Gold Knob Prospects

Circle St And Dry Gulch Rd Wenatchee, Chelan County
Facility Site ID: 22496 Cleanup Site ID: 11610

  • Site Status

  • No Further Action

  • Brownfield

  • This site has received funding as part of our Brownfields Program.
    Brownfields Public Funding: $200,000.00

More about cleanup

Site Description

Hikers along a trail at Saddle Rock Park
Hikers along a trail at Saddle Rock Park
Gold Knob Prospects, also known as Saddle Rock Regional Park, is a 325-acre community landmark in the Wenatchee Valley, popular with hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders for decades. For over 100 years, the property was owned by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and in 2011, the City of Wenatchee, along with assistance from the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, purchased the property. It is now a public park and recreation area. Dating back to 1891 until 1989, several areas of Saddle Rock were prospected for gold. Prospecting exploration resulted in the creation of waste rock piles. 

In May 2011, Ecology collected soil samples and estimated the size of the waste rock piles. Results from Ecology’s testing showed high concentrations of certain metals, including arsenic, mercury, and selenium above state cleanup levels.

Cleanup Activities

Aerial Map courtesy of HartCrowser, 2013
Aerial Map courtesy of HartCrowser, 2013
In late 2018, Ecology entered into an Agreed Order with the City of Wenatchee to remove the waste rock piles and dispose of them at the Wenatchee Regional Landfill. An Agreed Order is a legal agreement between Ecology and the City of Wenatchee outlining the expectations, process, and schedule for site cleanup.

In 2019, Phase 1 cleanup of waste rock piles in the lower area was completed. Phase 2 cleanup of waste rock piles in the upper area was completed in 2022.
Legal 5
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Gold Knob Prospects a.k.a. Saddle Rock Natural Area - Satisfaction of Agreed Order DE 15823 5/23/2023 Order Notice of Satisfaction/Status
Gold Knob Prospects - Amendment A-01 to Agreed Order DE 15823 4/9/2020 Agreed Order Amendment
Gold Knob Prospects - Agreed Order DE15823 10/25/2018 Agreed Order
Gold Knob Prospects Final PLP ltr 3/27/2014 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Gold Knob Prospects ENL 7/12/2011 Early Notice Letter
Public Information 8
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Gold Knob Prospects a.k.a. Saddle Rock Natural Area - Fact Sheet 4/19/2023 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Gold Knob Prospects aka Saddle Rock Park - Fact Sheet 2/18/2021 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Gold Knob Prospects aka Saddle Rock Park - Responsiveness Summary 8/28/2020 Responsiveness Summary
Gold Knob Prospects - Interim Remedial Action Report Fact Sheet 6/15/2020 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Gold Knob Prospects - Interim Action Fact Sheet 6/10/2019 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Gold Knob Prospects AO Responsiveness Summary - 10/25 - 11/24/2018 11/1/2018 Responsiveness Summary
Gold Knob Prospects Fact Sheet 10/25/2018 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Gold Knob Prospects Public Participation Plan 6/1/2014 Public Participation Plan
State Environmental Policy Act 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Gold Knob Prospects Ecology SEPA Comments 7/11/2019 SEPA Documents
Technical Reports 18
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Gold Knob Prospects - Phase 2 Interim Remedial Action Completion Report 12/12/2022 Interim Action Documents
Gold Knob Prospects - Phase 2 Interim Remedial Action Final Design Report 6/4/2021 Interim Action Documents
Gold Knob Prospects - Phase 2 Interim Remedial Action Preliminary Design Report 1/4/2021 Interim Action Documents
Gold Knob Prospects - GeoEngineers Response to Ecology Comments on Preliminary Design Report 1/4/2021 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Gold Knob Prospects - Interim Remedial Action - Draft Mitigation Measures Report 9/28/2020 Interim Action Documents
Gold Knob Prospects - Interim Remedial Action Report 2/19/2020 Interim Action Documents
Gold Knob Prospects - Approval of Final Design Report 7/9/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Gold Knob Prospects - Approval of Revised Technical Memorandum 7/3/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Gold Knob Prospects - Interim Remedial Action - Revised Technical Memo for April 2019 6/26/2019 Interim Action Documents
Gold Knob Prospects a.k.a. Saddle Rock Park - Interim Removal Action Preliminary Design Report 4/30/2019 Interim Action Documents
Gold Knob Prospects - Conditional Approval of Revised PDR 4/19/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Gold Knob Prospects - Revised Agreed Order Schedule 3/1/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Gold Knob Prospects - Approval of Revised SAP 2/26/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Gold Knob Prospects 30-day notice of potential liability 12/17/2013 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Gold Knob Prospects / Saddle Rock Park RI Appendix C 6/19/2013 Remedial Investigation Report
Gold Knob Prospects / Saddle Rock Park FS Report 6/19/2013 Feasibility Study
Gold Knob Prospects / Saddle Rock Park RI Report (with truncated Appendix C) 6/19/2013 Remedial Investigation Report
Gold Knob Prospects (Saddle Rock Park) Sampling and Analysis/Quality Assurance Project Plan 2/11/2013 Sampling and Analysis Plan
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.

Contaminants 3

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Metals - Metals - Other RB
Metals - Arsenic RB
Metals - Mercury RB
S
Suspected
C
Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
B
Below Cleanup Levels
RA
Remediated-Above
RB
Remediated-Below
R
Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.