National Mine Map Repository (NMMR)

Preserving maps for future generations!

What is NMMR?

The National Mine Map Repository (NMMR), is part of the United States Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.  It is a facility that provides and stores in microfilm over 134,000 abandoned mine maps. The repository contains maps from the 1860s to the present day. It serves as a point of reference for mine maps and other information for both surface and underground mines throughout the United States. It also serves as a location to retrieve mine maps in an emergency.

What Information is Available?

The NMMR contains microfilm maps of surface and underground coal, metal and non-metal mines throughout the United States. Some of the information that can be found in the repository includes:

• Mine and company names
• Mine plans including mains, rooms, and pillars
• Closure maps
• Adjacent mines
• Man-ways, shafts, mine surface openings
• Geological information including bed name, bed thickness, depth, drill-hole data, cross-sections, elevation contours, structures, coal quality data, outcrops, and mineral assays
• Geographical data including abandoned railroad lines and stations, coal towns, surface facilities, roads, ponds, streams, and property survey points
• Gas well and drill-hole locations

The NMMR offers scanned map images from 200 dpi to 4800 dpi on CDs and DVDs, microfilm prints, and microfilm copies. Newly donated mine maps will be scanned in color (depending on condition of the map). Microfilm mine maps are available for viewing by appointment.

Always looking for maps to scan!

We are always looking for donation of mine maps to add to our microfilm collection. When we receive a map from a donor it is scanned, after which we convert it to microfilm for our archives.  The map, along with a scanned image, is then returned to the donor.

Maps are scanned using state-of-the-art equipment.

• Cruse Table Scanner CS 285/1100 ST/FA
  Size 58” x 90”, black and white; 8 or 16-bit grayscale;
  12 or 24-bit color; 220-630 dpi; file size 1.1 GB.
• Wicks and Wilson CS750 GS
  Scanstation Aperture Card Scanner
  With True 600 dpi; black and white; grayscale.
• ST Imaging Scanner
  Up to 4800 dpi; black and white; grayscale; color.

Contact Information

US Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining, e Parkway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15220, 412-937-3001.

Click here to upload a PDF of the brochure.