Silver Creek Prospect

The Silver Creek Prospect is a copper mine located in Whatcom county, Washington at an elevation of 2,900 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: Silver Creek Prospect
Secondary: Davis Prospect, Ross
Secondary: Claims: Weezie Nos. 1-11

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Tungsten
Tertiary: Silver

Location

State: Washington
County: Whatcom

Land Status

Land ownership: National Park
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: In North Cascades National Park

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Inland Copper Ltd, Vancouver, B. C., Canada
Years: 1967 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1913
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Northern Cascade Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Porphyry Cu-Mo

Orebody

Form: PODS, DISSEMINATED, VEINLETS

Structure

Type: L
Description: Some E-W Fracturing

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Host Rocks Are Bleached And Silicified

Rocks

Name: Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: CHIP SAMPLE AT FACE OF ADIT SHOWED NO AU, 0.40 OZ/TON AG, 1.50% CU, 0.15% MOLYBDENITE. IN OPEN CUT ORE IS ESTIMATED TO CARRY 1% MOLYBDENITE AND 2-3% CU. SEE STAATZ AND OTHERS (P. 56) FOR ADDITIONAL ANALYTICAL INFORMATION

Materials

Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Orthoclase
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Biotite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Sericite

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): IN 1954 PURDY STATED THAT DEPOSIT CONTAINED NOTHING OF COMMERCIAL VALUE WITH RESPECT TO MOLYBDENUM ORE.

Comment (Commodity): CLAIM ORIGINALLY STAKED FOR GALENA. LATER REFERENCES DO NOT MENTION PRESENCT OF GALENA

Comment (Workings): 85 FT ADIT, OPEN CUTS, DIAMOND DRILL HOLES IN 1966-1967

Comment (Deposit): MRDS RECORDS D000704, W017831 HAVE BEEN MERGED WITH THIS RECORD AND DELETED

Comment (Deposit): MINERALIZED ZONE SOUTH OF MAIN DISSEMINATED MINERALIZATION CONTAINS 0.25-1 IN. QUARTZ STRINGERS WITH SCATTERED CHALCOPYRITE AND CLUSTERS OF MOLYBDENITE. STRIKE GIVEN IS FOR THESE STRINGERS. ORE PRESENT IN QUARTZ VEINS AND BRECCIA ZONE. LENGTH AND WIDTH GIVEN REPRESENT EXTENT OF EXPOSED DISSEMINATED MINERALIZATION

Comment (Location): UNSURVEYED. ON EASTERNMOST SOUTH-FLOWING TRIBUTARY OF SILVER CREEK ABOUT 150 FT ABOVE CREEK LEVEL. CLAIMS LIE ON BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE TWO SECTIONS (STAATZ AND OTHERS)

Comment (Development): PRESENT CLAIMS WERE RELOCATED IN 1965 BY GRANT, WHO UNDERTOOK LIMITED EXPLORATION. DEPOSIT IS PROBABLY TOO SMALL TO BE ECONOMIC (STAATZ AND OTHERS)

Comment (Geology): HOLLISTER INDICATES METALLOGENY AND ALTERATION ARE SIMILAR TO THAT AT GLACIER PEAK. MOST OF WORKINGS ARE IN VOLCANIC BRECCIA

References

Reference (Deposit): TABOR, R.W., HAUGERUD, R.A., BOOTH, D.B., AND BROWN, E.B., 199X, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE MOUNT BAKER 30 X 60 MINUTE QUADRANGLE, WASHINGTON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 9X-XXX, SCALE 1:100,000 (IN PREPARATION IN 1993).

Reference (Deposit): STAATZ, M.H., TABOR, R.W., WEIS, P.L., ROBERTSON, J.F., VAN NOY, R.M., AND PATTEE, E.C., 1972, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK, WASHINGTON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1359, P. 55-57.

Reference (Deposit): GRANT, A.R., 1969, CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CONTROLS FOR BASE METAL DEPOSITION IN THE CASCADE RANGE OF WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 58, P. 67-69.

Reference (Deposit): PURDY, C.P., JR., 1954, MOLYBDENUM OCCURRENCES OF WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 18, P. 87-88.

Reference (Deposit): MOEN, W.S., 1969, MINES AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 57, P. 76-77.

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, V. 1, P. 274.

Reference (Deposit): HOLLISTER, V.F., 1979, PORPHYRY COPPER-TYPE DEPOSITS OF THE CASCADE VOLCANIC ARC, WASHINGTON: MINERALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, V. 11, P. 34.

Washington Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Washington" 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 Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Washington.