Lower Snake River

The Lower Snake River 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: Lower Snake River

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Alaska
District: Nome

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

Comments

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Fine gold was discovered on the bars of lower Snake River about July 28, 1898 (Schrader and Brooks, 1900). This discovery led to further prospecting in September, 1898, and to the subsequent major discoveries in Glacier Creek (NM220), Rock Creek (NM209), and Anvil Creek (NM236). Attempts were made to dredge gold along the lower river in 1900 and 1904 (Collier and others, 1908, p. 170). Dredges operated in the lower river between 1919 (Harrington, 1921, p. 232-233) and 1924 (Smith, 1926). Dredging in 1919 was maily to deepen the channel, but gold was recovered during this operation. This part of Snake River reworks coastal plain deposits, and some richer gold concentrations may at least locally have been present.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Probably inactive

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Alluvial placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Cobb, 1978 (OFR 78-93)

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Remnants of dredge tailings may locally be present.

Comment (Geology): Age = Holocene.

References

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1926, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1924: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 783-A, p. 1-39.

Reference (Deposit): Harrington, G.L., 1921, Mining on Seward Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 714-F, p. 229-237.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1978, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Nome quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File report 78-93, 213 p.

Reference (Deposit): Schrader, F.C., and Brooks, A.H., 1900, Preliminary report on the Cape Nome gold region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Special Publication, 56 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.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Nome quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-463, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

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