The California 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
California Creek MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: California Creek
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Mercury
Secondary: Platinum
Location
State: Alaska
District: Bonnifield
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: Cinnabar
Ore: Gold
Comments
Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary placer.
Comment (Production): Production Notes = Prior to 1918, prospecting for placer gold was carried on throughout the 20-mile-long length of California Creek (Maddren, 1918, p. 380). Mining in 1910 was 5 miles above Rex Creek, where gravels are 6 feet deep (Capps, 1912, p. 44). Mining has also taken place at scattered localities in sections 9 and 10, 3 and 4, and 33 and 34, T. 10 S., R. 6 W., at irregular intervals through at least the 1980's (Donald Grybeck, field observations, 1994, and oral commun. from Boyd Blair, 1994). An undisclosed amount of gold was produced from California Creek in 1989 from placer mines operated by Jack Lacross and Jack Zupan (Bundtzen and others, 1990, p. 37).
Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Small-scale placer mining.
Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Prior to 1918, prospecting for placer gold was carried on throughout the 20 miles of California Creek (Maddren, 1918, p. 380). Mining in 1910 was 5 miles above Rex Creek, where gravels are 6 feet deep (Capps, 1912, p. 44). Mining has also taken place at scattered localities in sections 9 and 10, 3 and 4, and 33 and 34, T. 10 S., R. 6 W., at irregular intervals through at least the 1980's (Donald Grybeck, field observations, 1994, and oral commun. from Boyd Blair, 1994). The gold occurs in stream gravels on schist bedrock. Platinum and scarce cinnabar have been found in the placers (Joesting, 1942 [ATDM Pamph. 1]).
Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Cobb, 1976 (OFR 76-662)
Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive
References
Reference (Deposit): Capps, S.R., 1912, The Bonnifield region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 501, 64 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-410, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.
Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-662, 174 p.
Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Swainbank, R.C., Deagen, J.R. and Moore, J.L., 1990, Alaska's mineral industry 1989: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 44, 100 p.
Reference (Deposit): Maddren, A.G., 1918, Gold placers near the Nenana coal field: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662, p. 363-402.
Reference (Deposit): Joesting, H.R., 1942, Strategic mineral occurences in interior Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 1, 46 p.
Reference (Deposit): Malone, Kevin, 1965, Mercury in Alaska, in Mercury potential of the United States: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8252, p. 31-59.
Reference (Deposit): Malone, Kevin, 1962, Mercury occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Circular 8131, 57 p.
Reference (Deposit): Capps, S.R., 1911, Mineral resources of the Bonnifield region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480-H, p. 218-235.
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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.
