The Lucky Discovery Mine is a gold and silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,299 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: 10,299 Feet (3,139 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver
Lat, Long: 37.37583, -108.09306
Map: View on Google Maps
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.
Lucky Discovery Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Lucky Discovery Mine
Secondary: Lucky Moon Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Old Comfort, MS 18996
Secondary: Trails End, MS 18996
Secondary: Right Guard, MS 18996
Secondary: Golden Stairs, MS 18996
Secondary: June Bug, MS 19471
Secondary: Industry, MS 19504
Secondary: Navajo, MS 19545
Secondary: F.W., 19545
Secondary: Florence, MS 19545
Secondary: Noonday, MS 19545
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Tellurium
Tertiary: Mercury
Tertiary: Antimony
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
Owner Name: Thomas Kelly (Estate)
Home Office: Durango, Co.
Years: 1935 -
Owner Name: Lucky Discovery Gold, Inc.
Years: 1935 -
Production
Year: 1934
Description: Ap_Grade: ^2.6 Oz/Ton Au, 22 Oz/Ton Ag
Year: 1934
Description: Ap_Grade: ^194.48 Oz/Ton Au, 1597.85 Oz/Ton Ag
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1909
Year Last Production: 1936
Discovery Year: 1909
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, Parrott Fault System
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene
Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene
Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Coloradoite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Petzite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Hessite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Ankerite
Comments
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). APPROX ONE MILE WEST OF LA PLATA RIVER ON SOUTH SIDE OF ROOT CREEK, 2.3 MILES SW OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY 5 TUNNELS. TUNNEL NO. 1 DRIVEN S 40 W FOR 260 FT. THENCE S 10 E FOR 290 FT TO FACE. NETTIE FAULT INTERSECTION AT 450 FT FROM PORTAL, ON WHICH DRIFT DRIVEN N 80 W FOR 410 FT TO FACE; LUCKY DISCOVERY VEIN INTERSECTED AT 150 FT ON DRIFT AND 100-FT DRIFT DRIVEN N 45 E AND 120-FT DRIFT DRIVEN S 45 W, WITH 90-FT WINZE TO TRAILS END LEVEL AT 20 FT AND 30-FT RAISE TO SUBLEVEL AT 40 FT IN NE DRIFT, AND 135-FT RAISE AT 15 FT IN SW DRIFT; SUBSIDIARY BRANCES IN MAIN TUNNEL TOTAL 180 FT. TUNNEL NO. 2 LOCATED 200 FT S 33 W OF NO. 1, DRIVEN 100 FT GENERALLY S 27 W, THENCE 100 FT GENERALLY S 15 W, THENCE S 80 E FOR 175 FT ALONG NETTIE FAULT TO FACE. AT 130 FT FROM PORTAL, BRANCH TUNNEL DRIVEN DUE WEST FOR 40 FT, THENCE N 30 W FOR 50 FT, THENCE GENERALLY WEST FOR 75 FT TO FACE; AT 30 FT ALONG BRANCH TUNNEL, DRIFT ON LUCKY DISCOVERY VEIN DRIVEN S 40 W FOR 55 FT, WITH 90-FT INCLINED WINZE TO 110-FT-LONG SUBLEVEL; SHORT SUBSIDIARY BRANCHES FROM MAIN TUNNEL TOTAL 50 FT. TUNNEL NO. 3
Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCK CONSISTS OF SW-DIPPING, SLIGHTLY METAMORPHOSED, MODERATELY SILICIFIED JURASSIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIKES. NETTIE VEIN TRENDS WNW-ESE AND IS CONSIDERED A MINOR SPLIT FROM PARROTT FAULT, MARKED BY TIGHT BRECCIA ZONE IN WAANAKAH FM MARL MEMBER 0.5 TO 4 FT WIDE, IN PLACE CONTAINING CU-STAINED QUARTZ INTERGROWN WITH ANKERITE, PYRITE, ARSENOPYRITE, SPHALERITE, AND ORES. MOST PRODUCTIVE ORE SHOOT IN MINE WAS IN NETTIE FAULT BETWEEN NO. 3 TUNNEL LEVEL AND SURFACE. NE-TRENDING LUCKY DISCOVERY VEIN OCCURS IN0.5- TO 6-FT-WIDE SHEAR ZONE IN WANAKAH FM MARL MEMBER WITH SMALL STREAKS OF HIGH-GRADE ORE. NE-TRENDING PIONEER VEIN (TRAILS END TUNNEL) IN 2- TO 5-FT-WIDE ZONE OF BRECCIATED ENTRADA SANDSTONE. ALL VEIN ZONES RELATIVELY NARROW AND POORLY DEFINED IN PORPHYRY BUT STRONG THROUGH SILICIFIED SEDIMENTARY ROCKS.
Comment (Workings): LOCATED 490 FT S 68 W FROM NO. 1, DRIVEN S 11 W FOR 100 FT TO VEIN, WITH DRIFT DRIVEN N 77 W FOR 30 FT AND S 77 E FOR 100 FT. INTERMEDIATE TUNNEL LOCATED 280 FT S 18 W FROM NO. 1, DRIVEN S 62 W FOR 65 FT, THENCE S 10 W FOR 55 FT TO FACE. TRAILS END TUNNEL LOCATED 490 FT S 88 E FROM NO. 1, DRIVEN S 60 W FOR 410 FT TO FACE. WITH 43-FT RAISE TO 60-FT-LONG SUBLEVEL AT 310 FT FROM PORTAL. AT 400 FT FROM PORTAL. BRANCH TUNNEL DRIVEN VARIABLY WEST AND SW FOR 400 FT TO LUCKY DISCOVERY VEIN, AT WHICH POINT DRIFT DRIVEN S 38 W FOR 190 FT. AT 115 FT IN DRIFT, 90-FT RAISE TO NO. 1 LEVEL; AT END OF DRIFT IS 20-FT WINZE. AT 75 FT ALONG DRIFT, BRANCH TUNNEL DRIVEN N 50 W FOR 160 FT, THENCE S 78 W FOR 100 FT TO FACE.
Comment (Production): COMPLETE PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURE FOR SMALL HIGH-GRADE ORE LOT AND GRADES FOR 1935 FROM CDM ANNUAL OPERATOR REPT. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED IN 1915, 1918-1920, 1922, 1924-1928, 1930-1933, AND AFTER 1936.
Comment (Development): VEIN DISCOVERED IN 1909 BY SON OF JOHN WHELLER WHO TOOK UNUSAL LOOKING ROCK FROM OUTCROP; TEST ROASTING OF SAMPLE SHOWED AU. MINE WORKED CONTINUOUSLY FROM 1909 TO 1917 AND INTERMITTENTLY FROM 1921-1936.
References
Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219. P. 73-76, 139-140, PL. 24.
Reference (Deposit): REED, J.R., 1936, REPORT ON THE LUCKY DISCOVERY MINE COMPANY, LA PLATA COUNTY: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 3 P.
Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 18996, 19471, 19504, 19545
Reference (Production): ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 139 (AS COMPILED FROM USGS AND USBM RECORDS); COLORADO DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS.
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
