The Mancos River Black Sand Deposit is a titanium, metal, uranium, thorium, and zirconium mine located in Montezuma county, Colorado at an elevation of 6,152 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
Elevation: 6,152 Feet (1,875 Meters)
Commodity: Titanium, Metal, Uranium, Thorium, Zirconium
Lat, Long: 37.12667, -108.65472
Map: View on Google Maps
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.
Mancos River Black Sand Deposit MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Mancos River Black Sand Deposit
Secondary: Shiprock Group
Commodity
Primary: Titanium, Metal
Primary: Uranium
Primary: Thorium
Primary: Zirconium
Secondary: Iron
Tertiary: REE
Location
State: Colorado
County: Montezuma
Land Status
Not available
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Fossil Placer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1912
Discovery Method: Geophysical Anomaly
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Basin, Four Corners Platform
Type: L
Description: Mesa Verde Basin, Mcelmo Dome
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Fe Oxidation And Cementation
Rocks
Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: AEC REPORTS SHOW GRAB SAMPLE ASSAYS OF 0.01 TO 0.06% EQUIV U308. DOW AND BATTY (1961) ANALYZED BLACK SANDSTONE FROM THE MENEFEE FM AND FOUND: AVG. 0.2 TO 0.5% TI02 (HIGH 5.5%), 0.05% ZR02, 2.2 TO 11.6% FE, 0.01 TO 0.06% EQUIV TH02. VALUES FROM PALMER MESA WERE 2.8% TI02, 0.42% ZR02, 12.8% FE, 0.03% EQUIV TH02
Materials
Ore: Ilmenite
Ore: Monazite
Ore: Anatase
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Jarosite
Gangue: Limonite
Comments
Comment (Workings): GEOPHYSICAL ANOMALIES AND SURFACE PROSPECT PITS (AIRBORNE RADIOACTIVE ANOMALIES: SURFACE EXPOSURES
Comment (Location): ANOMALIES LIE EAST OF U.S. ROUTES 666 AND 164 WITHIN UTE MOUNTAIN INDIAN RESERVATION AND ON MESA VERDE, SHORT MESA, COWBOY MESA, AND TANNER MESA. ANOMALIES ALSO EXTEND ONTO TANNER MESA (1966) QUAD. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR APPROX CENTER OF NORTHERN CLUSTER OF ANOMALIES, COMMON CORNER OF SECS. 01, 02, 11, AND 12, T33N, R17W. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975
Comment (Reserve-Resource): DOW AND BATTY, 1961
Comment (Development): BLACK SANDS KNOWN SINCE EARLY 1910S, BUT AIRBORNE RADIOACTIVE ANOMALIES DISCOVERED AND EXAMINED ON GROUND IN MID 1950S. FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS FOR TI AND OTHER HEAVY-MINERAL RESOURCE APPRAISAL IN LATE 1950S AND 1970S.
Comment (Deposit): BEACH PLACERS FORMED DURING MARINE REGRESSION IN LATE CRETACEOUS TIMES. TYPICAL BLACK SANDSTONE DEPOSIT DESCRIBED BY HOUSTON AND MURPHY (1977) IS BLACK SANDSTONE UNDERLAIN BY WHITE, NEARSHORE MARINE SANDSTONE AND OVERLAIN BY NONMARINE SANDSTONE, CARBONACEOUS SHALE, COAL, AND COMMONLY OYSTER-BEARING BEDS OF LAGOONAL AND SWAMP ORIGIN. HEAVY MINERALS SUPPOSEDLY ORIGINATED FROM STREAMS ERODING THROUGH PLUTONIC AND VOLCANIC ROCKS FARTHER INLAND AND DEPOSITING SEDIMENT IN DELTAS AND DISTRIBUTARIES WITH SUBSEQUENT CONCENTRATION ON LEE SIDES WITH RESPECT TO LONGSHORE CURRENT DIRECTION. HEAVY MINERALS CONCENTRATED IN REGRESSIVE BACKSHORE AND UPPER FORESHORE WHERE MORE PROTECTED FROM EROSION. AEC REPORTS DESCRIBE ROCK AT SITES OF AIRBORNE ANOMALIES AS DARK YELLOWISH-BROWN, LIMONITE-CEMENTED, VERY FINE-GRAINED SANDSTONE ZONES (LENSES) IN LIGHT YELLOWISH-GRAY TO LIGHT GRAY, MASSIVE, CROSS-BEDDED, FINE- TO MEDIUM-GRAINED SANDSTONE.
Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: EARLY 1910S
References
Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., AND OTHERS, 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL. 40, P. 277-281.
Reference (Deposit): HOUSTON, R.S., AND MURPHY, J.F., 1977, DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF UPPER CRETACEOUS BLACK SANDSTONES OF THE WESTERN INTERIOR: USGS PROF. PAPER 994-A, 29 P.
Reference (Deposit): HOUSTON, R.S., AND MURPHY, J.F., 1970, FOSSIL BEACH PLACERS IN SANDSTONES OF LATE CRETACEOUS AGE IN WYOMING AND OTHER ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES: WYOMING GEOL. ASSOC. 22D ANN. FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 241-249.
Reference (Deposit): DOW, V.T., AND BATTY, J.V., 1961, RECONNAISSANCE OF TITANIFEROUS SANDSTONE DEPOSITS OF UTAH, WYOMING, NEW MEXICO, AND COLORADO: USBM RI-5860.
Reference (Deposit): AEC, 1955, PRELIMINARY RECONNAISSANCE REPORTS: ED/R-465 THROUGH 471 AND ED/R-493 THROUGH 500.
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
