The Winchester Tunnel is a gold and silver mine located in Rio Grande county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,834 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: 11,834 Feet (3,607 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver
Lat, Long: 37.42528, -106.59889
Map: View on Google Maps
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Winchester Tunnel MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Winchester Tunnel
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Location
State: Colorado
County: Rio Grande
District: Summit (Summitville) District
Land Status
Land ownership: Private
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: Surface/Underground
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
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: Epithermal quartz-alunite Au
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field
Type: L
Description: Platoro Caldera, Summitville Caldera, Summitville Fault, South Mountain Dome
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Quartz-Alunite Solfataric Alteration
Rocks
Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: ASSAY FROM CARPER (1914): 0.58 OZ/TON AU, 0.75 OZ/TON AG (AT $20.65/OZ AU, $0.60/OZ AG)
Materials
Not available
Comments
Comment (Location): ON NE SIDE OF SOUTH MTN 1640 FT SE OF CHANDLER PORTAL. PORTAL ELEV FROM STEVEN AND RATTLE (1960, PL.4). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975
Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED PRINCIPALLY ON LITTLE ANNIE VEIN ZONE, MOST EXTENSIVELY DEVELOPED VEIN AND RICHEST AU PRODUCER IN DISTRICT. DEPOSIT IS NW-SE-TRENDING, NEARLY VERTICAL, IRREGULARLY TABULAR MASS OF LIMONITE-STAINED, HIGHLY SILICIFIED ROCK, ALMOST ENTIRELY VUGGY QUARTZ WITH LOCAL SELVAGES OR INCLUSIONS OF QUARTZ-ALUNITE ROCK. ZONE APPARENTLY ENDS ON SE NEAR WINCHESTER PORTAL. NE-TRENDING CROSS-FRACTURES REFLECTED BY PROJECTIONS OF SILICIFIED ROCK AND ELONGATED PIPES, SUCH AS ANNIE BELLE VEIN EXTENDING SW FROM ANNIE OPEN CUT. HIGHLY OXIDIZED ORE (AURIFEROUS LIMONITE) STOPED ABOVE IDA LEVEL, SOME MINED BETWEEN IDA AND CHANDLER LEVELS. UNOXIDIZED AU-CU SULFIDE ORE ON CHANDLER LEVEL AND AS DEEP AS REYNOLDS LEVEL BUT CONTINUITY UNKNOWN. WINCHESTER MINE ALSO EXTENDS SW INTO ANNIE BELLE VEIN AND INTO NW END OF COPPER HILL-ESMOND VEIN ZONE BENEATH DEL NORTE WORKINGS.
Comment (Workings): TUNNEL DRIVEN S 62 TO 72 W FOR 100 FT INTO SE END OF VEIN ZONE. DRIFTS EXTEND NW INTO VEIN ZONE FOR 940 FT; 1200 FT OF WORKINGS IN COPPER HILL-ESMOND VEIN ZONE. ANNIE OPEN CUT DEVELOPED TO SURFACE ABOVE WINCHESTER LEVEL 350 FT NW OF PORTAL. IDA CUT ON SURFACE AT NW END OF TUNNEL 600 FT NW OF PORTAL.
References
Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., 1917, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE PLATORO-SUMMITVILLE MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: CGS BULL. 13.
Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND RATTE, J.C., 1960, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE SUMMITVILLE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 343
Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PLATORO CALDERA AREA, SOUTHEASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-828.
Reference (Deposit): CARPER, A.F., 1914, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN, RIO GRANDE COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES THESIS T-464.
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