Delta Limonite Deposit

The Delta Limonite Deposit is a iron mine located in Delta county, Colorado at an elevation of 5,341 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

Name: Delta Limonite Deposit  

State:  Colorado

County:  Delta

Elevation: 5,341 Feet (1,628 Meters)

Commodity: Iron

Lat, Long: 38.71917, -107.89833

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Delta Limonite Deposit

Delta Limonite Deposit MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Delta Limonite Deposit
Secondary: Iron Cap Mine
Secondary: Iron Cap Claim
Secondary: Mingen Limonite Deposit


Commodity

Primary: Iron
Tertiary: Manganese


Location

State: Colorado
County: Delta
District: Delta Area


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

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1890
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

Not available


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Description: Gunnison Uplift, Piceance Basin, Montrose Syncline

Type: L
Description: Gunnison Uplift, Montrose Syncline


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 0.1 TO 1.0% ZN
Analytical Data: 0.01 TO 0.1% MN, NI, TI
Analytical Data: SAMPLE SENT TO CF&I BY MIKE MINGEN CONTAINED 39.7% FE, 28.0% SI02, 1.5% MN, TRACE TI02. SECOND SAMPLE CONTAINED 57.2% FE, 0.019% P, 3.7% SI02, 0.2% MN, TRACE TI02. COMPOSITE SAMPLE BY USBM 5/26/43 CONTAINED 49.0% FE, 12.4% SI02. USBM CHARACTER SAMPLE FROM 1957 CONTAINED 47.5% FE, 0.03% P, 0.47% S, 13.8% SI02, LESS THAN 0.01% MN, 12.6% LOI. SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS SHOWED 0.001 TO 0.01% CU, GA, SC, YB, ZR, AND PB


Materials

Ore: Limonite


Comments

Comment (Development): DEPOSIT WAS OPERATED PRE 1900 AS SOURCE OF FLUX FOR SMELTERS IN SALIDA AND GUNNISON AND UP TO 1920 AS IRON ORE FOR PUEBLO STEEL MILL. SITE EXAMINED DURING WW II AS POTENTIAL SOURCE OF STRATEGIC MINERAL (FE)

Comment (Workings): A FEW SHORT ADITS, OPEN CUTS, AND SHALLOW PITS

Comment (Location): PROBABLY ALONG UNNAMED TRIBUTARY TO PEACH VALLEY ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1980

Comment (Deposit): LIMONITE ZONE OCCURS UP TO 10 FT IN THICKNESS AND IS EXPOSED OVER LENGTH OF 250 FT ON OUTCROP OF MANCOS SHALE JUST ABOVE (WEST OF) CONTACT WITH DAKOTA SANDSTONE. HIGHER GRADE ORE IS POROUS TO CLINKERY AND BROWN TO BLACK IN COLOR. LOWER GRADE ORE APPEARS OCHEROUS. LIMONITE ACTS AS CEMENT BINDER AND COATING ON SANDSTONE AND SHALE FRAGMENTS. AS CONTACT BETWEEN DAKOTA AND MANCOS IS SOMETIMES GRADATIONAL AND UPPER DAKOTA HAS CARBONACEOUS OR COALY SHALES, LIMONITE COULD REPRESENT OXIDATION OF CONTAINED PYRITE.


References

Reference (Deposit): TWETO, OGDEN, AND OTHERS, 1976, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE MONTROSE 1X2 QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-761

Reference (Deposit): HARRER, C.M., AND TESCH, W.J., JR., 1959, RECONNAISSANCE OF IRON OCCURRENCES IN COLORADO: USBM IC 7918, P. 25-26


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

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