Bonanza Mine

The Bonanza Mine is a lead, copper, silver, and zinc mine located in Saguache county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,669 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

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Site Name

Primary: Bonanza Mine
Secondary: Bonanza
Secondary: Bonanza No. 1
Secondary: Cornucopia Claims

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper
Primary: Silver
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Titanium, Metal

Location

State: Colorado
County: Saguache
District: Bonanza (Kerber Creek)

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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: Stanley Blunt
Home Office: Canon City, Co.
Years: 1966 -

Owner Name: Bonanza Consolidated Mining Co.
Home Office: Salida, Co.
Years: 1955 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1883
Year Last Production: 1954
Discovery Year: 1880
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Bonanza Caldera

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Range, San Juan Volcanic Field, Rio Grande Rift

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Early Barren Stage Of Alteration By Fumarolic Or Acid-Hot Spring Activity Resulted In Intense Silicification, Wallrock Replacement By Jasper And Alteration Products Hematite, Diaspore, Alunite, Barite, Zunyite, Rutile, And Kaolin Minerals. Later Mineralizing Stage By Alkaline Or Neutral Solutions Deposited Ore And Gangue And Caused Micaceous Alteration (Sericite And Chlorite) And Calcite, Quartz, And Pyrite.

Rocks

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ON WINZE BETW. 350 AND 500 LEVELS SOUTH OF SHAFT, 2.40, 12.5, 13.80.
Analytical Data: BETW. 400 AND 500 LEVELS SOUTH OF SHAFT, 1.30, 4.4, 9.90
Analytical Data: ON 300 LEVEL IN SHAFT ON COCOMONGO FOOTWALL, 2.00, 3.7, 7.50
Analytical Data: BETW. 300 AND 400 LEVELS NORTH OF SHAFT (ON VEIN IN BONANZA HANGING WALL), 2.50, 5.9, 10.50
Analytical Data: ABOVE 400 LEVEL NW OF SHAFT, 10.60, 7.3, 14.93
Analytical Data: BETW. 400 AND 500 LEVELS NORTH OF SHAFT, 3.40, 2.6, 7.10
Analytical Data: BETW. 300 AND 400 LEVELS NORTH OF SHAFT, 4.40, 7.1, 14.10
Analytical Data: BETW. 350 AND 400 LEVELS SOUTH OF SHAFT, 1.12, 11.6, 9.60
Analytical Data: 350 LEVEL SOUTH OF SHAFT, 2.50, 5.4, 3.85
Analytical Data: ORE ANALYSES FROM VARIOUS LEVELS. EACH SET OF VALUES IS OZ/TON AG, % PB, % ZN: BETW. 200 AND 300 LEVELS SOUTH OF SHAFT, 1.50, 3.1, 4.75

Materials

Ore: Tennantite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Stromeyerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Anatase
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Rutile
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Rhodonite
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Apatite

Comments

Comment (Development): CLAIMS LOCATED 1880, FIRST PRODUCTION APPARENTLY 1883, BUT NO APPARENT PRODUCTION IN 1887, 1888, 1889 AND 1891. AFTER 1917 AND DEVELOPMENT OF COCOMONGO PROPERTY, BONANZA AND COCOMONGO WORKINGS AND PRODUCTION WERE CONSOLIDATED AND REPORTED TOGETHER. MINE WAS INACTIVE AFTER 1926 EXCEPT FOR SPORADIC PRODUCTION IN 1943 AND 1954. IN 1966 COTTER CORP. LEASED THE PROPERTY FOR EXPLORATION BUT CLOSED IT DOWN THE SAME YEAR.

Comment (Location): S-T-R, LAT-LONG, AND ELEV. TAKEN FROM BURBANK'S (1932) PLATE 1 (SCALE 1:12000). MINE OR CLAIM LIES ALONG KERBER CR. ABOVE CONFLUENCE WITH SQUIRREL CR. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Commodity): SECONDARY OXIDIZED ORES INCLUDE CERUSSITE, ANGLESITE, COVELLITE

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY 450-FT-DEEP INCLINED SHAFT ON BEARING OF N40E. SIX LEVELS DRIVEN AT 105, 150, 200, 300, 350, 400, AND 500 FT DEPTHS. MOST SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN ON LOWER FIVE LEVELS. MAJOR STOPES ARE ABOVE 200 LEVEL EAST OF SHAFT, ABOVE 300 LEVEL NORTH OF SHAFT, ABOVE 350 LEVEL NE OF SHAFT. EXTENT OF DRIFTING AS FOLLOWS: 105 LEVEL, 250 FT; 150 LEVEL, 200 FT; 200 LEVEL, 430 FT; 300 LEVEL, 2130 FT; 350 LEVEL, 860 FT; 400 LEVEL, 1900 FT; 500 LEVEL, 1130 FT. FIGURES FOR 200,300, AND 400 LEVELS INCLUDE COCOMONGO WORKINGS. CORNUCOPIA INCLINED SHAFT LIES 200 FT N73E FROM BONANZA SHAFT, IS DRIVEN AT BEARING OF S85E, AND INTERSECTS RAISE DRIVEN FROM 500 TO 350 LEVELS.

Comment (Deposit): FRACTURE CONTAINING BONANZA VEIN APPEARS TO BE A MORE NORTHWESTERLY STRIKING AND MORE STEEPLY DIPPING HANGING WALL FRACTURE OF THE COCOMONGO VEIN. ITS JUNCTION WITH COCOMONGO VEIN ON 500 LEVEL IS ZONE OF COMPOUND VERTICAL FRACTURES, NOT A CLEARCUT INTERSECTION. ON SOUTHEASTERNMOST 350 LEVEL DRIFT, BONANZA VEIN BECOMES TIGHT, IRREGULARLY MINERALIZED, AND SPLITS INTO SEVERAL STEEPER FRACTURES. IN RAISE ABOVE 350 LEVEL, PB-ZN ORE OCCURS PARTLY AS CEMENT BETWEEN FRAGMENTAL MATERIAL IN FISSURE, BUT VEIN MATTER COATS FRACTURE WALLS NEAR INTERSECTION WITH COCOMONGO VEIN.

References

Reference (Production): BURBANK (1932), AS COMPILED FROM USGS AND USBM RECORDS; COLO. DIV.MINES ANN. OPERATORS REPTS

Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., 1916, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE BONANZA DISTRICT, SAGUACHE COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 9, 136 P.

Reference (Deposit): BURBANK, W.S., 1932, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE BONANZA MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 169, 166 P.

Colorado Mining Photos

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