Grubstake Gulch and Willow Creek Area

The Grubstake Gulch and Willow Creek Area is a copper, tungsten, and gold mine located in Alaska.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: Grubstake Gulch and Willow Creek Area

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Tungsten
Primary: Gold

Location

State: Alaska
District: Willow Creek

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Unknown
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Scheelite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): BOTH CREEK AND BENCH GRAVELS NEAR CONFLUENCE OF GRUBSTAKE GULCH AND WILLOW CREEK HAVE BEEN MINED FOR PLACER GOLD INTERMITTENTLY SINCE 1897. GOLD PROBABLY IS FROM SMALL QUARTZ VEINS FOUND IN MICA-SCHIST BEDROCK (COBB, 1973). THE BEDROCK IN THE GRUBSTAKE GULCH DRAINAGE IS JURASSIC (?) QUARTZ-ALBITE-CHLORITE (+/- GARNET-BIOTITE) PELITIC SCHIST; MINOR EOCENE HYPABYSSAL MAFIC INTRUSIONS AND SERPENTINIZED CRETACEOUS ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS. GOLD HAS BEEN FOUND IN GRAVELS UP TO 70 FT DEEP IN THE AREA (GREEN AND OTHERS, 1989).

Comment (Workings): CREEK GRAVELS MINED FOR 900 FT ALONG GRUBSTAKE CREEK IN 1904-1906, REPORTEDLY 200 FT WIDE AND 2.5 TO 3 FEET DEEP (PAIGE AND KNOPF, 1907). GRAVELS MINED IN 1960 WERE 12-20 FT DEEP AND EXPLORATORY DRILL HOLES THAT WERE SUNK 85-105 FT DID NOT ALL REACH BEDROCK. HYDRAULIC AND SMALL SCALE METHODS USED. BENCH GRAVELS CONTAIN PANNABLE GOLD, BUT LARGE BOULDERS MAKE MINING DIFFICULT (RAY, 1954).

Comment (Location): CLAIMS ON WILLOW CREEK ABOVE AND BELOW THE MOUTH OF GRUBSTAKE GULCH AND THOSE MINES LOCATED ON GRUBSTAKE GULCH NEAR ITS MOUTH. GENERALIZED LOCATION, ACCURATE WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED OF FEET UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM. LOCALITY 69 OF COBB (1972) AND LOCALITY 57 OF MACKEVETT AND HOLLOWAY (1977).

Comment (Production): COBB (1973) REPORTED THAT GRUBSTAKE GULCH AND THE PART OF WILLOW CREEK IMMEDIATELY BELOW MOUTH OF GULCH PROBABLY ACCOUNT FOR CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN HALF THE PLACER GOLD MINED IN THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULL 327, P. 65-66.

Reference (Deposit): BUNDTZEN, T.K., EAKINS, G.R., CLOUGH, J.G., LUECK, L.L., GREEN, C.B., ROBINSON, M.S., AND COLEMAN, D.A., 1984, ALASKA'S MINERAL INDUSTRY - 1983: ALASKA DIVISION OF GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS SPECIAL REPORT 33, 56 P.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-409, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Capps, S.R., 1916, Gold mining in the Willow Creek district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 642-E, p. 147-200.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1933, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1930: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 836, P. 1-83.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1911, The Mount McKinley region, Alaska, with descriptions of the igneous rocks and of the Bonnifield and Kantishna districts by L.M. Prindle: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 70, 234 p.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1933, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1930: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 844, P. 1-81.

Reference (Deposit): RAY, J.C., 1933, THE WILLOW CREEK GOLD-LODE DISTRICT, ALASKA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 849-C, P. 165-229.

Reference (Deposit): MACKEVETT, E.M., AND HOLLOWAY, C.D., 1977, MAP SHOWING METALLIFEROUS AND SELECTED NON-METALLIFEROUS MINERAL DEPOSITS IN THE EASTERN PART OF SOUTHERN ALASKA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 77-169-A, 99 P., 1 SHEET, SCALE 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): JASPER, M.W., 1966, GEOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF SELECTED AREAS IN SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA, 1965: ALASKA DIVISION OF MINES AND MINERALS GEOCHEMICAL REPORT 7, 60 P.

Reference (Deposit): COBB, E.H., 1973, PLACER DEPOSITS OF ALASKA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1374, 213 P., 1 PLATE.

Reference (Deposit): COBB, E.H., 1979, SUMMARY OF REFERENCES TO MINERAL OCCURRENCES (OTHER THAN MINERAL FUELS AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IN ANCHORAGE QUADRANGLE, ALASKA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 79-1095, 184 P.

Reference (Deposit): MOXHAM, R.M., AND NELSON, A.E., 1952, RECONNAISSANCE FOR RADIO-ACTIVE DEPOSITS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ALASKA, 1947-1949: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 184, 14 P.

Reference (Deposit): RAY, R.G., 1954, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE WILLOW CREEK MINING DISTRICT, ALASKA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1004, 86 P.

Reference (Deposit): CAPPS, S.R., 1940, GEOLOGY OF THE ALASKA RAILROAD REGION: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 907, 201 P.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1939, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1937: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 917-A, P. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): JASPER, M.W., 1962, WILLOW CREEK GOLD DISTRICT ACTIVITY, ANCHORAGE QUADRANGLE: ALASKA DIVISION OF MINES AND MINERALS REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1962, P. 75-84.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1939, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1937: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 910-A, P. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULL 1374, P. 19.

Reference (Other Database): BAG-MF-409-69

Reference (Deposit): CAPPS, S.R., 1915, THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT, ALASKA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 607, 86 P.

Reference (Deposit): CAPPS, S.R., 1914, GOLD LODES AND PLACERS OF THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 592, P. 245-272.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., 1915, THE ALASKAN MINING INDUSTRY IN 1914: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 622, P. 15-68.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., 1922, THE ALASKAN MINING INDUSTRY IN 1920: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 722-A, P. 1-74.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1932, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1930 AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 824-A, P. 1-109.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., 1913, MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA, REPORT ON PROGRESS OF INVESTIGATIONS IN 1912: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 542, 308 P.

Reference (Deposit): KATZ, F.J., 1911, A RECONNAISSANCE OF WILLOW CREEK GOLD REGION: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 480-G, P. 139-152.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., 1912, THE MINING INDUSTRY IN 1911: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 520-A, P. 17-44.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., 1911, THE MINING INDUSTRY IN 1910: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 480, P. 21-42.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., 1910, MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA, REPORT ON PROGRESS OF INVESTIGATIONS IN 1909: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 442, 426 P.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., 1918, THE ALASKAN MINING INDUSTRY IN 1916: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 662-B, P. 11-62.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., 1906, THE MINING INDUSTRY IN 1905: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 284, P. 4-9.

Reference (Deposit): PAIGE, SIDNEY AND KNOPF, ADOLPH, 1907, RECONNAISSANCE IN THE MATANUSKA AND TALKEETNA BASINS, ALASKA, WITH NOTES ON THE PLACERS OF THE ADJACENT REGIONS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 314, P. 104-125.

Reference (Deposit): CAPPS, S.R., 1916, GOLD MINING IN THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 642-G, P. 147-194, 195-200.

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