Red Ledge Mine

The Red Ledge Mine is a silver and copper mine located in Adams county, Idaho at an elevation of 2,799 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

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Site Name

Primary: Red Ledge Mine
Secondary: Red Ledge Prospect
Secondary: Red Eagle

Commodity

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

Location

State: Idaho
County: Adams
District: Seven Devils 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

Type: Located Claim
Type: Patented

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Idaho Copper Co.
Home Office: Idaho

Owner Name: Rankin-General Mining Co.
Info Year: 1922

Owner Name: Butler Ore Co.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: St. Paul, Minn.
Info Year: 1977

Owner Name: Texasgulf
Info Year: 1977
Years: 1974 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Discovery Year: 1895
Discovery Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Seven Devils Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Massive sulfide, kuroko

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR STOCKWORK, REPLACEMENT BRECCIA FILL

Form: LENTICULAR, STRINGERS

Structure

Type: L
Description: Brecciation, Gossan

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Bleaching

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Oxidation

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Pyritization

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Propylitic

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Sericitic

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: INTENSE

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Early Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 3.6% CU, 8 OZ./TON AG, UP TO 9% ZN IN ZONE OF ENRICHMENT. OTHER SAMPLES GAVE $1.28 - $1.34 AU, 1.5 AND 4 OZ. AG, 1.5, 3.3% CU, ASSAYS OVER 120 FT OF HANGING WALL ZONE ASSAYED 1.78% CU, 7.33% ZN, 3.1 OZ. AG AND .028 OZ. AU/TON. SILICIFIED ZONE ASSAYED 1.61% CU, .21% ZN, .58 OZ AG, .007 OZ. AU OVER 63 FT.

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Galena
Ore: Malachite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Clay
Gangue: Bismuthinite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Zoisite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Epidote

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Massive Sulfide Resources As Computed By Tolman (1942). Resources From Texasgulf Report, 1977. Resources From Texasgulf Report , 1974.

Comment (Geology): Pyrite Is Disseminated Throughout The Deposit And In The Surrounding Greenstone. Quarty And Barite Are Only Significant Gangue Minerals Supergene Copper Enrichment Is Of Minor Economic Importance.

Comment (Geology): The Seven Devils Group Consists Of Mafic To Siliceous Flows, Epiclastic Volcanic Breccias And Conglomerates, Tuffaceous Units, And Locally Limestone Lenses. They Have Been Metamorphosed To The Greenschist Facies. Strong Sets Of Northeast-Tr Ending Faults And Fractures Cross The Area And Control, At L East In Part, The Boundaries Of The Intrusion And The Associated Alteration And Mineralization. Sulfide Mineralization Occurs Mainly Within The Intrusive Along The Northwest Edge Of The Intrusive Where It Is In Contact With The Greenstone.

Comment (Workings): Area Is Located Just South Of Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Access Is Limited To Foot, Horse, Or Trailbike. Because Of Environmental Problems Large-Tonnage Low Grade Underground Mining Methods Will Have To Be Used.

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1890'S ?

Comment (Deposit): Cities Service Stopped Work In 1974.

Comment (Geology): 50 Ft. Of Supergene Enrichment Below The Oxidation Zone ; Mineralization Related To Emplacement Of Red Ledge Intrusion

Comment (Deposit): 5-77 Texasgulf Feels There Is Potential For A Large Massive Deposit Off The Flank Of The Rhyolite Dome 11-77 Resource Estimates Of Column 1 Are From Kinkel 1974 Resource Estimates Of Column 2 Are From Fredericken 1977 Resource Estimates Of Column 3 Are From Tolman 1942 Mine Capital Costs: Acquisition 1000000 Exploration 7000000 Development 6758220 Plant & Equip 11386515 Working Cap 1725276 Mill Capital Costs: Plant & Equip 21052040 Working Cap 1119300 Grade Difference Between Matrix And Beneficiation Records Is Assumed Dilution Attendant To Mining. Column 3 In The Matrix Is From Tolmans Work 1942. Column 2 In The Matrix Is From Fredericksen 1977 Column 1 In The Matrix Is From Kinkle 1974. Feeder Zone.Is 152.5mx305mx305m. Stringer Zone Is 30.5mx457.5mx457.5m.

Comment (Workings): Exploration Which Began In 1900 Had 2400 Ft Of Workings And 16000 Ft Of Diamond Drilling At Cost Of $1000000.

