Mule Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Mule Mountains are a north/south running mountain range
located in the south-central area of Cochise County, Arizona
. The highest peak, Mount Ballard
, rises to 7500 ft (2,286 m). Prior to mining operations commencing there, the mountains were heavily forested
with large Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii glauca) and other conifers, but these were all cut down for housing needs and to feed the ore
smelting
furnaces in Douglas, Arizona
, approximately 20 miles due east. Now, the primary vegetation of the Mules consists of manzanita
(Arctostaphylos spp.) brush, juniper
, lowland oak
s and pine
s, and various grass
es. To the east of the mountain range lies Sulphur Springs Valley
, and the San Pedro River
and Valley
to the west.
The terrain is very rough, with very steep slopes descending into deep canyons. Common wildlife species include Mule deer
(Odocoileus hemionus), White-tailed deer
(O. virginianus), Collared Peccary
(Pecari tajacu), various types of rodents, lizards and a wide variety of birds. The upper ridges of the mountains consist primarily of a very hard breccia
te limestone
, and it is very common to find fossil
s of clams and snails imbedded in them.
Immediately to the east central area of the Mules lies the Lavender Pit
, a large and very deep open pit
copper
mine dug and mined by the Phelps Dodge Corporation between 1951 through 1974. Over a billion tons of copper were extracted from the mine, along with significant quantities gold
, silver
and lead
. Also, as a by-product of the mining operations, high quality turquoise
(locally known as Bisbee Blue
) was also discovered.
On the east central slope of the Mule Mountains can be found the Copper Queen Mine
. In its days of production, (late 19th century – early 20th century) it was the richest copper deposit ever discovered, causing the accompanying town of Bisbee, Arizona
to highly prosper, becoming the largest city between St. Louis in the east, and San Francisco in the west for a short while. Much of the Mule Mountains are laced with mining tunnels dug in pursuit of the rich copper ore. Today, Bisbee (also known as the "mile-high city," at elevation 5300 ft (1,615.4 m)) is largely a tourist town and retirement community along the slopes of Tombstone Canyon in the heart of the Mules. There are currently no organized mining operations in effect in the Mule Mountains. Much of the east/southeastern area of the range is considered private property, owned by Phelps Dodge Corporation.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
located in the south-central area of Cochise County, Arizona
Cochise County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*78.5% White*4.2% Black*1.2% Native American*1.9% Asian*0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*9.6% Other races*32.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. The highest peak, Mount Ballard
Mount Ballard
At 7,370 ft. , Mount Ballard is the eighth highest mountain in Cochise County, Arizona. The mountain is less than 5 miles from Bisbee, Arizona and is the highest mountain in the Mule mountain range.- See also :...
, rises to 7500 ft (2,286 m). Prior to mining operations commencing there, the mountains were heavily forested
Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests
The Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests are a subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion of the Sierra Madre Occidental range of western Mexico and the southwestern United States...
with large Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
The Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca, is an evergreen conifer native to the interior mountainous regions of western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta in Canada southward through the United States to the far north of Mexico...
(Pseudotsuga menziesii glauca) and other conifers, but these were all cut down for housing needs and to feed the ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
smelting
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
furnaces in Douglas, Arizona
Douglas, Arizona
Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining.The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census...
, approximately 20 miles due east. Now, the primary vegetation of the Mules consists of manzanita
Manzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia, Washington to California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and...
(Arctostaphylos spp.) brush, juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
, lowland oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s, and various grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es. To the east of the mountain range lies Sulphur Springs Valley
Sulphur Springs Valley
The Sulphur Springs Valley is a major valley in the eastern half of Cochise County, Arizona. The valley covers an approximated vertical rectangle west of the Chiricahua Mountains–Dos Cabezas Mountains complex; the Chiricahua's have a valley to the northeast, San Simon Valley, and to the southeast,...
, and the San Pedro River
San Pedro River (Arizona)
San Pedro River is a northward-flowing stream originating about ten miles south of Sierra Vista, Arizona near Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. It is one of only two rivers which flow north from Mexico into the United States. The river flows north through Cochise County, Pima County, Graham County, and...
and Valley
San Pedro Valley (Arizona)
The San Pedro Valley of western Cochise County Arizona is a 50 mile long, mostly north-south valley, trending northwesterly. It drains from Sierra Vista Southeast north towards I-10, Benson, and the southeast of the Rincon Mountains....
to the west.
The terrain is very rough, with very steep slopes descending into deep canyons. Common wildlife species include Mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
(Odocoileus hemionus), White-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
(O. virginianus), Collared Peccary
Collared Peccary
The collared peccary is a species of mammal in the family Tayassuidae that is found in North, Central, and South America. They are commonly referred to as javelina, saíno or báquiro, although these terms are also used to describe other species in the family...
(Pecari tajacu), various types of rodents, lizards and a wide variety of birds. The upper ridges of the mountains consist primarily of a very hard breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
te limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, and it is very common to find fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of clams and snails imbedded in them.
Immediately to the east central area of the Mules lies the Lavender Pit
Lavender Pit
The Lavender Pit is a former open pit copper mine near Bisbee in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. It is located near the famous Copper Queen Mine. The Lavender Pit was named in honor ofHarrison M...
, a large and very deep open pit
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine dug and mined by the Phelps Dodge Corporation between 1951 through 1974. Over a billion tons of copper were extracted from the mine, along with significant quantities gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
. Also, as a by-product of the mining operations, high quality turquoise
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
(locally known as Bisbee Blue
Bisbee Blue
thumb|275px|Bisbee turquoise commonly has a hard chocolate brown colored matrix.Bisbee Blue or Bisbee turquoise refers to the turquoise that comes from copper mines located in the vicinity of Bisbee, Arizona....
) was also discovered.
On the east central slope of the Mule Mountains can be found the Copper Queen Mine
Copper Queen Mine
The Copper Queen Mine was the copper mine in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, that gave birth to the surrounding town of Bisbee. In the early 1900s it was the most productive copper mine in Arizona.- History :...
. In its days of production, (late 19th century – early 20th century) it was the richest copper deposit ever discovered, causing the accompanying town of Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, 82 miles southeast of Tucson. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 6,177...
to highly prosper, becoming the largest city between St. Louis in the east, and San Francisco in the west for a short while. Much of the Mule Mountains are laced with mining tunnels dug in pursuit of the rich copper ore. Today, Bisbee (also known as the "mile-high city," at elevation 5300 ft (1,615.4 m)) is largely a tourist town and retirement community along the slopes of Tombstone Canyon in the heart of the Mules. There are currently no organized mining operations in effect in the Mule Mountains. Much of the east/southeastern area of the range is considered private property, owned by Phelps Dodge Corporation.