A proposed mine expansion on the mountain above Glenwood Springs puts our historic hot springs, our water, and the visitor economy every local business depends on at risk. It takes two minutes to help protect our town.
You don't need to read a 205-page report to understand what's at stake. Here it is, plain and simple.
Glenwood Springs is a town built on its springs and attractions. The historic Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, the world's largest hot springs pool, has welcomed travelers since 1888, while Iron Mountain Hot Springs offers a unique collection of geothermal pools and is a designated National Natural Landmark. Together, Glenwood's hot springs and other key attractions, including Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and the Yampah Vapor Caves, draw visitors from around the world. These attractions fill hotels, restaurants, shops, raft trips, and more.
Rocky Mountain Industrials (RMI) wants to expand the old limestone quarry on Transfer Trail — public land directly above town — from 16 acres to 56 acres, blasting and digging hundreds of feet up the mountain. That upslope rock is the same steeply tilted limestone that gave way in a 300-foot-wide slope collapse in 2023, burying equipment and drawing federal and state enforcement. And 56 acres may be just the beginning: RMI's original 2018 proposal for a 447-acre permit area, nearly 30 times today's quarry, has never been officially withdrawn. The Bureau of Land Management is reviewing the new application right now.
Expanding the mine above Glenwood Springs puts more than our aquifer at risk. It could disturb the groundwater network that sustains our springs and the hot springs that have defined our community for generations. A larger operation could also mean increased truck and train traffic through town, additional noise, dust, and air pollution. These impacts could threaten the natural hot springs that are central to Glenwood's identity and the attractions, businesses, residents, and quality of life that make this community special.
Mining was halted by federal decision in January 2025 — but RMI's new expansion plan is under BLM review right now. This is the moment to speak up.
Why the two acreage numbers matter: the "scaled-back" 56-acre plan now under review is separate from — not a replacement for — RMI's much larger 2018 proposal. As long as the 447-acre proposal stays on the books, approving 56 acres opens the door to far more.
People don't travel to Glenwood Springs for one attraction — they come for the springs and stay for everything else. The Chamber's economic study measured tourism as a $243 million industry supporting more than 1,400 local jobs — and that study is more than a decade old. Lodging and restaurants alone captured over half of every visitor dollar, with entertainment, recreation, rafting, and retail sharing the rest.
That's why this isn't about any one pool or any one owner. If the aquifer is damaged — or if Glenwood becomes known as a mining town with hundreds of daily truck trips instead of a destination — the loss lands on every hotel, restaurant, shop, outfitter, and family in the valley. And it's why the City, the Chamber Resort Association, and businesses across the region are standing together behind the Glenwood Hot Springs Protection Act.
Own a local business? Your endorsement carries special weight with lawmakers. Add your business to the list.
The Glenwood Springs Citizens' Alliance is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit of local residents and businesses. The effort is supported by the City of Glenwood Springs, the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association, local resorts and businesses, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, for whom the springs are a sacred site of healing and renewal.
Full documentation, legal filings, and detailed facts live at loveglenwood.org.
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Endorse the effortThe facts about the proposed mine expansion above Glenwood Springs · loveglenwood.org
Rocky Mountain Industrials (RMI) has applied to expand the limestone quarry on Transfer Trail — on public BLM land directly above Glenwood Springs — from 16 acres to 56 acres, mining hundreds of feet upslope. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is reviewing the proposal now (submitted May 2026). Critically, this "scaled-back" 56-acre plan is separate from RMI's original 2018 proposal seeking a 447-acre permit area — nearly 30 times the current quarry — which has never been officially withdrawn.
Bipartisan bills H.R. 9826 (Rep. Jeff Hurd) and S. 5101 (Sens. Michael Bennet & John Hickenlooper) would permanently bar expansion of mining on the federal land above the springs. The effort is backed by the City of Glenwood Springs, the Chamber Resort Association, local businesses, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.