Kowkow Creek

The Kowkow Creek 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

Name: Kowkow Creek

State:  Alaska

County:  na

Elevation:

Commodity: Gold

Lat, Long: 59.47, -161.44000

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Kowkow Creek

Kowkow Creek MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Kowkow Creek


Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Nickel
Secondary: Platinum


Location

State: Alaska
District: Bethel


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
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:


Physiography

Not available


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Not available


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Not available


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Magnetite


Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Open-cut placer mine workings are present along a significant part of Kowkow Creek.

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Kowkow Creek was mined intermittently from 1913 to 1940. A large part of the 1,500 ounces of gold estimated to have been produced from operations in the Arolik River basin by 1919 came from this creek (Harrington, 1921, p. 221). Total production to date (2001) probably is subtantially more than this amount.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Hoare and Cobb, 1977

Comment (Commodity): Ore Material = PGE

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Kowkow Creek is in the non-glaciated part of the Faro Creek drainage. Placer gold mining started there in 1913 and continued through most years to 1940 (Harrington, 1921; Hoare and Cobb, 1977). The pay is 8 to 15 inches of compacted fine gravel on a clay (with some gravel) false bedrock that is overlain by 3 to 4 feet of dark gravel and 1 to 3 feet of muck (Harrington, 1921, p. 227). The depth to bedrock is not known. Kowkow Creek is one of the principal producers in the Arolik River basin. It was estimated to have contributed a large part of the 1,500 ounces of gold recovered from operations in this basin up to 1919 (Harrington, 1921). Some platinum was recovered along with the gold (Hoare and Cobb, 1977). Nearby uplands are underlain by Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks intruded by Jurassic mafic and ultramafic plutons (Hoare and Coonrad, 1978). Stream sediments from drainages in these uplands commonly contain anomalous amounts of nickel (Hessin and others, 1978 (OF 78-9-L).


References

Reference (Deposit): Harrington, G.L., 1921, Mineral resources of the Goodnews Bay region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 714-E, p. 207-228.

Reference (Deposit): Hoare, J.M., and Cobb, E.H., 1977, Mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Bethel, Goodnews, and Russian Mission quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-156, 98 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., and Condon, W.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Goodnews quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-447, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Hoare, J.M., and Coonrad, W.L., 1978, Geologic map of the Goodnews and Hagemeister Island quadrangles region, southwestern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-9-B, two sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Hessin, T.D., Taufen, P.M., Seward, J.C., Quintana, S.J., Clark, A.L., Grybeck, Donald, Hoare, J.M., and Coonrad, W.L., 1978, Geochemical and generalized geological map showing distribution and abundance of nickel in the Goodnews and Hagemeister quadrangles region, southwestern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-9-L, scale 1:250,000.


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