Iron Creek Placers

The Iron Creek Placers is a gold mine located in Alaska.

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: Iron Creek Placers
Secondary: Dome Cr., Telegram Cr. Telegraph Cr.
Secondary: Secondary Tribs.: Adverturess Cr., Barney Cr., Bob's Cr.,
Secondary: Chickamin Gulch, Discovery Cr., Dividend Cr., Easy Eagle Cr.,
Secondary: Hardluck Hobo Cr., Oversight Cr., Penny Cr., Rabbit Cr.,
Secondary: Ready Bullion Cr., Rocky Cr., Shoal Cr.

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Mercury

Location

State: Alaska
District: Kougarok

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1900
Year Last Production: 1940
Discovery Year: 1900
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold
Gangue: Ilmenite
Gangue: Garnet
Unknown: Cinnabar

Comments

Comment (Geology): GREENSTONE BOULDERS IN GRAVEL. ; MAJOR.UNITS: GREENSCHIST GRADE CHLORITIC AND GRAPHITIC SCHIST AND MARBLE, WITH SPARSE TO MODERATELY ABUNDANT METAMAFIC BODIES ; REG.COM: LOCALLY DERIVED; REPORT OF AURIFEROUS SULFIDES IN SCHIST BEDROCK AND PLACER CONC. NEAR MOUTH OF EASY CR.

Comment (Deposit): WATER LOST TO SUBSURFACE FLOW IN AREAS OVERLAIN BY CARBONATE BEDROCK; SEE ALSO: (BENSON CREEK); (LEFT FORK, DOME CREE,) ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Deposit): THIS SITE NAME WAS CREATED BY THE REPORTER OR OTHER USGS EMPLOYEE BASED ON PROXIMITY TO SOME MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC FEATURE.

Comment (Workings): SLUICE IN TUNNEL, CRICA 1908, WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL; TUNNEL CONNECTED IRON CR AND KRUZGAMEPA (PILGRIM) CR. WHERE THEY ARE ONLY 1500 FT APART; MOSTLY SMALL SCALE METHODS USED; DREDGE OPERATED ON DOME CR. SECTON, 1939-40 OR 41; ATTEMPT AT HYDRAULIC MINING NEAR MOUTH OF DISCOVERY CR IN 1906 FAILED; MOST OF DRAINAGE WORKED MORE THAN ONCE.

Comment (Production): IRON CR. AREA ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 10% OF THE 6872 KG AU AND 300 KG AG PRODUCED IN THE KOUGAROK DISTRICT, USGS OFR 78-1-C, P. 41.

Comment (Development): MINING 1900-1914, 1937-38 ON PRIMARY DRAINAGE; MINING ON SMALL SECONDARY TRIBS. MAINLY BEFORE 1908-9; DREDGE OPERATED ON DOME CR. SECTION FROM 1939 TO 1940 OR 41.

Comment (Commodity): CINNABAR FOUND IN CONC. FROM DOME CR. SECTION

Comment (Location): KNOWN AS IRON CR. FROM MOUTH TO CANYON CR., AS DOME CR. FROM CANYON CR. TO ELDORADO CR., AND AS TELEGRAM CR. FROM ELDORADO CR. SOUTHWARD; LOCATION GIVEN FOR MOUTH OF DISCOVERY CR. ON DOME CR. SECTION. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Comment (Deposit): STREAM AND BENCH GRAVELS; SHALLOW, GENERALLY LOW GRADE WITH IRREGULAR PAY STREAKS; AU CONCENTRATED ON SCHIST BEDROCK OR CLAY LAYERS IN GRAVELS; OLD CHANNEL OF IRON CR. WAS MINED NEAR MOUTH OF EASY CR. (NOW CALLED EAGLE CR.); AURIFEROUS BENCH SAND DEPOSIT 3-6 FT DEEP IN CHICKAMIN GULCH, NEAR MOUTH OF LEFT FORK, WAS APPARENTLY NEVER MINED; STREAM GRAVELS MINED BETWEEN CANYON AND DISCOVERY CREEKS: 2.5-3.0 FT DEEP, 100 FT WIDE; NEAR MOUTH OF DISCOVERY CR.: 6-8 FT DEEP, 150 FT WIDE; NEAR LEFT FORK: 3-5 FT DEEP, 100-200 FT WIDE; BETWEEN LEFT FORK AND ELDORADO CREEKS: 18 IN - 2 FT, INCLUDING 6-12 IN OF BEDROCK, AND 25-30 FT WIDE; MOST MINING WAS ABOVE DISCOVERY AND BELOW ELDORADO CREEKS.

References

Reference (Deposit): USGS OFR 78-1-C, P. 41.

Reference (Other Database): BAG-MF-445-33

Reference (Deposit): USGS OFR 77-796-D, P. 8.

Reference (Deposit): USGS OFR 77-796-B, P. 23-25, LOC. 300-303, 306, 308-316, 318-319, 325.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 1374, P. 79.

Reference (Deposit): USGS OFR 512, P. 1, 9-10.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 722, P. 217.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 379, P. 322-328, 340-341, 345.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 442, P. 363-364.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 314, P. 162-163.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., AND OTHERS, 1901, RECONNAISSANCES IN THE CAPE NOME AND NORTON BAY REGIONS, IN ALASKA, IN 1900: USGS SPEC. PUB., P. 116.

The Top Ten Gold Producing States

These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.