The Snowstrom Mine is a silver and gold mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,699 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: 11,699 Feet (3,566 Meters)
Commodity: Silver, Gold
Lat, Long: 37.44222, -108.01139
Map: View on Google Maps
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Snowstrom Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Snowstrom Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Martha
Secondary: Ms 1721
Commodity
Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Arsenic
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 First Production: 1878
Year Last Production: 1888
Discovery Year: 1878
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
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene
Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Proustite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCK CONSISTS OF CUTLER AND DOLORES FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE SILLS AND ONE LARGE DIKE AND TRAVERSED BY QUARTZ-BARITE VEIN TRENDING N 77 E AT ADIT OF THIRD LEVEL BUT CHANGING TO N 35 E, 75 NW, IN ARCUATE FASHION AND THOUGHT TO BE SW EXTENSION OF CUMBERLAND VEIN. ON RIDGE, VEIN IS 3-TO 5-FT-WIDE BLEACHED SHEAR ZONE CONSISTING OF QUARTZ AND LARGE IRREGULARLY BLADED BARITE. ON THIRD LEVEL. WEAK POORLY DEFINED VEIN ZONE TRAVERSES PORPHYRY DIKE WITH SOFT SHALE AND SANDSTONE WALLS.
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY FOUR ADITS; UPPER TWO ADITS DRIVEN ON VEIN AND PROBABLY LESS THAN 100 FT LONG; THIRD TUNNEL DRIVEN 225 FT ON VEIN AND LOCATED 200 FT BELOW SECOND ADIT, WITH STOPING 50 TO 100 FT FROM PORTAL; FOURTH LEVEL (INACCESSIBLE) REPORTED TO BE 600 FT LONG, STARTING AS CROSSCUT; SEVERAL OPEN CUTS.
Comment (Production): PROBABLY ONLY VERY SMALL PRODUCTION FOR 1878-1883; NO PRODUCTION RECORDED FOR 1887 AND AFTER 1888.
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). AT SE END OF CUMBERLAND BASIN ON NORTH SLOPE OF SNOWSTROM PEAK, 4.1 MILES NE OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974
Comment (Commodity): ORE MINERALS NOT OBSERVED BUT THOUGHT TO BE RUBY AG; MAY INCLUDE OTHER AG SULFOSALTS
References
Reference (Production): ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 167 (AS COMPILED FROM PRIVATE ENGINEERING REPT. AND FROM REPT. OF DIRECTOR OF MINE)
Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219. P. 73-74, 167-168.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 1721
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
