The Blanca District is a gold, silver, and tungsten mine located in Costilla county, Colorado.
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:
Commodity: Gold, Silver, Tungsten
Lat, Long: 37.57167, -105.48722
Map: View on Google Maps
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Blanca District MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Blanca District
Secondary: Sierra Blanca, Blanca Peak
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Primary: Tungsten
Secondary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Copper
Location
State: Colorado
County: Costilla
District: Blanca District
Land Status
Not available
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: District
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: vein
Operation Type: Underground
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Epithermal veins
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: L
Structure: NNW-trending fault controlled veins
Description: veins
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Granodiorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleoproterozoic
Name: Gneiss
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleoproterozoic
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Galena
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Pearceite
Ore: Hessite
Ore: Calaverite
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Wolframite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Adularia
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Ankerite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Trace: Chalcopyrite
Comments
Comment (Production): Vanderwilt (1947) noted that production was limited to few trial shipments of ore in 1928 and 1934. Ellis and others (1983) estimate a total of 400 oz. gold and 7,000 oz silver were removed from the ground but were not able to determine how much was actually recovered.
Comment (Reserve-Resource): Almost every sample taken on the vein system by the USBM for its wilderness assessment (Ellis and others, 1983) contained gold. Average grade was about 0.10 oz/ton gold and 2.0 oz/ton silver. Tungsten values are generally low.
Comment (Commodity): Scheelite shoots in veins are not associated with gold and silver minerals. Gold is associated with pyrite. Silver associated with red-gray mineral.
Comment (Geology): Mineralized quartz vein trends N30W. The vein is exposed for over 5 km along strike (Ellis and others, 1983). The vein and its main branch have over 1000 m of development.
Comment (Location): District includes the top of Blanca Peak (14,345 ft. elev.), and surrounding area in Alamosa, Costilla, and Huerfano counties.
References
Reference (Deposit): Ellis, C.E., Hannigan, B.J., and Thompson, J.R., 1983, U.S. Bureau of Mines MLA 65-83, 190 p.
Reference (Deposit): Vanderwilt, J.W., 1947, Mineral resources of Colorado: State of Colorado Mineral Resources Board, 547 p.
Colorado Mining Photos
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