The Willow Creek District is a gold, silver, and copper mine located in Gunnison county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,993 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: 8,993 Feet (2,741 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver, Copper
Lat, Long: 38.32083, -107.03722
Map: View on Google Maps
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Willow Creek District MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Willow Creek District
Secondary: Patented Claims: Ute Trail, MS 16973
Secondary: Cayuse, MS 16973
Secondary: Tepee, MS 16973
Secondary: Pappoose, MS 16973
Secondary: Ute Squaw, MS 16973
Secondary: Tom Tom, MS 16973
Secondary: Ute Warrior, MS 16973
Secondary: Medicine Man, MS 16973
Secondary: Shavano, MS 16973
Secondary: Ute Buck, MS 16973
Secondary: Wigwam, MS 16973
Secondary: Ute Chief, MS 16973
Secondary: Dutch, MS 18807
Secondary: Gold Pick, MS 18956
Secondary: Fairview, MS 18956
Secondary: Belle of the West, MS 18956
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Primary: Copper
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Lead
Location
State: Colorado
County: Gunnison
District: Willow Creek 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
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: District
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
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: Gunnison Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field
Type: L
Description: Gunnison Gold Belt, Iron Hill Alkalic Complex, Tolvar Peak Stock
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Syenite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Name: Syenite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Aurichalcite
Gangue: Chalcocite
Gangue: Malachite
Gangue: Cuprite
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Molybdenite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Tennantite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Tourmaline
Gangue: Biotite
Gangue: Marcasite
Gangue: Hydrozincite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Sphene
Gangue: Zircon
Gangue: Apatite
Gangue: Ilmenite
Gangue: Rutile
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Gahnite
Gangue: Covellite
Unknown: Pyrite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): IN WESTERN PART OF GUNNISON GOLD BELT, FOLIATION AND LAYERING OF PRINCIPAL METAVOLCANIC UNITS OF DUBOIS GREENSTONE TREND GENERALLY EAST-WEST AND ENE-WSW, WITH VERTICAL TO STEEP NORTHERLY DIPS. SEQUENCY IS INTTRUDED BY TOLVAR PEAK GRANITE GENERALLY ALONG FOLIATION. DEFORMATION IN AGE RANGE OF 1700 TO 1800 MY CHARACTERIZED BY GENERALLY EAST-WEST-TRENDING ISOCLINAL FOLDS PLUNGING WEST OR WNW AND METAMORPHISM TO UPPER GREENSCHIST FACIES. OLDER LATE PRECAMBRIAN (Y) INTRUSIONS (1330 TO 1390 MY) CHARACTERIZED BY SMALL PLUGS OF AUGITE SYENITE AND BIOTITE SYENITE. YOUNGER LATE PRECAMBRIAN OR CAMBRIAN INTRUSIONS CHARACTERIZED BY IRON HILL CARBONATITES, OUTLYING TRACHYTE AND TRACHYTE PORPHYRY DIKES, AND THORIUM VEINS. STRATABOUND MASSIVE SULFIEDS IN DUBOIS GREENSTOEN NOW BELIEVED TO BE SYNGENETIC, SUBAQUEOUS, FUMAROLIC-VOLCANOGENIC IN ORIGIN, ASSOCIATED WITH (1) BASALT, BASALT/ANDESITE, AND POSSIBLY METAMORPHOSED RHYOLITIC FLOWS AND (2) CHERT HORIZONS (POSSIBLY THE QUARTZ VEINS) IN KOMATIITIC
Comment (Development): EARLY HISTORY OF DISTRICT AND UTE TRAIL MINE LARGELY UNKNOWN. DISCOVERIES AND EARLY MINING IN AREA LED TO ESTABLISHMENT OF SMALL MINING TOWNS OF MIDWAY, VULCAN, SPENCER, AND DUBOIS. POST-1900 RECORDS INDICATE ONLY INTERMITTENT PRODUCTION FROM SEVERAL LARGER MINES IN DOMINGO (VULCAN) AND GOOSE CREEK DISTRICTS. RENEWED EXPLORATION FOR BASE AND PRECIOUS METALS BEGAN IN 1970S WHEN SULFIDE DEPOSITS WERE REINTERPRETED AS VOLCANOGENIC MASSIVE SULFIDES REPRESENTING POTENTIAL FOR NEW DISCOVERIES.
