Bonne Terre Mine
Images and Descriptions are from the
West End Diving website.
More pictures are located on the
pictures page.
Location
From St. Louis, take I-55 S for about 30 miles. Take exit 174B, US-67
South towards Bonne Terre/Park Hills. Merge onto US-67 S for 23 miles. Take
MO-K/MO-47 towards Bonne Terre and turn right onto MO-47.
Description
This is an exert from the webpage listed below. "Water
conditions remain constant with over 100 foot visibility, Sights include:
mammoth architecture, guaranteed year round diving conditions. cal falls, oar
carts, scaffolding, grating, staircases, pillars, slurry pipes, the famed
elevator shaft, and much more. The 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. Depths of the dive tours average between 40 to 60 feet. Divers are
toured through the mine in groups of ten by two specially trained dive guides.
Super 80 cubic ft. aluminum tanks are provided each diver. Dive lights are not
permitted in the lake, because they detract from the natural beauty of the
illuminated surroundings. Power inflator are required on all BC's. Billion
Gallon Lake is 58 (Degree F) and not affected by outside temperatures, there
are no thermo clines. Air temperature is 62 (Degree F) year round. Lighting on
the rock formations is spectacular. One can descend to 80 feet and look up to
see divers silhouetted against a rainbow. Man carved pillars grace the entire
Billion Gallon Lake. The 200 foot solid-rock pillar rising from depths and
mining artifacts on the walls and floor make for spectacular underwater
photography."
Other Info
West End Diving
