Alta Shaft

The Alta Shaft is a silver and gold mine located in Storey county, Nevada.

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

Name: Alta Shaft

State:  Nevada

County:  Storey

Elevation:

Commodity: Silver, Gold

Lat, Long: 39.27639, -119.65028

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.


Satelite image of the Alta Shaft

Alta Shaft MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Alta Shaft


Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Iron


Location

State: Nevada
County: Storey
District: Comstock Lode


Land Status

Not available


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Type: Underground


Ownership

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1879
Discovery Year: 1859
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Great Basin
Physiographic Detail: Basin And Mountains


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Epithermal vein, Comstock


Orebody

Form: TABULAR


Structure

Not available


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Strong Alteration Of Volcanic Host Rocks


Rocks

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Polybasite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz


Comments

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION WAS 24, 242 TONS ORE, 1879-1890 WITH A GROSS VALUE OF $403,564. IT ALSO CONTAINED SOME LEAD.

Comment (Development): DEVELOPED FROM 1874 TO 1898. ORIGINALLY DUG TO TAP THE "BIG BONANZA" ORES

Comment (Deposit): VEIN, WITH SUPERGENE ENRICHMENT ABOVE THE 500-FT. LEVEL.

Comment (Workings): SHAFT, DRIFTS

Comment (Deposit): THIS SHAFT WAS DUG TO TAP THE "BIG BONANZA" LODE AND WAS 2150 FT DEEP. THE ALTA WAS UNDER DEVELOPMENT FROM 1874 TO 1900 WITH LITTLE SUCCESS. THE TOTAL RECORDED PRODUCTION WAS 24,242 TONS WITH A GROSS VALUE OF $403,564. ORIGINALLY STAKED IN 1859. DEVELOPED, 1874-1898. ; INFO.SRC : 2 UNPUB REPT; 2 UNPUB REPT


References

Reference (Deposit): STODDARD, CARL, AND CARPENTER, J.A., 1950, MINERAL RESOURCES OF STOREY AND LYON COUNTIES OF THE COMSTOCK; 1940-41 OPEN FILE REPORT N.B.M.G

Reference (Production): STUDDARD, C. AND CARPENTER, J.A., 1950


Nevada Gold

Gold Districts of Nevada

Nevada has a total of 368 distinct gold districts. Of the of those, just 36 are major producers with production and/or reserves of over 1,000,000 ounces, 49 have production and/or reserves of over 100,000 ounces, with the rest having less than 100,000 ounces. Read more: Gold Districts of Nevada.