Portage Creek

The Portage 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: Portage Creek
Secondary: H. C. Carsten Operation

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Tin
Tertiary: REE
Tertiary: Uranium
Tertiary: Tungsten

Location

State: Alaska
District: Circle

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1906
Discovery Year: 1950
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: Gold
Gangue: Sphene
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Zircon
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Topaz
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Ilmenite
Gangue: Allanite
Unknown: Bismuthinite
Unknown: Wolframite
Unknown: Scheelite
Unknown: Monazite
Unknown: Cassiterite

Comments

Comment (Location): THE PLACERED AREA EXTENDS ABOUT 3/4 MILE UP AND DOWNSTREAM FROM THE INTERSECTION OF THE COORDINATES. PORTAGE CREEK FLOWS IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION AND CAN BE ACCESSED BY GRAVEL ROAD JUST A FEW MILES EAST OF CIRCLE HOT SPRINGS.

Comment (Production): TEN OUNCES OF GOLD WERE REPORTEDLY RECOVERED FROM ONE CLAIM ON THE CREEK IN 1906 (BROOKS, 1907, P. 198) AND VARIOUS MINES HAVE BEEN OPERATING ON AND OFF TO THE PRESENT. POINTS NORTH OPERATION ON PORTAGE CREEK WAS THE BIGGEST PRODUCER OF GOLD IN THE CIRCLE DISTRICT IN 1994 (SWAINBANK AND OTHERS, 1994, P. 28).

Comment (Deposit): GOLD IN THE CIRCLE DISTRICT IN 1994 (SWAINBANK AND OTHERS, 1994, P. 28).

Comment (Deposit): PORTAGE CREEK NEAR ITS SOURCE IS UNDERLAIN BY CRETACEOUS GRANITE, THEN FLOWS OVER CHORITE-MUSCOVITE SCHIST AND TERTIARY GRANITE BEFORE CROSSING INTO THE TINTINA FAULT ZONE. ALMOST ALL OF THE MINING HAS BEEN CONDUCTED SOUTH (UPSTREAM) OF THE TINTINA FAULT ZONE. GOLD IS RESTRICTED TO THE UPPER 0.5 METERS OF THE ORANGE, SCHIST-RICH GRAVEL. A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE DETRITUS IN PORTAGE CREEK IS COLLUVIUM, SO THE MINED GRAVEL IS POORLY SORTED (YEEND, 1991). ONE METER OF MUCK TYPICALLY OVERLIES 2 METERS OF COLLUVIAL-ALLUVIAL GRAVEL. A DEFINED 'PAYSTREAK' IS NOT OFTEN PRESENT DUE TO THE COLLUVIAL MIXING AND LACK OF ALLUVIAL WATER TO WASH AND SORT. BECAUSE OF THE THICK COLLUVIAL GRAVEL COVER ON THE SIDE SLOPES, THE MINED GRAVEL CHANNEL IS QUITE NARROW, ONLY 20 TO 30 METERS (YEEND, 1991). PLACER CONCENTRATES CONTAIN ALLANITE, ARSENOPYRITE, BISMUTHINITE, CASSITERITE, GARNET, GOLD, HEMATITE, ILMENITE, MAGNETITE, MONAZITE, PYRITE, SCHEELITE, SPHALERITE, SPHENE, SPINEL, TOPAZ, TOURMALINE,

