The Berkeley Pit is an abandoned open pit copper mine located in Butte, Montana, United States.
The once thriving copper mines of Butte earned the district the title of the richest hill in the world.
Other metals including silver and gold were also extracted.
During mining in Butte, pumps were used to remove surface runoff and groundwater from the mines.
Today the pit is filled to a depth of about 900 feet or 270 meters.
Over the next few years, over 40 different species of organisms were discovered in the pit.
Berkeley Pit is currently just another tourist attraction.
There’s a small museum, gift shop and a viewing platform located above the water.
Sources:Wikipedia,Pitwatch,Damn Interesting,Discover Magazine,Dakota Matrix
