Iron Creek

The Iron 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: Iron Creek

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

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
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
Ore: Silver

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Active?

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Iron Creek was first staked in 1901, and nearly all of the early work was done by drift mining. Iron Creek may still be a site of mining and prospecting (National Park Service, 1990).

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

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = See also Woodchopper Creek (CY038), Alice Gulch (CY002), Mineral Creek (CY020), and Dome Creek (CY010). This site is within the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Mertie, 1930 (B 816)

Comment (Production): Production Notes = In 1926, production was reported to be 9 troy ounces of gold and 1 troy ounce of silver (National Park Service, 1990).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Prospects along Iron Creek were first reported by Brooks in 1907. The pay streak was reported to be irregular and spotty, with coarse gold of high grade. One sample assayed $18.75 an ounce (1930 dollars) (Mertie, 1930). The bedrock at the head of Iron Creek is composed of Cretaceous to Tertiary sedimentary rocks and Upper Devonian (?) conglomerate. In the lower part of the drainage the conglomerate contains pebble- to boulder-size clasts of quartzite and chert (Dover and Miyaoka, 1988).? Iron Creek was first staked in 1901, and almost all early work was done by drift mining. In 1926, production was reported to be 9 troy ounces of gold and 1 troy ounce of silver. Iron Creek may still be a site of active mining and prospecting (National Park Service, 1990).

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary.

References

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): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Charley River quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-390, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1907, The Alaskan mining industry in 1906: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314, p. 19-39.

Reference (Deposit): Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1930, Geology of the Eagle-Circle district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 816, 168 p.

Reference (Deposit): Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1942, Tertiary deposits of the Eagle-Circle district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-D, p. 213-264.

Reference (Deposit): National Park Service, 1990, Final environmental impact statement, volume 1, Mining in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Alaska: National Park Service, Anchorage, Alaska, p. 36-44.

Reference (Deposit): Dover, J.A., and Miyaoka, R.T., 1988, Reinterpreted geologic map and fossil data, Charley River quadrangle, east-central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2004, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Charley River and Coleen quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-632, 45 p.

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