Harris Creek

The Harris 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

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Site Name

Primary: Harris Creek

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Alaska
District: Kougarok

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold
Gangue: Garnet

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary; the area has probably undergone at least two cycles of erosion and placer development.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Sainsbury and others, 1969

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Sainsbury and others (1969) show placer mine workings on the main channel of Harris Creek starting at the mouth and continuing upstream for 4.3 miles. A dredge operated on at least parts of this drainage.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Gold was discovered in gravels of Harris Creek by 1900 and placer mining started here by 1901 (Collier, 1902; Collier and others, 1908). Sainsbury and others (1969) show placer mine workings on the main channel of Harris Creek starting at the mouth and continuing upstream for 4.3 miles. A dredge operated on at least parts of this drainage. The lower 2 miles of the stream channel crosses Paleozoic marble bedrock and the upper 2-plus miles crosses Lower Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks (Sainsbury and others, 1969; Till and others, 1986). Some auriferous bench gravels are reported along upper parts of the creek. The Harris Creek channel gravels are locally thin, 6 feet or less, and covered by up to 6 feet of muck. Gold was rough and concentrated on broken and fractured limestone (marble) bedrock. Garnet was present in some placer concentrates. This area has undergone at least two cycles of erosion and placer development. The garnet in placer concentrates was probably derived from headwater areas where schist is present.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

References

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1909, Recent developments in southern Seward Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379-F, p. 267-301.

Reference (Deposit): Till, A.B., Dumoulin, J.A., Gamble, B. ., Kaufman, D.S., and Carroll, P.I., 1986, Preliminary geologic map and fossil data, Soloman, Bendeleben, and southern Kotzebue quadrangles, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 86-276, 10 p., 3 plates, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Bendeleben quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-417, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Sainsbury, C.L., Kachadoorian, Reuban, Hudson, Travis, Smith, T.E., Richards, T.R., and Todd, W.E., 1969, Reconnaissance geologic maps and sample data, Teller A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, B-3, C-1, and Bendeleben A-6, B-6, C-6, D-5, and D-6 quadrangles. Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 377, 49 p., 12 sheets, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1975, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Bendeleben quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-429, 123 p.

Reference (Deposit): Collier, A.J., 1902, A reconnaissance of the northwestern portion of Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 2, 70 p.

Reference (Deposit): Collier, A. J., Hess, F.L., Smith, P.S., and Brooks, A.H., 1908, The gold placers of parts of Seward Peninsula, Alaska, including the Nome, Council, Kougarok, Port Clarence, and Goodhope precincts: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 328, 343 p.

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