Big Creek

Site Name

Primary: Big Creek

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Titanium
Secondary: REE
Secondary: Tungsten
Secondary: Arsenic
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Uranium
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Thorium
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: Lead

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Chandalar

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Land Status

Not available

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Not available

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Rocks

Not available

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Gold

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Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The placers were worked only by small-scale methods until the 1950s, when bulldozers were brought in. Some drift mining was done in the frozen gravel. Mining has continued sporadically through at least the mid-1990s. A small mill was set up in 1909-1910 on the discovery claim to mill ore from a quartz vein on the property, but its use was discontinued shortly thereafter.

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Big Creek is one of the major placer gold producers in the Chandalar district. It drains directly from the area of several of the Chandalar gold quartz properties (CH040-042). The gravels in the stream are relatively shallow, averaging about 12 feet deep on the uppermost portion of the creek and deepening to about 20 to 22 feet on the lower portion of the mined ground (Reed, 1930, MR 31-4; MR 195-13). The gold occurs in the lower 3 to 5 feet, and there is very little gold on bedrock. The gravel is fairly coarse with numerous greenstone boulders as much as 3 feet in diameter. There is only one generation of placers in the drainage (they are not separable into pre- and post-glacial deposits). The gold is reported to be bright yellow, generally irregular, and shot-like to flattened, but some occurs as crystals. Its size averages 1 mm with many 2- to 3-mm nuggets. A few nuggets contain included quartz crystals, limonite, and goethite. It is also reported that the concentrates contain a large suite of heavy minerals in addition to the gold (Mertie, 1925; White, 1952). These heavy minerals include monazite, magnetite, hematite, rutile, pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, stibnite, molybdenite, scheelite, and uranothorianite. A pan concentrate sample had eU of 0.05 percent (White, 1952, p. 11).? Coarse gold was reported several miles downstream from the mined area, but there is no evidence that mining has occurred in this lower area.?There are at least two reports of a quartz vein in the creek bed on the upper reaches of Big Creek (Chipp, 1970; Heiner and Wolff, 1968). Heiner and Wolff (1968) described it as a gold-bearing mineralized zone that may extend from Big Creek to upper Tobin Creek.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Big Creek has been a major producer in the Chandalar district. Chipp (1970) reported production from Big Creek to be about 15,000 oz, and Dillon (1982) stated that two-thirds of that total was produced after 1950. There are no reliable figures for later years.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Active

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

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = See also: St. Marys Gulch (Creek) (CH044). The first recorded occurrence of monazite in Alaska was from Big Creek (Mertie, 1925, p. 260). Some of the following references describe both the lode and placer occurrences in the Big Creek area.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Mertie, 1925

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References

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1911, The mining industry in 1910, in Brooks, A.K., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1910: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480-B p. 21-43.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813-A, p. 1-72.

Reference (Deposit): Wimmler, N.L., 1925, Placer mining in Alaska in 1925: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-8, 118 p.

Reference (Deposit): Maddren, A.G., 1910, The Koyukuk-Chandalar gold region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442-G, p. 284-315.

Reference (Deposit): Holdsworth, P.R., 1955, Report of the Commissioner of Mines for the biennium ended December 31, 1954: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Annual Report 1954, 110 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

Reference (Deposit): White, M.G., 1952, Radioactivity of selected rocks and placer concentrates from northeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 195, 12 p.

Reference (Deposit): Williams, J.A., 1951, Itinerary of J.A. Williams during the period of 13 August to 6 September 1951 in the Koyukuk precinct: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Itinerary Report 194-1, 1 p.

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Swainbank, R.C., Clough, A.H., Henning, M.W., and Charlie, K.M., 1996, Alaska's mineral industry, 1995: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 50, 72 p.

Reference (Deposit): Holdsworth, P.R., 1952, Report of the Commissioner of Mines for the Biennium ended December 31, 1952: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Annual Report 1952, 66 p.

Reference (Deposit): Anderson, Eskil, 1956, Big Creek placer deposit, Chandalar mining district, Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Prospect Evaluation 31-1, 4 p.

Reference (Deposit): Glover, A.E., 1950, Placer gold fineness: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-1, 38 p.

Reference (Deposit): Saarela, L.H., 1951, Report of the commissioner of mines for the biennium ended December 31, 1950: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Annual Report 1950, 57 p.

Reference (Deposit): Nelson, A.E., West, W.S., and Matsko, J.J., 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in eastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 348, 21 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S. 1939, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1909, The mining industry in 1908: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379-A, p. 21-62.

Reference (Deposit): Reed, I.M., 1929, Report on mining conditions in the Chandalar district: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 31-3, 5 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1929, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1926: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 797, p. 1-50.

Reference (Deposit): Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1925, Geology and gold placers of the Chandalar district, in Brooks, A.H., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1923: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 773, p. 215-263.

