The Smoky Valley Mine is a silver and lead mine located in Lander 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
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.
Smoky Valley Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Smoky Valley Mine
Secondary: Smoky
Secondary: Big Smoky
Commodity
Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Location
State: Nevada
County: Lander
District: Birch Creek 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.
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
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: Polymetallic veins
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Galena
Ore: Arsenopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Silver
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Graphite
Gangue: Quartz
Comments
Comment (Deposit): THIS IS THE LARGEST MINE IN THE DISTRICT. IT CONSISTS OF A CROSSCUT ADIT, SEVERAL SHAFTS, AND MORE THAN 1,000 FEET OF UNDERGROUND WORKINGS ON THE RIDGE SOUTH OF THE MOUTH OF BIRCH CREEK. A 20-STAMP MILL WAS CRECTED AT THE MOUTH OF BIRCH CREEK TO TREAT ORE FROM THIS MINE. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Comment (Location): RIDGE SOUTH OF THE MOUTH OF BIRCH CREEK
Comment (Production): BETWEEN $5,000 TO $100,000 WAS PRODUCED TO 1969.
Comment (Deposit): A QUARTZ VEIN IN SHALE; ALONG A QUARTZ MAONZONITE CONTACT
Comment (Workings): A CROSSCUT ADIT, SEVERAL SHAFTS, AND MORE THAN 1,000 FT OF UNDERGROUND WORKINGS
Comment (Geology): THE DEPOSIT OCCURS IN A QUARTZ VEIN THAT STRIKES N 65DGE E AND DIPS STEEPLY NORTHWEST IN SHALE ALONG A QUARTZ MONZONITE CONTACT. THE VEIN IS 15 TO 20 FT THICK AND CONTAINS SPARSE ARGENTIFEROUS TETRAHEDRITE, GALENA, SPHALERITE, AND ARSENOPYRITE, WITH TRACES OF NATIVE SILVER.
References
Reference (Deposit): STEWART, J.H., MCKEE, E.H., AND STAGER, H.K., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: NBMG BULL. 88.
Reference (Deposit): VANDERBURG, W.O., 193., RECONNAISSANCE OF MINING DISTRICTS IN LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: US BUREAU OF MINES INF. CIRC. 7043.
Nevada Gold
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.
