Lower Owl Creek Placer

The Lower Owl Creek Placer is a gold mine located in Lemhi county, Idaho at an elevation of 3,150 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: Lower Owl Creek Placer

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Iron
Tertiary: REE
Tertiary: Zirconium

Location

State: Idaho
County: Lemhi
District: Clear Creek - Upper Big Deer Creek Area

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

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Placer
Operation Type: Surface
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

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Sand and Gravel
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Holocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SAMPLES CONTAINED VALUES OF LESS THAN $0.01/C.Y.

Materials

Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Zircon

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Deposit Contains High And Low Benches Covered By Alluvial - Fan Detritus. A Depth To Bedrock Of 35 - 40 Ft., About A Third Of Which Is Due To Overburden. Contains 40 Acres Contains 40 Acres

Comment (Location): On Side Of Salmon R. Opposite Mouth Of Owl Cr.

Comment (Development): Work Consisted Of Reconnaissance Geologic Mapping & Geochemical Sampling ; Econ.Com: 283000 Cubic Meters Overburden

Comment (Production): Some Evidence Of Past Mining Activities

Comment (Commodity): Gravel Contains Black Sands

Comment (Deposit): Lower Owl Creek Placer Includes About 12 Ha Of Low Bench Gravel As Much As 8 M Above River Level Which Is Covered By A Thick, 30m, Layer Of Alluvial Fan Detritus. Depth Of Bedrock In Low Area Between Two Principle Fan Is 10-12m. About One-Third The Thickness Is Probably Nearly Barren Overburden. Volume Of Low Bench Deposit Is About 1,100,000 M3, Of Which Approximately 770,000 M3 Is Gravel. Only Minor Gold Was Recovered From The Samples, Including Reconnaissance Pan Samples Taken From Shallow Holes On The Beach. The Gravel Probably Contains Values Similar To The Upper Owl Creek Deposit, Sequence Number 0160590186. A Remnant Of Gravel In A High Bench Is 30 M Or More Above The Present River Level The High Bench Covers About 4.7 Ha And Estimated To Contain Nearly 460,000 M3 Of Gravel. Value Of Sample From The One Test Pit In High Bench Gravel Was Less Than 0.004g/M3.

References

Reference (Deposit): Cater, F.W., Pinckney, D.M., and Stotelmeyer, R.B., 1975, Mineral Resources Of The Clear Creek - Upper Big Deer Creek Area, Contiguous To The Idaho Primitive Area, Lemhi County, Idaho: USGS Bulletin 1391-C, P. 26

Reference (Production): Cater, F.W., Pinckney, D.M., and Stotelmeyer, R.B., 1975, USGS Bulletin 1391-C.

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.