Bonnybel Mine

The Bonnybel Mine is a silver, lead, and zinc mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,226 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: Bonnybel Mine
Secondary: Claims: Bonnybel
Secondary: Chloride

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Aspen (Roaring Fork) District

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

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: C. E. Anderson And Frank Yates
Years: 1925 -

Owner Name: Blain Bray And Louis Jessen
Years: 1925 -

Production

Year: 1922
Description: Ap_Grade: ^11.1 Oz/Ton Ag, 4 % Pb
Year: 1925
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^12 Oz/Ton Ag, 16 % Pb, 3 % Zn, 6 % Fe, 2 % S, 28 % Insol

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1900
Year Last Production: 1925
Discovery Year: 1880
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Piceance Basin, White River Uplift, Elk Uplift

Type: L
Description: Silver Fault, Contact Fault, Aspen Mountain Syncline, Bonnybel Fault, Chloride Fault

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Marblization Of Dolomite Near Porphyry Sheets

Rocks

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

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

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ORE SHIPMENTS IN 1922 AND 1925 CONTAINED 11 TO 12 OZ/TON AG, 4 TO 16 % PB, 3 % ZN, 6 % FE, 2 %

Materials

Ore: Silver
Gangue: Barite

Comments

Comment (Location): IN ASPEN MTN AREA ON RIDGE BETWEEN SPAR GULCH AND VALLEJO GULCH. ELEV FROM SPURR (1898), LAT-LONG FROM BRYANT (1972) ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1980)

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD

Comment (Workings): SEVERAL TUNNELS; APPARENTLY ONE SHAFT SUNK TO 80 FT DEPTH, CONNECTING WITH ONE TUNNEL AT 20 FT. FROM (2D) LEVEL AT BOTTOM OF SHAFT, 90-FT WINZE SUNK TO 3D LEVEL, WHICH IS 140-FT CROSSCUT WESTWARD WITH DRIFT ON INTERNAL FAULT AT 90 FT AND 2D WINZE AT 115 FT. AT BOTTOM OF THIS 70-FT WINZE IS 110-FT WESTWARD CROSSCUT TUNNEL. THIRD LEVEL CONTINUES WEST ON 30-FT DECLINE TO INTERMEDIATE LEVEL 130 FT LONG AND TERMINATING IN 30-FT WINZE. HIGHER WORKINGS DEVELOP ORE FARTHER NW IN FAULT BLOCK AND TO SW BEYOND CHLORIDE FAULT. BONNYBEL WORKINGS CONNECTED TO LOWER DURANT TUNNEL AND WORKINGS VIA VISINO INCLINE.

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT LIES IN SMALL NW-TRENDING FAULT BLOCK BOUNDED ON NE BY BONNYBELL FAULT, ON SW BY CHLORIDE FAULT, AND ON NW BY NE-TRENDING SILVER FAULT AND CUT BY MANY SMALL INTERNAL FAULTS. BELDEN SHALE AND PORPHYRY DIRECTLY OVERLIE LOWER LEADVILLE DOLOMITE MEMBER. PORPHYRY OCCURS AS LARGE CROSS-CUTTING DIKE AND SMALL INTERBEDDED SHEETS IN DOLOMITE, MARBLIZING THE DOLOMITE AROUND CONTACTS; MINE IS ONLY PLACE IN DISTRICT WHERE PORPHYRY WAS SEEN TO CUT BEDS OLDER THAN BELDEN. OXIDIZED ORE FOUND IN IRREGULAR SHOOTS PARALLEL WITH MAIN FAULTS AND HAVING NW TRENDS, DIPPING STEEPLY SW. OCCURRENCE IS SIGNIFICANT IN DISTRICT AS IT IS ONLY PLACE WHERE ALL OF HOST ROCK WAS TRANSFORMED INTO LOW-GRADE ORE.

References

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1971, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-933.

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1972, MAP SHOWING MINES, PROSPECTS, AND AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT SILVER, LEAD, AND ZINC PRODUCTION IN THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-785-D

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 1387, 3699

Reference (Production): COLO. DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): SPURR, J.E., 1898, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS MON. 31, P. 151-153, PL. 40.

Colorado Mining Photos

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