Center Creek and Flat, Saturday and Wonder Creeks

The Center Creek and Flat, Saturday and Wonder Creeks is a silver and 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: Center Creek and Flat, Saturday and Wonder Creeks

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Tungsten

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: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

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
Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Scheelite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Shallow alluvial placer gold deposits developed in coastal plain gravels. Deep deposits were subsequently developed in the same area.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Collier and others, 1908

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Shallow deposits were found on segments or tributaries of Center Creek in about 1900. These deposits were exploited quickly. The area was extensively mined and surface drainage changed after discovery of Third Beach near Little Creek.

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The upper parts of Center Creek, sometimes called Saturday and Wonder Creek, were developed first as shallow placer deposits in the coastal plain. The situation is as explained by Collier and others (1908, p. 168): 'Saturday Creek is the name given to the upper part of Center Creek which flows into Snake River about a mile above Nome, and Wonder Creek is the middle part of the same stream. This diversity of names is due to the fact that under the local rules . . . one claim was allowed to one man on a creek. This rule was often circumvented by changing the name of the creek at each tributary and locating a claim with each change of the name.'? Saturday Creek was located and mined in about 1900. The deposit was shallow, with a 3-foot pay section underneath 2 or 3 feet of muck. Gold was bright, commonly had quartz attached, and was fairly coarse. One nugget of about 0.75 ounce was found. Concentrates contained garnet, magnetite, and some scheelite. Moffit (1913, p. 118-119) included Saturday, Wonder, and Flat Creeks as shallow coastal plain tributaries to Center Creek.

References

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): 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): Moffit, F.H., 1913, Geology of the Nome and Grand Central quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 533, 140 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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