Ganes Creek

The Ganes 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

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Site Name

Primary: Ganes Creek

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Innoko

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: 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: Ilmenite
Ore: Magnetite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Production): Production Notes = A conservative estimate of production from Ganes Creek between 1907 to 1986, including the portion in the Iditarod quadrangle, is 103,000 ounces of gold and 15,420 ounces of silver (Bundtzen and others, 1987).

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

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary. The likely sources of the gold in Ganes Creek are the Cretaceous or Tertiary rhyolite dikes, possibly along with some contribution from monzonite dikes and small intrusive bodies (Bundtzen and others, 1987).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Gold was discovered on Ganes Creek during the winter of 1906-1907, and $10,000 to $20,000 in coarse gold was mined that winter (Brooks, 1908). Mining was continuous from 1907 until 1946; from 1923 until 1940 dredges were used (Cobb, 1976 [OFR 76-576]). Eakin (1941) reports that most of the bench placer ground along Ganes Creek was mined out by the end of 1912. Dredges were active intermittently from 1940 until at least 1965 (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]). Large-scale, mechanical mining has occurred intermittently along Ganes Creek from 1965 to the present (2001).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Cobb, 1976 (OFR 76-576)

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = The upper portion of Ganes Creek, which has also been mined, is in the Iditarod quadrangle.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Ganes Creek area is underlain by undivided clastic sedimentary rocks that are cut by quartz veins and by sets of northeast-trending, Cretaceous or Tertiary dikes ranging in composition from rhyolite to andesite (Maddren, 1910; Mertie, 1936; Chapman and others, 1985; Dashevsky, 2000). The Yankee-Ganes Creek fault trends northeast between Yankee Creek (OP021) and Ganes Creek and may be a splay of the Iditarod-Nixon Fork fault. Placer mining has occurred at various points along Ganes Creek: very close to its mouth; about 7 miles upstream; and at several locations in the Iditarod quadrangle. For more information, see the Ganes Creek record for the Iditarod quadrangle. The gold in Ganes Creek is coarse, and sometimes attached to quartz (Maddren, 1910). Five gold nuggets have been found that weigh more than 20 ounces; the largest weighed 122 ounces. The gold averages 846 fine (Smith, 1941). Minerals in pan concentrates from the lower portion of Ganes Creek include magnetite, ilmenite, enstatite, and eckermanite (Bundtzen and others, 1987). Gold is present in benches, alluvial gravel, and in the fractured top few feet of bedrock (Maddren, 1911). The likely sources of the gold are the rhyolite dikes, possibly along with some contribution from monzonite dikes and small intrusive bodies (Bundtzen and others, 1987). Gold was discovered on Ganes Creek during the winter of 1906-1907 (Brooks, 1908); mining was continuous from 1907 until 1946 (Cobb, 1976 [OFR 76-576]). Dredging was intermittent until at least 1965 (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]). Large-scale, mechanized mining has occurred intermittently from 1965 until the present (2001). A conservative estimate of production from Ganes Creek between 1907 to 1986, including the portion in the Iditarod quadrangle, is 103,000 ounces of gold and 15,420 ounces of silver (Bundtzen and others, 1987). Also see OP019 and OP021.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Active

References

Reference (Deposit): Roehm, J.C., 1937, Summary report of mining investigations in the Innoko, Mt. McKinley, Knik, and Talkeetna precincts: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Itinerary Report 195-17, 16 p.

Reference (Deposit): Maddren, A.G., 1910, The Innoko gold-placer district, Alaska, with accounts of the central Kuskokwim valley and the Ruby Creek and Gold Hill placers: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 410, 87 p.

Reference (Deposit): Fowler, H.M., 1950, Report of investigations in the Innoko, Nulato, Bethel, Goodnews Bay, Wasilla, Chisana, and Ketchikan mining districts: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Itinerary Report 195-7, 13 p.

Reference (Deposit): Dashevsky, S.S., 2000, Ganes Creek project (Au) Ophir district, Alaska: unpublished report for Clark-Wiltz Mining Inc., 7 p.

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Green, C.B., Deagen, J., and Daniels, C.L., 1987, Alaska's mineral industry, 1986: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Special Report 40, 68 p.

Reference (Deposit): Chapman, R.M., Patton, W.W., and Moll, E.J., 1985, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Ophir quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-203, 1 sheet, 1:250,000 scale.

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 material) in the Iditarod and Ophir quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-576, 101 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Ophir quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-367, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Eakin, H.M., 1914, The Iditarod-Ruby region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 578, 45 p.

Reference (Deposit): Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1936, Mineral deposits of the Ruby-Kuskokwim region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-C, 115-245.

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

Reference (Deposit): Maddren, A.G., 1911, Gold placer mining developments in the Innoko-Iditarod region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, p. 236-270.

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