Swamp Copper Deposit

The Swamp Copper Deposit is a copper and iron mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,140 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: Swamp Copper Deposit

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Iron

Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: California (La Plata) 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
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Navajo Section

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform

Type: L
Description: La Plata Dome

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Alteration Of Chalcopyrite

Rocks

Name: Alluvium
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Holocene

Name: Alluvium
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Holocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Copper
Gangue: Troilite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): MUCK CONTAINS IRREGULAR NODULES AND GRAINS OF NATIVE CU AND TROILITE (?) PRESUMABLY PRECIPITATED BY REACTION BETWEEN ORGANIC MATTER IN SWAMPY DEPOSIT AND SULFATE-LADEN SURFACE AND SPRING WATERS THAT HAD PASSED OVER AND THROUGH ROCKS CONTAINING DISSEMINATED CHALCOPYRITE.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON WEST SIDE OF LA PLATA RIVER JUST BELOW TOWN OF LA PLATA. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR APPROX COMMON SECTION CORNER. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

References

Not available

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.