Boren Gulch Group

The Boren Gulch Group is a gold and silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,280 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: Boren Gulch Group

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Zinc

Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
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

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1920
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: Navajo Section

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, Spiller Peak Stock

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation Of Pyrite To Limonite; Sericitization; Kaolinitization

Rocks

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pleistocene

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Permian

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Eocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: AU CONTENT OF VEINS RANGES FROM 0.05 TO 1.1 OZ/TON

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). IN HEADWATERS OF BOREN GULCH SOUTH OF AND MIDWAY BETWEEN SPILLER PEAK AND BABCOCK PEAK, 1.7 MILES NW OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCK CONSISTS OF CUTLER FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIKES AND BY SPILLER PEAK MONZONITE STOCK AND CUT BY NE-TRENDING VEINS. ROCKS EXCEPT MONZONITE IN WEST AND SW PARTS OF BASIN ARE SHEARED, BRECCIATED, AND LOCALLY SERICITIZED AND KAOLINITIZED. PYRITE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED ALONG CERTAIN ZONES OF FRACTURES. VEINS EXTENDING EAST AND NE THROUGH MONZONITE CONSIST OF BRECCIATED AND SILICIFIED COUNTRY ROCK ENCLOSING MINOR VEIN QUARTZ, SPORADIC GALENA, SPHALERITE, MARCASITE, AND BARITE, AND ABUNDANT PYRITE AND CHALCOPYRITE.

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY AT LEAST 10 ADITS FROM 10 TO 200 FT IN LENGTH AND AGGREGATING ABOUT 2000 FT

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. PRODUCTION FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1902. RECORDED PRODUCTION FOR 1904-1906 AND 1920.

References

Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 67-68, 97-98

Reference (Production): ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 97 (AS COMPILED FROM USGS AND USBM RECORDS)

Colorado Mining Photos

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