Emerald Lake Mine

The Emerald Lake Mine is a gold and silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,319 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: Emerald Lake Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Emerald Lake Nos. 1-5, MS 14476a
Secondary: Emerald Lake Mill Site, MS 14476b

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Copper

Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: Needle Mountain (Tacoma, Florida, Vallecito) 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: San Juan N. F.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1901
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, San Juan Basin, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Needle Mtns Uplift, Eolus Batholith, Chicago Basin Stock, Trimble Stock

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation Of Sulfide Minerals

Rocks

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

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: CHEMICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED LT 0.02 TO 1.4 PPM AU, 13 TO 19 PPM CU, LT 25 TO 48 PPM PB, LT 25 TO 44 PPM ZN, 4 TO 30 PPM SB.
Analytical Data: STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1969) ASSAYS OF TWO CHIP SAMPLES FROM FACE OF UPPER ADIT SHOWED 0.01 AND 0.02 OZ/TON AU, 0.72 AND 4.12 OZ/TON AG, TRACE TO 0.02% CU, 0.21% PB, TRACE ZN. DUMP AT MIDDLE TUNNEL ASSAYED 0.04 OZ/TON AU, 2.02 OZ/TON AG, 0.06% CU. DUMP AT LOWER TUNNEL ASSAYED 0.01 OZ/TON AU, 0.27 OZ/TON AG, 0.01% CU. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF THREE SAMPLES OF PYRITE-BEARING VEIN MATERIAL SHOWED 150 TO 1000 PPM TI, 20 TO 300 PPM MN, 0.7 TO 20 PPM AG, LT 200 TO 2000 PPM AS, 150 TO 300 PPM BA, LT 10 PPM BI, LT 20 PPM CD, LT 5 TO 10 PPM CR, 7 TO 30 PPM CU, LT 5 TO 30 PPM MO, 10 TO 30 PPM PB, LT 100 TO 100 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 PPM SR, 15 TO 20 PPM V, LT 50 PPM W, LT 200 PPM ZN

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). NE OF MOUNTAIN VIEW CREST ON NW SIDE OF EMERALD LAKE ONE MILE UP UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF NEEDLE CREEK AND 3.65 MILES WSW OF COLUMBINE PASS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Commodity): ORE MINERALS LISTED BASED ON LIST FOR DISTRICT. STEVEN AND OTHERS (1969) ALSO NOTED OXIDIZED SULFIDES. OCCURRENCE OF NATIVE ORES AND OTHER AG AND CU SULFIDES IS UNVERIFIED.

Comment (Workings): THREE CROSSCUT (?) TUNNELS 50, 300, AND 400 FT ABOVE LAKE AND CONTAINING ESTIMATED 300 TO 400 FT, 100 TO 125 FT, AND 50 TO 75 FT OF WORKINGS, RESPECTIVELY.

Comment (Deposit): QUARTZ VEIN TRENDS N 40 W, 70 SW AND CONTAINS SPARSE SULFIDES AND OXIDIZED SULFIDES. DEPOSIT COULD BE REPLACEMENT TYPE IN SHEETED ZONE WITHIN METAMORPHICS, AS DESCRIBED BY CROSS AND OTHERS (1905).

References

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 30-32, 55-67, 109, 166-167.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS 14476A&B

Reference (Deposit): SCHMITT, L.J., AND RAYMOND, W.H., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS DISTRICT, SOUTH-WESTERN COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1434, 40 P.

Colorado Mining Photos

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