Melrose Phosphate

The Melrose Phosphate is a phosphorus-phosphates mine located in Beaverhead county, Montana at an elevation of 7,001 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

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.

Site Name

Primary: Melrose Phosphate

Commodity

Primary: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Tertiary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Tertiary: Vanadium
Tertiary: Uranium

Location

State: Montana
County: Beaverhead
District: Melrose District

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: U.S. Bureau Of Land Management

Owner Name: Stauffer Chemical Co.
Home Office: P.O. Box 89 Mt. Pleasant,Tn. 38474 Phone(615)379-7781 Attn: George A. Herr

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1910
Discovery Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Pioneer Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: BEDDED, PELLETAL, OOLITIC

Structure

Type: L
Description: Complex Folds And Faults, Pluglike Quartz Monzonite Bodies.

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Mudstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian

Name: Mudstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Permian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: THE UPPER HALF OF THE RETORT MEMBER GENERALLY CONTAINS OVER 24% PHOPHATE. THE LOWER HALF CONTAINS LESS THAN 16%. (SWANSON, 1970)

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Location): LOCATION POINT IS SHEPHERD MTN., WHERE H.S. GALE DESCRIBED PHOSPHORIA FMT.

Comment (Development): ECON.COM: MELROSE DISTRICT IS ONE OF THE RICHEST PHOSPHATE AREAS IN SW MONTANA.

Comment (Workings): TWO RECENTLY ACTIVE UNDERGROUND MINES - THE MAIDEN ROCK AND CANYON CREEK.

Comment (Deposit): MELROSE DISTRICT DEPOSITS ARE SPREAD OVER AT LEAST 6 TOWNSHIPS NORTH AND WEST OF MELROSE. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

References

Reference (Deposit): 1911 GALE, H.S., USGS BULL 470

Reference (Deposit): 1925 GEOLMAP RICHARDS AND PARDEE, USGS BULL 780

Reference (Deposit): 1970 COMPILE SWANS, R.W., USGS PROF. PAPER 313-E

Reference (Reserve-Resource): USGS PROF. PAPER 313-E, P. 689 ITEM 1 IS TOTAL PHOSPHATE TONNAGE FOR 8 AREAS AROUND MELROSE.

Reference (Deposit): SWANSON, R.W., 1970, MINERAL RESOURCES - PERMIAN ROCKS IN SW MONTANA: USGS PROF PAPER 313-E, 116 P.

Reference (Deposit): CROWLEY, F.A., 1962, PHOSPHATE ROCK: MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL., SPECIAL PUB. 25, 8 P.

Reference (Deposit): RICHARDS, R.W., AND PARDEE, J.T., 1925, THE MELROSE PHOSPHATE FIELD, MONTANA: USGS BULL 780-A, P. 1-25.

Reference (Deposit): GALE, H.S., 1911, ROCK PHOSPHATE NEAR MELROSE, MONTANA: USGS BULL 470, P. 440-451.

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.