Comment (Commodity): Highest Grade Ore Over 7 Ft. Assayed 5.8% Cu, 8.1% Zn, 1.49 Oz. Ag, 0.49 Oz. Au. Below The Enrichment Zone, Values Fall Off.

Comment (Deposit): Maximum Ore Zones Of 150 Ft Wide Occurs In Several Subparallel Steeply Dipping Zones.

Comment (Development): Property Consists Of 23 Patented, And A Large Number Of Unpatented, Lode And Millsite Claims, Covering Over 1500 Acres. 3 Ddh Up To 2000 Ft Depth Planned (1971). 8 Holes Completed For Total Of 3804 Ft.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): If Cut Off Is Lowered To 1.0% Cu Probable Ore Reserves Are Raised To 2 Million Tons

Comment (Location): Is 5 Miles By Road From Eagle Bar On The Snake; And 3/4 Mi. Above Mouth Of Oxbow Creek North Of Deep Creek, Near Hell'S Canyon Dam.

References

Reference (Deposit): Western Mining News, 1974-75 Directory Of Mines In Idaho (Coeur D'Alenes) And Washington, P. 32.

Reference (Deposit): Idaho Department Of Labor And Industrial Services, First Annual Report Addendum, July 1, 1974 - June 30, 1975, 95 P.

Reference (Deposit): Long, R.C., 1976 , Geology And Mineral Deposits Of The Red Ledge Mine Area, Adams County, Idaho: Corvallis, Oregon, Oregon State University, M.S. Thesis, 115 P.

Reference (Deposit): Cook, E. F., 1954, Mining Geology Of The Seven Devils Region: Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geology Pamphlet 97, 22 P.

Reference (Deposit): U.S. Bureau Of Mines, 1975, Activity Of Idaho Mining Properties, 1974, U.S. Bureau Of Mines, Boise, Idaho, 61 P.

Reference (Deposit): Livingston, D. C., And Laney, F. B., 1920, The Copper Deposits Of The Seven Devils And Adjacent Districts; Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geology Bulletin 1, P. 42 - 57.

Reference (Deposit): Spokane Chronicle, June 1, 1971; Feb. 2, 1971; Dec. 8, 1970.

Reference (Deposit): Fredericksen, R., 1977 , Precious And Base Metal Mineralization At The Iron Dyke And Red Ledge Deposits: A Paper Presented To The Northwest Mining Association, December, 1976 , 28 P.

Reference (Deposit): 1920 Compile Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geol. Bulletin 1

Reference (Deposit): 1954 Geolmap Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geol. Pamphlet 97

Reference (Deposit): 1975 Compile 1st Ann. Rept. Add., Idaho Dept. Of Labor

Reference (Deposit): 1975 Compile Us Bur Mines Mining Activity List For 1974 {{ 5) 1976 Direxpl Texasgulf, Inc., Northwest Mining Association Paper

Reference (Reserve-Resource): Cook, E. F., 1954, Id. Bur. Of Mines And Geol. Pamphlet 97, 22 P.

Reference (Deposit): Kennedy, F.A., 1922, Diamond Drilling In The Seven Devils Mountains, Eng. And Mining Jour. Press, Vol. 113 No. 13 Page 521-523

Reference (Deposit): Bell, 1916, 17th Ann. Report Of The Mining Industry Of Idaho, P. 96-99.

Reference (Deposit): Close, T.J., And Others, Mineral Resources Of The Hells Canyon Wilderness Area And Portions Of The Hells Canyon National Recreation Study Area, Adams, Idaho, And Nez Perce Counties, Idaho, And Wallowa County, Oregon: Unpublished U.S. Bureau Of Mines File Report, P. 146-157.

Reference (Deposit): Tolman, 1942 Consulting Geologists Report To Butler Co. 39 P

Reference (Deposit): Morganti ,1972 Ms Thesis Washington State University 148 P

Reference (Deposit): Us Bureau Of Mines 1943 War Mineral Report Of Red Ledge Mine

Reference (Deposit): Bell 1916 Seventeenth Ann Rept Of The Min Ind Of Idaho P 96

Reference (Deposit): Schell, G.D., 1972, Red Ledge Property, Adams County, Idaho: Unpublished Company Report, Cities Service Minerals Corp., Northwest District.

Reference (Deposit): Lindgren, W. 1899, Copper Deposits Of The Seven Devils, Mining And Scientific Press, Vol. 78, P. 125.

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.