MINE RECLAMATION

Jackson County was home to one of Wisconsin’s largest Iron Ore mining operations from the late sixties until 1982.

This mine produced 850,000 tons of taconite pellets each year. The pellets were made into steel at steel mills primarily located in Indiana and East Chicago. Unfortunately, in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the United States steel industry declined, causing many mines to close, including the Jackson County mine.

After the mine closed it was transformed into a recreational area that is enjoyed by people from all over Wisconsin. You can hike, bike, scuba dive, camp and a whole lot more at this mine-turned-recreation area that’s now called Wazee Lake. The former mine pit is now Wisconsin’s biggest inland man-made lake.