Lower South Mine

The Lower South Mine is a mica and feldspar mine located in Fremont county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,301 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

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: Lower South Mine
Secondary: Whisper ? Mine
Secondary: Colorado Feldspar Company

Commodity

Primary: Mica
Primary: Feldspar
Tertiary: Beryllium

Location

State: Colorado
County: Fremont
District: Micanite District

Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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

Type: Unknown

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface
Year First Production: 1950
Discovery Year: 1950
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Pegmatites

Orebody

Form: BLUNTLY TERMINATED ON SOUTH, TAPERING TO NORTH

Form: BLUNTLY TERMINATED ON SOUTH, TAPERING TO NORTH

Structure

Type: R
Description: Southern Front Range, Thirtynine Mile Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Currant Creek Fault Zone

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Microcline
Ore: Muscovite
Gangue: Biotite
Trace: Beryl

Comments

Comment (Location): NEAR BASE OF EASTERN WALL OF MAC GULCH, ABOUT 250 FT EAST OF COLORADO STATE HIGHWAY 9. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Workings): OPEN CUT 46X39X30 FT DEEP; FLOOR OF OPEN CUT ON TWO LEVELS, ONE 11 FT LOWER THAN OTHER; 19-FT VERTICAL SHAFT FROM BOTTOM OF LOWER LEVEL; 2 DRIFTS OFF SHAFT, ONE 15 FT LONG, OTHER 50 FT LONG; 20X11 FT ROOM IN SOUTH WALL, 9 FT LOWER THAN 11-FT LEVEL; ALSO 9 SHALLOW PROSPECT PITS AND TRENCHES

Comment (Deposit): 100 FT EAST OF MINE IS NEARLY CIRCULAR, UNZONED PEGMATITE ABOUT 30-FT IN DIAMETER ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Reserve-Resource): TOTAL RESERVES OF SCRAP MICA AND MICROCLINE ESTIMATED AT ONLY A FEW TENS OF TONS (1950)

Comment (Production): SCRAP MICA NEARLY MINED OUT

Comment (Deposit): FINE-GRAINED BORDER ZONE SAME COMPOSITION AS WALL ZONE IS QUARTZ-MICROCLINE-MUSCOVITE, PLAGIOCLASE-BIOTITE PEGMATITE; CORE IS QUARTZ-MICROCLINE PEGMATITE

References

Reference (Deposit): HANLEY, J. B., HEINRICH, E. W., PAGE, L. R., 1950, PEGMATITE INVESTIGATIONS IN COLORADO, WYOMING, AND UTAH, 1942-1944: USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 227, P. 42-55

Reference (Deposit): WOBUS, R. A., EPIS, R. C. AND SCOTT, G. R., 1979, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE COVER MOUNTAIN QUADRANGLE, FREMONT, PARK, AND TELLER COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-1179, 1:62,500.

Reference (Deposit): STERRETT, D. B., 1923, MICA DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES: USGS BULLETIN 740, P. 51-55

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.