Brown Bear Mine

The Brown Bear Mine is a copper mine located in Montezuma county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,701 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: Brown Bear Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper

Location

State: Colorado
County: Montezuma
District: California (La Plata) District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Underground
Discovery Year: 1882
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform

Type: L
Description: La Plata Dome

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Hydrothermal Alteration, Bleaching

Rocks

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Triassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SORTED ORE CONTAINED 25-30% CU
Analytical Data: UNSORTED ORE REPORTED TO CONTAIN 4-5% CU

Materials

Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Malachite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON NORTH SIDE OF LA PLATA MOUNTAINS, ALONG BEAR CREEK NEAR ITS JUNCTION WITH THEDOLORES RIVER; SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF RICO; UNSURVEYED; SOUTHWEST SIDE OF BEAR CREEK OPPOSITE MUNSON GULCH ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1974)

Comment (Workings): ONE TUNNEL DRIVEN DUE SOUTH FOR 35 TO FAULT, THENCE BRANCHING INTO 25-FT SE DRIFT ON FAULT AND 20-FT SW CROSSCUT TO DIKE.

Comment (Deposit): MINERALIZED FAULT TRENDS N 30 W, 80 NE AND PARALLELS VERTICAL MONZONITE PORPHYRY DIKE. SLIPS AND FRACTURES TREND EAST-WEST BETWEEN DIKE AND FAULT. CHALCOCITE OCCURS SPARINGLY IN PLANT MATERIAL IN FAULT AND IN FRACTURES IN SANDSTONE AND DIKE; PYRITE FINELY DISSEMINATED THROUGH SHATTERED AND BLEACHED ZONE.

References

Reference (Deposit): GODDARD, E.N., 1949, COPPER DEPOSITS OF THE BEAR CREEK DISTRICT, IN ECKEL, E.B., 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 70-72, 98 , PL. 13, #3.

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.