Bitteroot Mine

The Bitteroot Mine is a silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,999 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: Bitteroot Mine

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper

Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: Cascade 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: 1925
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: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift

Type: L
Description: Needle Mtns Uplift

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Fe Oxidation

Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: CHIP SAMPLES OF LIMONITE-STAINED GOUGE AND PYRITE FROM FAULT CONTAINED 0.01 TO 0.2% CU

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY THREE SHORT TUNNELS. LOWER (MAIN) TUNNEL DRIVEN N 40 W FOR 65 FT TO FACE. UPPER TUNNEL LOCATED 125 FT NW OF MAIN TUNNEL AND DRIVEN N 45 W FOR 20 FT. THIRD TUNNEL STILL HIGHER ON HILLSIDE LIES APPROX 430 FT NW OF MAIN ADIT, EXTENT UNKNOWN.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON NORTH SIDE OF ANIMAS RIVER AT SE BASE OF WEST NEEDLE MTNS. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR LOWER PORTAL. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Development): SCOTT (1983) STATES THAT ANALYTICAL DATA DID NOT CONFIRM PRESENCE OF AG BUT THAT ODEL WILEY OF FARMINGTON, NM (IN 1982 PERS. COMM.), CITED PRODUCTION OF LOW-GRADE AG ORE IN 1920S FROM BITTEROOT AND SILVER STAR EXTENSION MINES.

Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED ON QUARTZ-PYRITE-CALCITE VEINS WITHIN FAULT ZONE CUTTING NE-TRENDING FOLIATION OF TWILIGHT GNEISS. IN TUNNEL, FAULT TRENDS N 40 TO 45 W, 67-68 NE.

References

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO; USGS FOLIO 131.

Reference (Deposit): SCOTT, D.C., 1983, MINERAL INVESTIGATION OF THE WEST NEEDLE WILDERNESS SUTDY AREA AND THE BLM WEST NEEDLE CONTIGUOUS WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, LA PLATA AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES, COLORADO: USBM MLA 35-83, P. 6-7, 36-39.

Reference (Deposit): BARKER, FRED, 1969,PRECAMBRIAN GEOLOGY OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO; USGS PROF. PAPER 644-A.

Colorado Mining Photos

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