Scuba Diving the Bonne Terre Mine

I'm headed to St. Louis, MO to see my good friend, Josh Cruse. Josh is the one with the son who just underwent a liver transplant, and I'm happy to report, Malakai is recovering well. He has been released from the hospital, but they will stay in St. Louis for several more weeks so the doctors can keep an eye on Malakai.

I've arranged a little excursion for my friend to dive the Bonne Terre Mine which is about an hour south of St. Louis. We not only hunt together, but we also scuba dive together. We haven't been in over a year so we are pretty excited about the trip.

The lead mine was worked for almost 100 years by the St. Joe Lead Company until the 60's when the demand for lead dwindled and the mine closed in 1962. When the mine was abandoned, the pumps that kept it dry were turned off. Over the years, fresh groundwater seeped into the mine, covering forever the tools and equipment left behind by the miners.

Now, this billion gallon Lake is illuminated with over 500,000 watts of lighting, a total of twenty-four dive trails have been laid out in the lake, taking the diver through mammoth archways, past beautiful calcium falls, around gargantuan pillars and to the many abandoned mining artifacts. The water level of the mine is 150 feet below the ground surface above.

I know this blog's audience is mainly hunters, but if you have ever thought about diving, JUST DO IT. You will never regret it. It's just another type of outdoor wilderness, except that it can be much more amazing. Plus, if you have to hunt something, you can go spearfishing.

Larry Ralph Jr.