Willow Creek Gold Placer Mine

The Willow Creek Gold Placer Mine is a gold mine located in Alaska at an elevation of 299 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: Willow Creek Gold Placer Mine

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: PGE

Location

State: Alaska

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: 1914
Year Last Production: 1959
Discovery Year: 1914
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

Name: Clay, Mud
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Holocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: PLACER GOLD (MIXTURE OF AU AND AG) ASSAYS UP TO $18.30/OZ, AVERAGE OF $17/OZ IN 1918. PLACER GOLD RECOVERY RECOVERY OF $4-$6/CY (0.24-0.35 OZ/CY) AU AND AG (USGS B 683, P. 62 AND USGS OF 77-156, P. 81)

Materials

Ore: Silver
Gangue: Ilmenite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Gold
Gangue: Platinum

Comments

Comment (Commodity): A FEW GRAINS OF PLATINUM OCCUR IN CONCENTRATES.

Comment (Deposit): STREAM GRADIENT 300 FT/MI. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

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

Comment (Location): USGS MF-444, LOC. 7. LOCATION IS IN CENTER OF TAILINGS ON W FORK OF WILLOW CREEK, AT END OF ROAD IN WILLOW CREEK VILLAGE. PLACER EXTENDS AT LEAST 2 MI. DOWNSTREAM FROM HEAD OF W FORK. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Comment (Development): CLAIMS LOCATED 1914. PRODUCTION BEGAN IN 1915, USING SLUICE BOXES AND A SLACK-LINE SCRAPER. WATER DIVERTED BY DITCH FROM SLOPE CREEK IN 1916. PRODUCTION CONTINUED UNTIL AT LEAST 1959.

Comment (Deposit): DEPTH OF PLACER TO BEDROCK RANGES FROM 6-16 FT.. UPPER HALF OF DEPOSIT CONSISTS OF SOIL AND ANGULAR ROCK FRAGMENTS WITH LITTLE ROUNDED GRAVEL. GOLD IS FOUND ABOVE AND BELOW A CLAY SEAM 2 FT. ABOVE BEDROCK, WITH COARSEST GOLD JUST ABOVE SEAM. BEDROCK EXTREMELY ROUGH AND BLOCKY, WITH LARGE ANGULAR BOULDERS JUST ABOVE. MORE ROUNDED GRAVELS ARE PRESENT ON LOWER CREEK.

Comment (Workings): SLUICE BOXES AND SLACK-LINE SCRAPER USED IN EARLY MINING. DITCH BUILT IN 1917 TO DIVERT WATER FROM SLOPE CREEK TO WILLOW CREEK, FOR USE IN HYDRAULIC METHODS. HYDRAULIC PLANTS INSTALLED.

Comment (Geology): MAJOR.UNITS: BEDROCK CONSISTS OF CARBONIFEROUS GREENSTONE OF GEMUK GROUP WITH TERTIARY GRANITIC INTRUSIONS. ; REG.COM: SOURCE OF PLACER GOLD IS QUARTZ VEINS AT ARNOLD PROSPECT AT HEAD OF WILLOW CREEK (RM-1).

References

Reference (Deposit): USGS MF-444, LOC. 7 (1972)

Reference (Deposit): USGS B 683, P. 56-57, 60-62 (1918)

Reference (Deposit): USGS OF 77-156, P. 81, 82 (1977)

Reference (Deposit): USGS I-292 (1959)

Reference (Other Database): BAG-MF-444-7

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