Payette River

The Payette River is a gold mine located in Gem county, Idaho at an elevation of 2,539 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: Payette River

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Platinum

Location

State: Idaho
County: Gem
District: West View (Pearl) 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: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Stream Placer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1865
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Columbia Plateau
Physiographic Section: Payette Section

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

Orebody

Form: STREAM SEDIMENT DEPOSITS

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Gravel
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Holocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: RECALCULATES TO PT=340 PPB, AU=620 PPB
Analytical Data: PT=$8.40/TON, AU=$10.75/TON IN CONCENTRATES AT 70 LB/TON GRAVEL

Materials

Ore: Platinum
Ore: Gold
Ore: Garnet
Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Ilmenite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): DIMENSIONS ARE FOR STILLWATER COMPLEX. MINERAL DEPOSITS ARE THIN BUT LATERALLY EXTENSIVE. LARGE SIZE REFERS TO MINERALIZATION OF STILLWATER COMPLEX AS A WHOLE

Comment (Geology): IGNEOUS BEDROCK. PLACER GOLD LIKELY DERIVED FROM GOLD-QUARTZ VEINS IN AREA

Comment (Location): PLACERS ON PAYETTE RIVER ARE MOSTLY IN ADJACENT BOISE COUNTY. LOCATION GIVEN IS MOUTH OF PETERSON GULCH ABOUT 2.5 MI EAST OF MONTOUR

Comment (Development): EXCEPT FOR PRODUCTION FROM THE STILLWATER MINE, THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE PROFITABLE PRODUCTION

Comment (Workings): MOST MAJOR WORKINGS ARE UNDERGROUND, BUT EXTENSIVE TRENCHING HAS ALSO BEEN UNDERTAKEN. NUMEROUS DIAMOND DRILL HOLES HAVE BEEN DRIVEN, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE JM REEF AND BANDED SERIES

Comment (Geology): AGE OF STILLWATER COMPLEX IS 2,705 +/- 4 MA BASED ON U-PB SYSTEMATICS ON ZIRCON-BADDELEYITE (PREMO AND OTHERS, 1990)

Comment (Deposit): SEE PAGE AND NOKLEBERG (1974) MAPS; PAGE, HAFFTY, RILEY (1972) ANALYSIS. ALSO SEE INDIVIDUAL RECORDS ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Reserve-Resource): 1 = MOD IS 2-10 TIMES RESERVES; 3 = SUBECONOMIC RESOURCES ALL ZONES, 4 = HYPOTHETICAL RESOURCES

Comment (Location): MOST OF AREA IS UNSURVEYED. LOCATION GIVEN IS APPROXIMATE FOR CENTER OF COMPLEX.

Comment (Production): ONLY PRODUCER OF PGE AS A PRIMARY COMMODITY IN THE CONTERMINOUS U.S.

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1860'S

References

Reference (Deposit): STALEY, W.W., 1946, GOLD IN IDAHO: IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 68, FIG. 10.

Reference (Deposit): SAVAGE, C.N., 1961, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF GEM AND PAYETTE COUNTIES: IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY COUNTY REPORT 4, P. 32-34.

Reference (Deposit): HUBBARD, C.R., 1955, A SURVEY OF MINERAL RESOURCES OF IDAHO: IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 105, P. 27.

Reference (Deposit): DAY, D.T., AND RICHARDS, R.H., 1906, USEFUL MINERALS IN THE BLACK SANDS OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE UNITED STATES, CALENDAR YEAR 1905, P. 1195-1196.

Idaho Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Idaho" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Idaho. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Idaho.