The Little May Mine is a gold and silver mine located in San Juan county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,119 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
Elevation: 12,119 Feet (3,694 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver
Lat, Long: 37.71611, -107.53417
Map: View on Google Maps
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Little May Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Little May Mine
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Tellurium
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Antimony
Location
State: Colorado
County: San Juan
District: Beartown (Bear Creek) 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: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1893
Discovery Year: 1892
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Alkaline Au-Te (Au-Ag-Te veins)
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field
Type: L
Description: San Juan Uplift, Unnamed Fault
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1969) SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF PYRITE-BEARING SHEARED ZONE SHOWED 300 TO 1000 PPM TI, 30 TO 70 PPM MN, 1.5 TO 5 PPM AG, 700 PPM AS, 100 TO 300 PPM BA, LT 10 PPM BI, LT 20 PPM CD, LT 5 TO 7 PPM CO, LT 5 TO 5 PPM CR, 7 TO 30 PPM CU, LT 5 PPM MO, 20 TO 100 PPM NI, 15 TO 20 PPM PB, LT 100 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 TO 100 PPM SR, LT 10 TO 15 PPM V, LT 50 PPM W, LT 200 PPM ZN, 7 TO 15 PPM FE. CHEMICAL ANALYSES SHOWED LT 0.02 PPM AU, LT 10 PPM CU, LT 25 PPM PB, 28 TO 38 PPM ZN, 4 TO 8 PPM MO, 30 PPM AS, 8 PPM SB, 1.3 PPM HG, 0.3 PPM TE, LT 0.1 PPM AG.
Materials
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Marcasite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Petzite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Calaverite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Quartz
Comments
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON WEST SIDE OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE IN HEADWATERS OF ELK CREEK 0.3 MILE NORTH OF ELDORADO LAKE AND 2.25 MILES WSW FROM BEARTOWN SITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977
Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED ON WNW-TRENDING QUARTZ VEIN WEST OF CENTRALLY CONCENTRATED FISSURE ZONE AND WEST OF SMALLER CONCENTRATED ZONE ON CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AT SUMMIT AND GOLDEN SHEAR MINES. VEIN TREND IS AT APPROX RIGHT ANGLE TO PREDOMINANT NNE TREND IN REST OF DISTRICT TO EAST. VEIN LIES ALONG EAST-WEST-TRENDING FAULTS ENCLOSING NARROW BAND OF SLATE AND ARGILLITE BETWEEN QUARTZITE.
Comment (Workings): ONE TUNNEL OF UNKNOWN EXTENT HEADING GENERALLY EAST OR ESE.
Comment (Commodity): TELLURIDES, CU-PB-ZN SULFIDES, AND OXIDIZED ORES LISTED ARE REPORTED GENERALLY FOR DISTRICT AND NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED AT THIS MINE. MINOR PRODUCTION OF CU AND PB LIKEWISE NOT VERIFIED.
References
Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 67-71, 89-90, 168-171.
Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DURANGO QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-764.
Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.
Reference (Deposit): PROSSER, W.C., 1911, THE BEAR CREEK SYLVANITE CAMP, COLORADO: ENG. MINING JOUR., V. 91, P. 712.
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