Meketchum Creek Placer

The Meketchum Creek Placer 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: Meketchum Creek Placer

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Ruby

Land Status

Land ownership: State
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1917
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

Analytical Data: MEAN OF 2 ASSAYS SHOWS FINENESS 918 PARTS AU AND 76 PARTS AG.

Materials

Ore: Gold

Comments

Comment (Location): USGS MF-405, LOC. 26 PLACER GROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY 3,000 FEET UPSTREAM FROM INTERSECTION OF WINTER TRAIL AND LIGHT-DUTY ROAD MARKED IN THE NW CORNER OF RUBY (A-5). LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Comment (Development): GOLD DISCOVERED, 1917; DRIFT MINING REPORTED 1929-34.

Comment (Deposit): PAY STREAK LOCATED IN PRESENT VALLEY FLOOR ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF CREEK, CLOSE TO CREEK AND AT PLACES TOUCHING IT. AT SITE OF DISCOVERY CLAIM PAY STREAK IS 40 FEET WIDE; REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN TRACED 3,000 FEET UPSTREAM AND TO NARROW SOMEWHAT IN THAT DIRECTION. GROUND ABOUT 80 FEET DEEP AT SITE OF DISCOVERY; 60-70 FEET OF MUCK OVER 10-20 FEET OF GRAVEL IN WHICH GOLD IS MORE OR LESS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. FURTHER UPSTREAM THE GRAVEL THINS TO 2 OR 3 FEET AND THE GOLD OCCURS MAINLY ON OR NEAR BEDROCK.

Comment (Workings): ALL GROUND SOLIDLY FROZEN AND UNDERGROUND WORK REQUIRES LITTLE TIMBERING.

Comment (Geology): MAJOR.UNITS: BEDROCK IS GREENSTONE.

Comment (Deposit): STREAM GRADIENT APPROXIMATELY 125 FEET PER MILE IN AREA MINED. DISCOVERY CLAIM CALLED "RED DOG" CLAIM IN LITERATURE. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

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

References

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULL 864-C, P. 155

Reference (Deposit): USGS OF 77-168 D, P. 87, LOC. 13

Reference (Deposit): USGS OF 81-170, P. 50.

Reference (Deposit): USGS MF-405 (A-5), LOC. 26

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