Sourdough Creek

The Sourdough Creek is a 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

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Sourdough Creek

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Tin
Tertiary: Antimony

Location

State: Alaska
District: Fairbanks

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

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: Cassiterite
Ore: Gold
Unknown: Stibnite

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Location): THE LOCATION IS THE APPROXIMATE CENTER OF DISCONTINUOUS PLACER WORKINGS THAT EXTEND FROM SILVER CREEK TO POLAR CREEK; FROM THE MOUTH OF BEAR CREEK UPSTREAM FOR ABOUT 1,500 FT; AND FOR ABOUT A MILE BETWEEN BEAR CREEK AND RUBY CREEK. SOURDOUGH CREEK IS A TRIBUTARY OF THE CHATANIKA RIVER. THE CREEK CAN BE ACCESSED FROM THE STEESE HIGHWAY AT MILE MARKER 66.

Comment (Production): TOTAL PRODUCTION IS NOT KNOWN, BUT ABOUT 2850 OZ GOLD WAS REPORTEDLY PRODUCED FROM 1937 TO 1941. A FEW BLOCKS OF UNMINED GROUND REMAIN MID-VALLEY BUT THE CREEK HAS BEEN LARGELY MINED. TWO HUNDRED OUNCES OF GOLD WAS PRODUCED FROM ONE 300 FT BY 150 FT CUT ON THE DISCOVERY CLAIM (EBERLEIN AND OTHERS, 1977, P. 24).

Comment (Commodity): STIBNITE AND SCHEELITE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN GRANITE TALUS SAMPLES FROM THIS CREEK

Comment (Deposit): SEE ALSO: FAITH CREEK; DEMPSY PUP ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; USGS OFR 83-170-B, APPENDIX I, NO. 103

Comment (Workings): PLACER GOLD WAS MINED FROM 1932 TO 1940 AND INTERMITTENTLY FROM 1946 TO 1959. PROSPECTING AND MAINTENANCE WORK OCCURRED IN 1966. THE CREEK HAS LARGELY BEEN MINED OUT BY SURFACE WORKINGS (EBERLEIN AND OTHERS, 1977, P. 24).

Comment (Deposit): THIS SITE NAME WAS CREATED BY THE REPORTER OR OTHER USGS EMPLOYEE BASED ON PROXIMITY TO SOME MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC FEATURE.

Comment (Deposit): BEDROCK IN THE AREA IS SCHIST,AND, NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE CREEK A GRANITIC PLUTON (WEDOW AND OTHERS, 1954, P. 8). A SAMPLE OF GRANITE TALUS CONTAINED STIBNITE AND SCHEELITE (NELSON AND OTHERS, 1954). JOESTING (1942) REPORTED STIBNITE IN PLACER CONCENTRATES AND SCARCE CASSITERITE IN PLACERS. PLACER GOLD WAS MINED FROM 1932 TO 1940 AND INTERMITTENTLY FROM 1946 TO 1959. GRAVEL IS TEN TO ELEVEN FEET THICK. PROSPECTING AND MAINTENANCE WORK OCCURRED IN 1966. THE CREEK HAS LARGELY BEEN MINED OUT BY SURFACE WORKINGS (EBERLEIN AND OTHERS, 1977, P. 24). TOTAL PRODUCTION IS NOT KNOWN, BUT ABOUT 2850 OZ GOLD WAS REPORTEDLY PRODUCED FROM 1937 TO 1941. A FEW BLOCKS OF UNMINED GROUND REMAIN MID-VALLEY BUT THE CREEK HAS BEEN LARGELY MINED. TWO HUNDRED OUNCES OF GOLD WAS PRODUCED FROM ONE 300 FT BY 150 FT CUT ON THE DISCOVERY CLAIM (EBERLEIN AND OTHERS, 1977, P. 24).

References

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

Reference (Deposit): Wedow, Helmuth, Jr. and Killeen, P. L., 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in eastern interior Alaska, 1946: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 331, 36 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P. S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-98.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P. S., 1936, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-83.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P. S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-106.

Reference (Deposit): Nelson, A. E., West, W. S., and Matzko, J. J., 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in eastern Alaska, 1952: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 348, 21 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P. S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-81

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P. S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-106.

Reference (Deposit): Lampright, R. L., 1996, Gold placer deposits near Fairbanks Alaska: Iron Fire Publications, Nederland, Colorado, 135 p.

Reference (Other Database): BAG-OFR-83-170B-103

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P. S., 1937, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-88.

Reference (Deposit): Joesting, H.R., 1942, Strategic mineral occurences in interior Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 1, 46 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106.

Reference (Deposit): Eberlein, G. D., Chapman, R. M., Foster, H. L., and Gassaway, J. S., 1977, Map and table describing known metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits in central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 77-168D, 132 p.

Reference (Deposit): Menzie, W. D., Foster, H. L., Tripp, R.B., and Yeend, W. E., 1983, Mineral resource assessment of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 83-170-B, 61 p., 1 sheet, 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E. H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Misc. Field Studies Map 391, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E. H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E. H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-633, 72 p.

The Top Ten Gold Producing States

These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.