La Plata River Placers

The La Plata River Placers is a gold mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,921 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: La Plata River Placers
Secondary: Florence, Golden Rule, Durango, La Plata, and Deadwood Placers
Secondary: Patented Claims: Durango Placer, MS 8767
Secondary: La Plata Placer, MS 8767
Secondary: Golden Rule Placer, MS 8824
Secondary: Florence Placer, MS 8825
Secondary: Deadwood Placer, MS 16493

Commodity

Primary: Gold

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: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Placer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1873
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

Not available

Rocks

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

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ALONG LA PLATA RIVER FROM LEWIS CREEK CONFLUENCE SOUTH THROUGH TOWNSITE OF LA PLATA TO MAYDAY: INCLUDES LOWER TIRBIRCIO CREEK. DEPOSITS EXTEND ONTO HESPERUS QUAD. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR APPROX CENTER OF LINE OF CLAIMS IN N2 SEC. 16, APPROX MIDWAY BETWEEN MADDEN CREEK AND ROOT CREEK CONFLUENCES. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Deposit): PLACER AU DERIVED FROM ERODED PORTIONS OF EXPOSED VEINS IN HEADWATERS OF LA PLATA RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. PLACERS IN AREA GENERALLY WERE OF LOW GRADE BECAUSE (1) MUCH PRIMARY AU IS TELLURIDE, RELATIVELY LIGHT, EASILY BROKEN DOWN INTO FINE PARTICLES, (2) CHEMICAL WEATHERING PRODUCES "MUSTARD" AU THAT CAN BE CARRIED GREATER DISTANCES, (3) ERRATIC CONCENTRATIONS IN SMALL POCKETS IN WIDE VALLEYS SCOURED BY GLACIATION.

References

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1899, DESCRIPTION OF THE LA PLATA QUADRANGLE: USGS FOLIO 60.

Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 76.

Reference (Deposit): PARKER, B.H., JR., 1974, GOLD PLACERS OF COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES QUART., V. 69, NO. 4, P. 194-197.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 8767, 8824, 8825, 16493

Colorado Mining Photos

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