The Sierra Iron Mine is a iron mine located in Sierra county, California.
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
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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.
Sierra Iron Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Sierra Iron Mine
Secondary: Lake Hawley and Spencer Lake Deposit
Commodity
Primary: Iron
Location
State: California
County: Sierra
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.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Contact Metasomatic
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Sierra Nevada
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: IRREGULAR TO LENTICULAR
Structure
Type: L
Description: Folds And Faults
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Dynamothermally Metamorphosed
Rocks
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: AVERAGE FIGURES OBTAINED THROUGH CALCULATIONS ON 7 SAMPLES FROM LAKE HAWLEY AND 1 SAMPLE FROM SPENCER LAKE SUGGESTS THE GRADE OF ORE TO BE ABOUT 21% FE.
Materials
Ore: Magnetite
Gangue: Talc
Gangue: Calcite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): TWO GROUPS OF DEPOSITS ABOUT A MILE AND A QUARTER APART, ONE CONSISTING OF 13 SMALL DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE SPENCER AND A LARGER ONE, 1 MILE SE OF LAKE HAWLEY. A MORE DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF EACH DEPOSIT IS FOUND IN THE REPORT BY DURRELL AND PROCTOR, 1948. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Comment (Workings): NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE
Comment (Geology): THE METAMORPHIC ROCKS IN THE AREA BELONG TO THE CALAVERAS FORMATION. MOST OF THE CALAVERAS FORMATION IN THE VICINITY OF THE IRON-ORE DEPOSITS ARE OF LOW-GRADE METAMORPHIC ROCKS DERIVED FROM FINE SANDY SEDIMENTS, FROM TUFF AND TUFF BRECCIAS (RHYOLITE TO DACITE), FROM MIXTURES OF CALCAREOUS AND CLASTIC SEDIMENTS AND FROM CHERTS. A FEW THIN BEDS OF METAMORPHOSED CONGLOMERATE AND OF METAMORPHOSED VOLCANIC BRECCIA ARE PRESENT.
Comment (Deposit): THE MAGNETITE ORE DEPOSITS ARE OF TWO TYPES, DEPENDING UPON THE ROCK IN WHICH THEY WERE FORMED. LAKE HAWLEY GROUP AND MOST OF THE SPENCER LAKE GROUP CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF TALC AND MAGNETITE. THE SECOND TYPE CONSISTS OF MAGNETITE AND CALCITE. THE TWO GROUPS CONTAIN BOTH TYPES IN COMBINATION.
Comment (Reserve-Resource): DETAIL INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE MAGNETITE FROM THE TWO GROUPS ARE IN DURRELL AND PROCTOR, 1948.
References
Reference (Deposit): DURRELL, C. AND PROCTOR, P.D., 1948; IRON-ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE HAWLEY AND SPENCER LAKES, SIERRA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, CA. DIV. OF MINES BULL. 129, P. 167-192
Reference (Reserve-Resource): DURRELL AND PROCTOR, 1948
California Gold
"Where to Find Gold in California" 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 California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.
