The Brown Bear Mine is a copper mine located in Montezuma county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,701 feet.
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
Elevation: 8,701 Feet (2,652 Meters)
Commodity: Copper
Lat, Long: 37.55083, -108.16083
Map: View on Google Maps
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Brown Bear Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Brown Bear Mine
Commodity
Primary: Copper
Location
State: Colorado
County: Montezuma
District: California (La Plata) District
Land Status
Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Type: Underground
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Underground
Discovery Year: 1882
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Polymetallic veins
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform
Type: L
Description: La Plata Dome
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Hydrothermal Alteration, Bleaching
Rocks
Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene
Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic
Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene
Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Triassic
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: SORTED ORE CONTAINED 25-30% CU
Analytical Data: UNSORTED ORE REPORTED TO CONTAIN 4-5% CU
Materials
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Malachite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Limonite
Comments
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON NORTH SIDE OF LA PLATA MOUNTAINS, ALONG BEAR CREEK NEAR ITS JUNCTION WITH THEDOLORES RIVER; SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF RICO; UNSURVEYED; SOUTHWEST SIDE OF BEAR CREEK OPPOSITE MUNSON GULCH ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1974)
Comment (Workings): ONE TUNNEL DRIVEN DUE SOUTH FOR 35 TO FAULT, THENCE BRANCHING INTO 25-FT SE DRIFT ON FAULT AND 20-FT SW CROSSCUT TO DIKE.
Comment (Deposit): MINERALIZED FAULT TRENDS N 30 W, 80 NE AND PARALLELS VERTICAL MONZONITE PORPHYRY DIKE. SLIPS AND FRACTURES TREND EAST-WEST BETWEEN DIKE AND FAULT. CHALCOCITE OCCURS SPARINGLY IN PLANT MATERIAL IN FAULT AND IN FRACTURES IN SANDSTONE AND DIKE; PYRITE FINELY DISSEMINATED THROUGH SHATTERED AND BLEACHED ZONE.
References
Reference (Deposit): GODDARD, E.N., 1949, COPPER DEPOSITS OF THE BEAR CREEK DISTRICT, IN ECKEL, E.B., 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 70-72, 98 , PL. 13, #3.
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
