The Smith Creek- Big Creek Placers is a gold mine located in Valley county, Idaho at an elevation of 6,079 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: 6,079 Feet (1,853 Meters)
Commodity: Gold
Lat, Long: 45.155, -115.30940
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.
Smith Creek- Big Creek Placers MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Smith Creek- Big Creek Placers
Secondary: Big Creek Placers
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Zirconium
Tertiary: Tungsten
Tertiary: Titanium
Location
State: Idaho
County: Valley
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: Payette National Forest
Holdings
Type: Unknown
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Smith Creek Hydraulic Co.
Home Office: Idaho
Info Year: 1973
Years: 1973 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Placer
Mining Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Not available
Comments
Comment (Reserve-Resource): AVERAGE GOLD VALUES GENERALLY INCREASE DOWNSTREAM AND OCCUR IN HIGHER GRADE POCKETS, LENSES AND STRINGERS. MATERIAL ABOVE PLACER CREEK SHOWS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF REWORKING AND SUBSEQUENTLY CONCENTRATION OF GOLD OCCUR IN ECONOMIC QUANTITIES. GOLD VALUES AVERAGE ABOUT 0.02 GRAM PER METRIC TON, BASED ON 850 FINE. RECOVERABLE GOLD VALUES IN RESOURCES RANGED FROM 0.008 TO 0.05 GRAM PER METRIC TON. GLACIOFLUVIAL MATERIAL BETWEEN PLACER CREEK AND BRIDGE NEAR THE MOUTH HAS VALUES RANGING FROM 0.01 TO 0.018 GRAM PER METRIC TON, WITH AN AVERAGE VALUE OF 0.09 GRAM GOLD PER METRIC TONNE. THE FLUVIAL MATERIAL AT THE MOUTH OF SMITH CREEK AND EXTENDING 1.5 MILES DOWN BIG CREEK CONTAIN THE BEST VALUES. GOLD VALUES AVERAGE 0.55 GRAM PER METRIC TONNE. ALSO SECTIONS 3, 4, 11, 13, 14. SMITH CREEK - BIG CREEK PLACER AREA OCCUR ALONG SMITH CREEK FOR A DISTANCE OF 11.3 KILOMETERS. BLACK SAND CONCENTRATES AVERAGED 1.3 KILOGRAM PER CUBIC METER WITH ESTIMATED PLACER GOLD RESOURCES TO BE ABOUT 13000000 CUBIC METERS OF GRAVEL. THE CONCENTRATES CONTAINED 9-16 PERCENT ILMENITE AND TRACE TO 0.5 PERCENT RUTILE. CALCULATED TITAIUM IN ILMEMITE,BASED ON AVERAGE OF 12.5 PERCENT, WAS 670 METRIC TONNE. CALCULATED TITANIUM IN RUTILE, BASED ON 0.25 PERCENT WAS 20.3 METRIC TONNE. TOTAL TITANIUM IN ELMENITE AND RUTILE 609 METRIC TONNE. SCHEELITE ESTIMATED TO RANGE FROM 0.5-1.0 PERCENT. TUNGSTEN CALCULATED ON 0.75 AVERAGE OF SCHEELITE WAS 86 METRIC TONNE. 1-2 PERCENT ZIRCON ESTIMATED IN CONCENTRATES. ZIRCONIUM CALCULATED ON 1.5 PERCENT AVERAGE WAS 130 METRIC TONNE.
References
Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN, 1304, PP254-258.
Reference (Deposit): WFOC MINERAL PROPERTY FILE #0160850128.
Idaho Gold
"Where to Find Gold in Idaho" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Idaho. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Idaho.
