Contact Claim Group

The Contact Claim Group is a ree and thorium mine located in Lemhi county, Idaho at an elevation of 6,001 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

Name: Contact Claim Group  

State:  Idaho

County:  Lemhi

Elevation: 6,001 Feet (1,829 Meters)

Commodity: REE, Thorium

Lat, Long: 45.2933, -113.95250

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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 Contact Claim Group

Contact Claim Group MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Contact Claim Group
Secondary: Bell
Secondary: Diamond Creek Area


Commodity

Primary: REE
Primary: Thorium
Secondary: Uranium
Secondary: Gold


Location

State: Idaho
County: Lemhi
District: Eureka 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.
Administrative Organization: Salmon National Forest


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Type: Surface/Underground


Ownership

Owner Name: P. Reddington, F. Van Meter, G. E. Shoup


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Geophysical Anomaly
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Salmon River Mountains


Mineral Deposit Model

Not available


Orebody

Form: TABULAR, PINCH AND SWELL


Structure

Type: L
Description: Thrust And Normal Faulting


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation, Gouge


Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SAMPLES ACROSS 3 - FT. WIDTHS ON MAIN DEPOSIT ON CONTACT GROUP CONTAINS UP TO 0.75% THORIA, UP TO 4% RAE OXIDES


Materials

Ore: Thorite
Ore: Monazite
Gangue: Biotite
Gangue: Specularite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Apatite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Rutile
Gangue: Goethite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Microcline
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Malachite
Gangue: Hematite


Comments

Comment (Development): 8 VEINS IDENTIFIED BY BULLDOZER AND HAND-DUG TRENCHES. 25 FT. ADIT EXPLORES LARGER VEIN. AREA IS ABOUT 2.5 MI LONG BY 0.5 MI. WIDE. 12 CONTACT AND 3 BELL CLAIMS.

Comment (Location): UPPER FORKS, DIAMOND CR ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1978)

Comment (Deposit): LENGTH OF MINERALIZED ZONE RANGES FROM TENS TO HUNDREDS OF FEET LONG. VEINS LIE ALONG STRIKE AND COULD BE PART OF SAME VEIN OR SEPARATE VEINS ALONG SAME STRUCTURE.

Comment (Workings): A CUT NEAR CAVED NO. 1 CLAIM ADIT REVEALED SHEAR ZONE TRENDING N 35 DEG E, DIPPING 45 DEG NW

Comment (Geology): VEINS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN LEMHI PASS DISTRICT. GOLD OCCURS IN OXIDIZED ZONES ALONG VEINS.

Comment (Commodity): 0.07 AND 0.31% U3O8 IN THE DEPOSITS. HIGHEST RADIOACTIVITY APPEARS RESTRICTED TO JASPEROID - LIKE MATERIAL

Comment (Reserve-Resource): AVERAGE GRADES OF RESERVES AND RESOURCES: 0.21 PERCENT TH OXIDE, 1.22 PERCENT TOTAL RAE OXIDES. THREE VEINS WERE CONSIDERED LARGE ENOUGH TO BE MINED BY STAATZ (1979).

Comment (Deposit): SHEARING IS AS PRONOUNCED IN GRANITIC ROCK AS IN QUARTZITE. QUARTZITES ARE MORE FAVORABLE HOST TO VEINS THAN QUARTZ MONZONITE ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT


References

Reference (Deposit): STAATZ, M.H., 1979, PRINCIPAL THORIUM RESOURCES OF THE UNITED STATES: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 805, P. 16-17.

Reference (Deposit): STATTZ, M.H. 1979, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE LEMHI PASS THORIUM DISTRICT, IDAHO AND MONTANA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1049-A, 90 P.

Reference (Deposit): ROSS AND GEORGE, 1976, USBM RES. REPT. 62. 1 SALT LAKE CITY RES CEN 34 P.

Reference (Deposit): 1958 COMPILE IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 115

Reference (Deposit): 1958 RECON P. L. WEIS AND OTHERS, BULL. 1074 - B

Reference (Deposit): 1959 GEOLMAP IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 118

Reference (Deposit): 1979 RECON STATTZ, M.H., GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 805

Reference (Deposit): ANDERSON, A. L., 1958, URANIUM, THORIUM, COLUMBIUM, AND RARE EARTH DEPOSITS IN THE SALMON REGION, LEMHI COUNTY, IDAHO: IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 115, 81 P.

Reference (Deposit): ANDERSON, A. L., 1959, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE NORTH FORK QUADRANGLE, LEMHI COUNTY, IDAHO: IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 118, 92 P.

Reference (Deposit): WEIS, P. L., AND OTHERS, 1958, RECONNAISSANCE FOR RADIOACTIVE MINERALS IN WASHINGTON, IDAHO, AND WESTERN MONTANA 1952 - 1955: USGS BULL. 1074 - B, 48 P.


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