Location
Along the Gila River from the junction of the San Francisco River southwest to Bonita and Spring Creeks. Tps. 5 and 6 S., Rs. 28 and 29 E.
Topographic Map
Guthrie 15-minute quadrangle (Graham and Greenlee Counties).
Geologic Maps
Heindl and McCullough, 1961, Geologic map and sections showing location of infiltration gallery, mills, and springs, lower Bonita Creek area, Graham County, Ariz. (pi. 1), scale 1:68,000. Wilson and Moore, 1958, Geologic map of Graham and Greenlee Counties, scale 1:375,000.
Access
Placers are accessible by dirt road that parallels the north bank of the Gila River. The road is 1 1/2 miles north of Safford.
Extent
Placers are found along the Gila River below the junction of the San Francisco River (Greenlee County) to the mouth of Spring Creek (Graham County). Some of the gravels of the Gila Conglomerate between the San Francisco River and Eagle Creek (Greenlee County) contain fine flakes of gold. Gold is found in ancient river gravels that mantle terraced bluffs of Gila Conglomerate along the Gila River downstream from the mouth of Eagle Creek to Bonita Creek (Graham County); the gold ranges in size from flakes up to wiry particles a quarter of an inch long.
About 10-12 miles downstream from Eagle Creek, the Gila River makes a wide bend between Bonita and Spring Creeks. At this location (approximately sec. 20 and 21, T. 6 S., R. 28 E.) an alluvial flat was tested for placer gold at the property known as the Neel placer.
Production History
Placer production from the Gila River has been very minor compared with production from the San Francisco River. Placer production recorded for Graham County from 1907 to 1910 was recovered from the area separated into Greenlee County in 1910. Placer production from the Gila River in Graham County is given under the Lone Star district.
Some of the deposits along the Gila River between Eagle Creek and Bonita Creek are said to carry gold values of 15-50 cents per cubic yard. Tests of the Neel placer made in 1933 and 1938 indicate that the gravels averaged 60 cents per cubic yard. Actual production from the property was small.
Source
The origin of the gold in the gravels is unknown, but it was probably derived from gold eroded from the Clifton-Morenci district and transported by the San Francisco River to the Gila River. Small gold veins in the Gila Mountains may have contributed some gold to these minor placers.
Literature
Allen, 1922: Quotes Lindgren (1905a).
Lindgren, 1905a: Notes placer occurrence in lower San Francisco River and Eagle Creek; size of gold.
1905b: Virtually the same description as 1905a.
Mining Journal, 1938d: Placer-mining operations at Neel Placer; gold values per cubic yard.
Wilson, 1961: Location; characteristics of gravels; size of gold particles; gold values per cubic yard. Placer mining in 1933.
