The South Mountain Mine is a phosphorus-phosphates mine located in Lincoln county, Wyoming at an elevation of 8,530 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: 8,530 Feet (2,600 Meters)
Commodity: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Lat, Long: 41.98185, -110.58060
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.
South Mountain Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: South Mountain Mine
Secondary: Top of the World Mine
Secondary: Commisary Ridge
Commodity
Primary: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Secondary: Uranium
Location
State: Wyoming
County: Lincoln
Land Status
Land ownership: State
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.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Phosphate Fertilizer, Inc
Home Office: Kemmerer, WY
Info Year: 1966
Years: 1948 - 1949
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Middle Rocky Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Permian
Age Old: Permian
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: Sample from a pit in Sec. 9 contained 33.9% B.P.I.
Materials
Not available
Comments
Comment (Workings): "Phosphate Fertilizer, Inc., of Kemmerer operated an underground phosphate mine on Commissary Ridge during 1948-1949. The company installed a mill with a capacity of 200 tons of phosphate rock per day." (WGS Bull. 50, p. 147). Said mill, was probably in the flat spot just below the location of the now reclaimed adit on the 1985 provisional 24k Sublet topo.
Comment (Location): ALSO LOCATED IN SECTION 9,T23 N,R 116 W ALSO LOCATED IN SECTION 16,T23 N,R 116 W Main area is limited to S2 of SE4 Sec. 9. No evidence of any other workings, and no sign of prospects on the west side of the ridge. Sublet Provisional 1985 24k Topo map labels top of ridge as "Strip Mine". (Wilson, site visit 7-aug-2010)
Comment (Deposit): Mine is a Phosphate deposit but there are reports of uraniferous phosphate in the Meade Peak Member of the Phosphoria Formation.
Comment (General): Entire area has been completely reclaimed, probably in the past decade (as of site visit by Wilson and Heran, USGS, 7-Aug-2010). Only hints remain of the dump at the adit on the topo. Upper slopes have been graded and reseeded.
Comment (Identification): South Mountain formerly known as Top of the World. (Top of the World was also in MAS, but as of 14-JUL-10 was not in newMRDS). At some point the records were probably recognized as duplicates and consolidated.
References
Reference (Deposit): Osterwald and others, 1966, WGS Bull. 50, p. 147.
Reference (Deposit): MINOBRAS, 1976, URANIUM GUIDEBOOK FOR WYOMING, APPENDIX A-15
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.
