is a busy corridor with haul trucks.

9. Pass two baseyards on either side of Road 505 (12.5 miles). The former Helvetia Ranch, which serves as the east side baseyard, has assaying tents set up outside. The west side baseyard has a temporary, air-conditioned office unit.

10. Arrive at Peach Knob junction (12.8 miles). 

11. If you turn left at the junction, you are on Road 170 and arrive at the Imerys gate (15.4 miles). This road is horseshoe-shaped and stays within the “F” private parcel of Hudbay holdings. Tailings and waste rock are likely to be stored in this vicinity. The road passes over a principal west-running tributary wash. NOTE: Imerys is a grandfathered limestone quarry project, responsible for the white gash seen from the north and west sides of the Santa Ritas, and is frequently mistaken as the Copper World mining area. Imerys uses this road for off-site limestone hauling. 

12. If you go right at Peach Knob junction, you come to a second, quick fork. Bear left, and you will arrive at a private Hudbay gate, with shipping containers and water tank, at the base of Peach Knob (13.1 miles).This area is also within the “F parcel.” (See map, below.)

13. If you go right at Peach Knob junction, you come to a second, quick fork. Bear right and, and you arrive at another Tucson Electric Power Toro Switchyard-to-Rosemont Switchyard sign overlooking a principal tributary wash (13.2 miles). This is Road 4059 and is the site of current active earthworks involving haul trucks and bulldozer earthen pad construction. 

Arrive at Hudbay private property gate boundary (13.3 miles). This road, Road 4059, will support the utility corridor and is Hudbay’s access to Gunsight/Lopez Passes and, thus, the Rosemont Valley on the east side. This area is outside of the “F parcel,” substantially, and provides access to Hudbay’s other private parcels and patented mining claims.

If you wish to go, you should have, at minimum, a map, water, and a well-serviced car and tires. Be on the lookout for cars and trucks traveling in both directions, and have an emergency travel plan.

Map of the Copper World area, which highlights the “F parcel,” which is Hudbay’s private land on which it says it intends to contain all Copper World tailings and waste rock:

Santa Rita Road approaching from left, Helvetia Road approaching from right.
Santa Rita Road approaching, from left, into the Helvetia area. Cemetery is at the base of the hill, left side, after making a left turn.

Recent Posts

  • THE HOT TOPIC: WATER OR LACK THEREOF January 24, 2023
  • Hudbay ramps up excavation for Copper World Complex as local resistance continues and expands January 7, 2023
  • Meet The Man Who Shoots At Birds All Day To Keep Them Off A Toxic Pit | World Wide Waste (video) January 5, 2023
  • Lithium America Mine Project Hampered After Judge Schedules Hearing on Nevada Mine January 5, 2023
  • Thousands Will Live Here One Day (as Long as They Can Find Water) January 5, 2023
  • Latest Updates About Local Water Issues and Rosemont / Copper World Mine Complex January 5, 2023
  • Hudbay, Forest Service won’t appeal ruling blocking Rosemont Mine December 19, 2022
  • Letter: Proposed New Mines in Santa Ritas November 28, 2022
  • Wells are running dry in drought-weary Southwest as foreign-owned farms guzzle water to feed cattle overseas November 28, 2022
  • Annual pulses of copper-enriched sediment in a North American river downstream of a large lake following the catastrophic failure of a mine tailings storage facility November 28, 2022

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Rosemont/ Copper World Mine Complex News

THE HOT TOPIC: WATER OR LACK THEREOF

Hudbay ramps up excavation for Copper World Complex as local resistance continues and expands

Meet The Man Who Shoots At Birds All Day To Keep Them Off A Toxic Pit | World Wide Waste (video)

Lithium America Mine Project Hampered After Judge Schedules Hearing on Nevada Mine

More Posts from this Category

Copper World Flyover January 6, 2023 by David Steele

Another shocking sight of the incredible destruction happening on our beautiful Santa Ritas.WATCH VIDEO NOW

Russ McSpadden’s recent fly-over showing mine activity

In Nov 2022 Russ captured recent bulldozing in the Santa Rita Mountains. His video starts over the Rosemont mine project on the east side and then swings over the Copper World project on the west side. WATCH VIDEO NOW

Explore the proposed Rosemont and Copper World projects virtually

Check out Pima County’s updated map of the proposed mine site. Click on any spot on the map for ownership/status information. Mapping details are based on Hudbay’s PEA dated May 1.

Proposed Rosemont/ Copper World Mine Complex

Image compilation of the area

LENS ON THE LAND

October 2022 Powerpoint Presentation

Click here to download (PDF)

Litigation Update

There have been two recent judicial rulings on the Rosemont Copper Company projects — one favorable and one unfavorable.

Click here to learn more

The latest on Hudbay’s Copper World project in the Santa Rita Mountains

Click here to download (PDF)

Where is the Rosemont/Copper World Mine Complex?

Click here for directions

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