DescriptionIn 1910, the Anaconda Company began constructing a series of ponds 1 mile north of Opportunity, between Warm Springs and Mill creeks, designed to contain copper and zinc tailings from the Washoe Reduction Works and Washoe Smelter at Anaconda. The Opportunity Ponds accommodated expanded production until the 1940s, when copper and zinc production for the war effort taxed their capacity. The ponds, which occupied more than 3,000 acres in the Deer Lodge Valley, to an average depth of 40 feet, were closed in 1972. Currently the EPA plans to transport millions of tons of tailings from the base of the Milltown Dam near Missoula to the Opportunity Ponds for disposal and reclamation. Many residents of Opportunity have expressed opposition to the plan, citing their own struggles as part of the Anaconda Smelter Superfund cleanup. Contributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation4955 ft. CountyDeer Lodge County