Comment (Deposit): FLOWS AND ARKOSIC SEDIMENTS. VOLCANOGENIC ORIGIN SUGGESTED BY (1) LOCATION OF MOST DEPOSITS WITHIN METAVOLCANIC BELT, (2) ELONGATION PARALLEL TO GRADATIONAL AND INTERFINGERING CONTACTS BETWEEN MAFIC AND FELSIC UNITS, (3) APPARENT STRINGING OUT OF GROUPS OF DEPOSITS PARALLEL TO MAJOR CONTACTS AND TO MAGNETITE-BEARING METACHERTS, (4) SULFIDE OCCURRENCES AS LAMINAE AND ELONGATED AGGREGATES PARALLEL TO FOLIATION AND LITHOLOGIC LAYERING, (5) CRUDE BANDING IN SOME ORES.
Comment (Workings): HILLSIDE ADITS AND TUNNELS OF UNKNOWN EXTENT; SHAFTS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH; SURFACE PROSPECTS
Comment (Geology): OTHER PERTINENT MINERALS LISTED ABOVE ARE GENERAL OCCURRENCES REPORTED FOR GUNNISON GOLD BELT; ALL MAY NOT NECESSARILY OCCUR IN THIS DISTRICT.
Comment (Deposit): BLM CLAIM RECORDS ASSIGN DISTRICT NAME OF "WILLOW CREEK" TO ABOVE-LISTED CLAIMS, BUT THERE IS NO APPARENT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GEOLOGY AND PROBABLE ORE OCCURRENCES HERE AND THOSE IN GOOSE CREEK DISTRICT TO WEST. INDIVIDUAL RECORD PREPARED FOR PRINCIPAL MINE: UTE TRAIL. NELSON MENTIONS O.D. MINING COMPANY PROPERTY ON WILLOW CREEK, BUT SPECIFIC LOCATION IS UNCERTAIN. NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR OTHER PATENTED OR PROBABLE UNPATENTED PROPERTIES. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT
Comment (Location): DISTRICT LIES BETWEEN GOOSE CREEK DISTRICT ON WEST AND DOMINGO DISTRICT ON EAST AND ALONG WILLOW CREEK FROM SITE OF MIDWAY AND UTE TRAIL MINE UPSTREAM (SOUTH) ABOUT 3.3 MILES. ALTHOUGH PATENTED CLAIMS WERE LOCATED ONLY IN SECS. 12 AND 24/T47N/R2W AND SEC. 23/T47N/R1.5W, ADJACENT SECTIONS WITH OTHER WORKINGS ALSO ARE INCLUDED. DISTRICT IS ACCESSIBLE VIA ROAD SOUTH FROM COLORADO RTE 149 AT BLUE MESA RESERVOIR ALONG WILLOW CREEK AND CAMP CREEK; VIA TRAIL, AND ROAD EAST FROM COLORADO RTE 149 UP WOLF CREEK DRAINAGE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN AR FOR COMMON SECTION CORNER BETWEEN TWO TOWNSHIPS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976
Comment (Commodity): METALS AND ORE MINERALS LISTED ABOVE ARE GENERAL OCCURRENCES REPORTED FOR GUNNISON GOLD BELT; ALL MAY NOT NECESSARILY OCCUR IN THIS DISTRICT.
References
Reference (Deposit): HEDLUND, D.C., AND OLSON, J.C., 19758 GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE POWDERHORN QUADRANGLE, GUNNISON AND SAGUACHE COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-1178.
Reference (Deposit): DROBECK, P.A., 1981, PROTEROZOIC SYNGENETIC MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSITS IN THE GUNNISON GOLD BELT, COLORADO, IN EPIS, R.C., AND CALLENDER, J.F., EDS., WESTERN SLOPE COLORADO: NEW MEXICO GEOL. SOC. 32D FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 279-286.
Reference (Deposit): NELSON, A.P., (NO DATE), MINING DISTRICTS, PRODUCING MINES AND PROSPECTIVE PROPERTIES (OF GUNNISON COUNTY): COLORADO STATE PLANNING COMM. UNPUB. REPT., P. 5.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 16973, 18807, 18956
Reference (Deposit): SHERIDAN, D.M., AND OTHERS, 1981, PRECAMBRIAN SULFIDE DEPOSITS IN THE GUNNISON REGION, COLORADO, IN EPIS, R.C., AND CALLENDER, J.F., EDS., WESTERN SLOPE COLORADO: NEW MEXICO GEOL. SOC. 32D FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 273-277.
Reference (Deposit): HANDFIELD, R.C., ED., 1983, GUNNISON GOLD BELT AND POWDERHORN CARBONATITE FIELD TRIP GUICEBOOK: DREGS.
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