Landsat Monitors Mining at Center of North America Near Town of Center

Mining has been part of Center's history for more than a century. In August 1984, the Landsat 5 image shows significant surface mining of lignite coal just to the southeast of town, during a summer when drought had browned the countryside. Thirty-two years later, the mining activity moved to the southwest of Center. An additional mining operation also began near the Milton R. Young Power Plant just southwest of Nelson Lake. At the power plant, lignite is used to heat water and create steam to drive electricity-producing turbines.