Reference (Deposit): Thompson, G.L., 1925, Report on the property of the Chandalar Gold Company: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 31-1, 18 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1926, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1924: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 783-A, p. 1-39.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H. and Capps, S.R., 1924, Mineral industry in Alaska, 1922: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 755, p. 1-56.

Reference (Deposit): Wimmler, N.L., 1924, Placer mining in Alaska in 1924: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-7, 114 p.

Reference (Deposit): Reiser, H.N., Brosgi, W.P., De Young, J.H., Jr., Marsh, S.P., Hamilton, T.D., Cady, J.W., and Albert, N.R.D., 1979, The Alaskan Mineral Resource Assessment Program: Guide to information contained in the folio of geologic and mineral resource maps of the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 758, 23 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1908, The mining industry in 1907: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 345, 294 p.

Reference (Deposit): Grybeck, D.J., and De Young, J.H., 1978, Map and tables describing mineral resource potential of the Brooks Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-1-B, 19 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): DeYoung, J.H., Jr., 1978, Mineral resources map of the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-878-B, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1977, Placer deposit map of central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-168B, 64 p., 1 map, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Grybeck, D.J., 1977, Known mineral deposits of the Brooks Range, Alaska: US Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-166C, 41 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Eakins, G.R. and Forbes, R.B., 1976, Investigation of Alaska's uranium potential: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 12, 372 p., 5 sheets, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Brosgi, W.P., and Reiser, H.N., 1972, Geochemical reconnaissance in the Wiseman and Chandalar districts and adjacent region, southern Brooks Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 709, 21 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Chandalar and Wiseman quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-340, 205 p.

Reference (Deposit): Chipp, E.R., 1970, Geology and geochemistry of the Chandalar area, Brooks Range, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Geologic Report 42, 39 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:36,000.

Reference (Deposit): Overstreet, W.C., 1967, The geologic occurrence of monazite: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 530, 327 p.

Reference (Deposit): Heiner, L.E., and Wolff, E.N., eds., 1968, Mineral resources of northern Alaska, Final report, submitted to the NORTH Commission: Mineral Industry Research Laboratory, University of Alaska, Report 16, 306 p.

Reference (Deposit): Eakins, G.R., 1969, Uranium in Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Geology Geologic Report 38, 49 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:3,800,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-457, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Dillon, J.T., 1982, Source of lode and placer gold deposits of the Chandalar and upper Koyukuk Districts: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Open-File Report 158, 25 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., and Cruz, E.L., 1983, Summaries of data and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral deposits in the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 83-278, 91 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brosgi, W.P., and Reiser, H.N., 1964, Geologic map and section of the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations Map 1-375, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Dillon, J.T., Lamal, K.K., and Huber, J.A., 1989, Gold deposits in the upper Koyukuk and Chandalar mining districts, in Mull, C.G., and Adams, K.E., eds., Bedrock geology of the eastern Koyukuk Basin, central Brooks Range, and east-central Arctic Slope along the Dalton Highway, Yukon River to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Guidebook 7, 2 v., 309 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:125,000 and 1:2,851,200.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-82.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836-A, p. 1-83.

Reference (Deposit): Swainbank, R.C., Bundtzen, T. K., Clough A.H., and Henning, M.W., 1997, Alaska's mineral industry 1996: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 51, 68 p.

Reference (Deposit): Swainbank, R.C., Bundtzen, T.K., Clough, A.H., Henning, M.W., and Hansen E.W., 1995, Alaska's mineral industry 1994: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 49, 77 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1912, The Alaska mining industry in 1911, in Brooks, A.H., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1911: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 520, p. 17-44.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1923, The Alaska mining industry in 1921: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 739, p. 1-50.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1922, The Alaska mining industry in 1920: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 722-A, p. 1-74.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1936, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-91.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1907, The Alaskan mining industry in 1906: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314, p. 19-39.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-91.

Reference (Deposit): Reed, I.M., 1930, The future of the placer mining industry in Seward Peninsula and the interior of Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-13, 16 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824-A, p. 1-81.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813, p. 1-72.

Reference (Deposit): Maddren, A.G., 1913, The Koyukuk-Chandalar region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 532, 119 p.

Reference (Deposit): Reed, I.M., 1930, Report on the Little Squaw area of the Chandalar mining district: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 31-4, 18 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1916, Antimony deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 649, 67 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1915, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1914: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622, 238 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-81.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106.

Reference (Deposit): Stewart, B.D., 1949, Report of the Commissioner of Mines for the biennium ended December 31, 1948: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Annual Report 1948, 50 p.

Reference (Deposit): Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., White, M.G., and Moxham, R.M., 1952, Interim report on an appraisal of the uranium possibilities of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 52-165, 124 p.

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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.