Comment (Deposit): URANOTHORIANITE, WOLFRAMITE AND ZIRCON (NELSON AND OTHERS, 1954). GOLD WAS NOT DISCOVERED ON THE CREEK UNTIL THE EARLY 1900'S (BROOKS, 1907). FULL-SCALE MINING DID NOT BEGIN ON THE CREEK UNTIL 1933. TWO MINERS WORKED THE UPPER VALLEY IN 1936. ONE OPERATION CONSISTED OF DRIFT MINING AND ONE WAS A PROSPECTING SHAFT (MERTIE, 1938). GRAVEL VALUED AT 0.025 TO 0.0625 OUNCES PER CUBIC YARD WAS BEING MINED IN 1937 BY SEVERAL MINERS SHOVELING IN AN OPENCUT (LAMPRIGHT, 1996, P. 74). THERE WERE TWO OPERATIONS ON THE CREEK IN 1975 AND ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO FIVE OPERATIONS PER YEAR DURING THE 1980'S (YEEND, 1991). POINTS NORTH OPERATION ON PORTAGE CREEK WAS THE BIGGEST PRODUCER OF GOLD IN THE CIRCLE DISTRICT IN 1994 (SWAINBANK AND OTHERS, 1994, P. 28). TEN OUNCES OF GOLD WERE REPORTEDLY RECOVERED FROM ONE CLAIM ON THE CREEK IN 1906 (BROOKS, 1907, P. 198) AND VARIOUS MINES HAVE BEEN OPERATING ON AND OFF TO THE PRESENT. POINTS NORTH OPERATION ON PORTAGE CREEK WAS THE BIGGEST PRODUCER OF

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

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1900'S

Comment (Workings): GOLD WAS NOT DISCOVERED ON THE CREEK UNTIL THE EARLY 1900'S (BROOKS, 1907). FULL-SCALE MINING DID NOT BEGIN ON THE CREEK UNTIL 1933. TWO MINERS WORKED THE UPPER VALLEY IN 1936. ONE OPERATION CONSISTED OF DRIFT MINING AND ONE WAS A PROSPECTING SHAFT (MERTIE, 1938). GRAVEL VALUED AT 0.025 TO 0.0625 OUNCES PER CUBIC YARD WAS BEING MINED IN 1937 BY SEVERAL MINERS SHOVELING IN AN OPENCUT (LAMPRIGHT, 1996, P. 74). THERE WERE TWO OPERATIONS ON THE CREEK IN 1975 AND ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO FIVE OPERATIONS PER YEAR DURING THE 1980'S (YEEND, 1991). POINTS NORTH OPERATION ON PORTAGE CREEK WAS THE BIGGEST PRODUCER OF GOLD IN THE CIRCLE DISTRICT IN 1994 (SWAINBANK AND OTHERS, 1994, P. 28).

Comment (Deposit): THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PORTAGE CREEKS IN THE CIRCLE MINING DISTRICT, BOTH OF WHICH FLOW AWAY FROM THE SAME DIVIDE. ONE CREEK FLOWS SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AND HAS NOT YIELDED GOLD. THE PORTAGE CREEK DISCUSSED FOR THIS SITE FLOWS NORTH-NORTHEAST INTO MEDICINE LAKE; USGS OFR 83-170-B, APPENDIX I, NO. 90 AND APPEIX I, NO. 90 AND APPENDIX II, NO. 43

Comment (Exploration): Status = Active

References

Reference (Deposit): Bates, R. G. and Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., 1953, Preliminary summary review of thorium-bearing mineral occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 202, 13 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): Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., 1953, Preliminary summary of reconnaissance for uranium and thorium in Alaska, 1952: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 248, 15 p.

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): Yeend, W. E., 1991, Gold placers of the Circle district, Alaska - past, present, and future: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1943, 42 p.

Reference (Deposit): Swainbank, R. C., Bundtzen, T. K., Clough A.H., Henning, M. W., and Hansen E.W., 1994, Alaska's mineral industry 1994: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 49, 77 p.

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): 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): Wedow, Helmuth, Jr. and White, M. G., 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in east-central Alaska, 1949: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 335, 22 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): Overstreet, W. C., 1967, The geologic occurrence of monazite: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 530, 327 p.

Reference (Other Database): BAG-OFR-83-170B-90

Reference (Deposit): Berg, H. C. and Cobb, E. H., 1967, Metalliferous lode deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

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

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): Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1938, Gold placers of the Fortymile, Eagle, and Circle districts, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-C, p. 133-261.

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

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

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

Reference (Deposit): Chapin, T., 1914, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592-J, p. 357-362.

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.

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

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

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

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A. H., 1907, The Circle precinct, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314, p. 187-204.

Reference (Deposit): Ellsworth, C. E. and Davenport, R. W., 1913, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana Region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, p. 203-222.

Reference (Deposit): Mertie, J. B. Jr., 1938, Gold placers of the Fortymile, Eagle, and Circle districts, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-C, p. 133-261.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

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