STORIES
CONTEMPORARY
Transforming a Mining Legacy
La Moctezuma Reserve
We are restoring the old mining waste dump through environmental restoration efforts.
We reduce soil erosion and the dust generated by mining waste to protect the community and the environment.
We transformed this place into a space for recreation, socializing, and enjoyment for families in Nacozari, Sonora.
About the Reserve
Every week, Alan rides the trails with children and teens who are training in mountain biking. While they hone their skills on the trails, parents take advantage of the same space to walk, exercise, and spend time together. Today, the site supports sports, recreation, and community life. For many years, however, it was a mine tailings area tied to Nacozari’s history.
The history of this site began much earlier. In 1886, the discovery of the Pilares mine spurred the development of Nacozari de García and gave rise to a community closely tied to mining. The Moctezuma Copper Company, which operated from (1895–1949) used this then-remote site to deposit tailings generated during copper extraction.
Covering an area of approximately 36 hectares, the former tailings pond became part of the urban area and was surrounded by homes, transforming into a space where the community’s mining history and daily life began to coexist.
With the goal of restoring this area, in 2019 the Federal Government’s Undersecretariat of Mines asked Grupo México to develop a remediation project for the Jales I Tailings Dam. Since 2020, the company has implemented a comprehensive program to restore this area through land stabilization, dust control, ecological restoration, and reforestation with native species.
Testimonios
La Moctezuma Reserve is a space that was very well planned by Grupo México and the Nacozari City Council to promote sports, physical activity, and recreation in the community. It has benefited mountain biking by taking advantage of its spaces and the type of terrain, allowing children to develop their skills.”
Alan Díaz Padilla
Instructor at the Grupo México Cycling Academy
In the past, the yellow dust stirred up by the wind affected families in the surrounding area. Today, that same place has become a green space where children, youth, and adults can walk, exercise, and enjoy nature. Its transformation has created a safe, clean place that promotes the well-being of the entire community.”
C.PL Pedro Morghen Riera
Mayor of Nacozari de García, Sonora
If Moctezuma Copper hadn’t existed, Nacozari simply wouldn’t exist. Back then, there were no houses, and there weren’t as many people as we have here today. It’s really great to be in such a historic place and to be enjoying it.”
Ileana Romo
Chronicler of Nacozari de Garía
History
A legacy that is part of Nacozari
Mining drove the region’s economic development and led to the formation of a community that, for more than a century, has built its identity around this activity. As the town grew around the site, wind-blown dust and soil erosion created a challenge for the community.
The Restoration of a Historic Site
Recognizing the site’s historical and social importance, Grupo México undertook a project that went beyond stabilizing a former tailings area. The goal was to address an environmental challenge facing the community and restore a place that had long been part of life in Nacozari.
The project was completed in three phases: preparatory work, slope reinforcement and vegetation establishment, and stormwater management..
The restoration followed two main strategies. The first stabilized the terrain through slope-retaining structures, topsoil placement, and reforestation with native species. Together, these measures reduced wind erosion and significantly limited dust dispersion.
The second initiative focused on channeling stormwater runoff through ditches and stone filters, thereby helping to control erosion and reduce the carryover of tailings into natural watercourses.
In June 2025, a reforestation effort was carried out, planting 45 táscate trees (Juniperus deppeana), a species native to the region. The trees were planted along a 260-meter stretch, involving the clearing of stumps, the addition of compost, planting, and irrigation to promote their growth.
A Space That Belongs to the Community Once Again
What was once mine tailings area now marks a new chapter for Nacozari; today, it is a recovering ecosystem and a safe space for recreation, socializing, and physical activity. Families are once again visiting this place, children are playing outdoors once more, and the community has reclaimed a space that is part of its history.
A place that emerged alongside the development of the mining industry—and which once posed a challenge to the community—is now writing a new chapter: a safe space for recreation, social interaction, and the well-being of nearly 15,000 residents.
1886
Discovery of the Pilares mine by the Moctezuma Copper Company
1886
Discovery of the Pilares mine by the Moctezuma Copper Company
2019
The environmental restoration project began.
2019
The environmental restoration project began.
2025
45 táscate trees were planted during the reforestation event.
2025
45 táscate trees were planted during the reforestation event.
2020
Remediation efforts began in collaboration with the city government
2020
Remediation efforts began in collaboration with the city government
9
platforms stabilized and reforested.
9
platforms stabilized and reforested.
15,000
residents today have a revitalized space for recreation and socializing.
15,000
residents today have a revitalized space for recreation and socializing.
A Legacy That Continues to Grow
Engineering for a New Beginning
The restoration of the La Moctezuma Reserve required engineering solutions to stabilize land that had been transformed by more than a century of mining activity. Slope stabilization, stormwater management, topsoil restoration, and reforestation with native species marked the beginning of a new chapter for this site.
A Place to Reconnect
In addition to environmental initiatives, the project included access roads and parking areas that improved entry to the site and connected it more closely with nearby neighborhoods. These improvements allowed a piece of land that had been isolated for years to take on a new purpose: to become a place for walking, socializing, and enjoying nature.
Art That Preserves the Memory of the Landscape
The project also incorporated “Cromlech” a land art, created to engage with the landscape and the site´s history. The work consists of 55 orthohedrons made of compacted tailings, arranged in a circle with a diameter of 50-meters-diameter circle. By encapsulating part of the old mining waste and transforming it into an element that invites reflection on the relationship between human activity and nature.
Together, these efforts demonstrate an approach of environmental restoration that generates long-term environmental and social benefits, demonstrating that it is possible to reclaim a mining legacy and transform it into a space that enriches the landscape, preserves memory, and strengthens community life.
