Red Gulch Mine

The Red Gulch Mine is a copper mine located in Fremont county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,481 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: Red Gulch Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Vanadium

Location

State: Colorado
County: Fremont
District: Red Gulch District

Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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: Unknown

Ownership

Owner Name: Red Gulch Gold And Copper Mining Co.
Years: 1908 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Year First Production: 1907
Year Last Production: 1907
Discovery Year: 1875
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

Model Name: Sediment-hosted Cu

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Cotopaxi Fault lies just east of the shaft.

Type: R
Description: Thirtynine Mile Volcanic Field, Cotopaxi Fault

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidized To Reddish, Yellowish, Or Red-Brown Color

Rocks

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Ordovician

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: CHALCOCITE CONTAINS MAXIMUM 10 OZ/TON SILVER
Analytical Data: 0.114 % V205

Materials

Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Silver
Gangue: Barite

Comments

Comment (Development): ACTIVE EXPLORATION BEGAN 1907

Comment (Commodity): NODULES OF CHALCOCITE 1 TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER. The pure chalcocite contains 10 oz per ton of silver (Lindgren, 1908).

Comment (Commodity): Chalcocite occurs with coal and carbonaceous shale.

Comment (Commodity): Coal also contains vanadium.

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: LATE 1800'S

Comment (Production): LINDGREN (1908) STATES THAT TWO CARS OF HIGH GRADE ORE AND SEVERAL CARS OF LOW GRADE ORE WERE SHIPPED IN 1907. THAT PRODUCTION WAS PRINCIPALLY FROM THE RED GULCH AND COPPER PRINCE MINES

Comment (Workings): SHAFT AT 70 DEGREES INCLINE

Comment (Geology): DEPOSITS COMPARED TO RED BED" COPPER DEPOSITS OF NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA"

Comment (Geology): Lindgren (1908) notes the presence of coal seams that are mineralized with copper (chalcocite) mineralization. Coal seams are an inch or more in thickness. Host rocks shales and conglomerates, which dip about 70 degrees to near vertical around the shaft.

Comment (Location): Lindgren (1908) described this mine as being directly east of the creek at the settlement of Springfield, which is one-half mile north of Copperfield. Springfield is an abandoned mining settlement.

References

Reference (Deposit): SCOTT, G.R., 1975, HISTORIC TRAIL MAPS OF THE PUEBLO 1 DEGREE X 2 DEGREES QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-930, 1:250,000

Reference (Deposit): LINDGREN, WALDEMAR, 1908, NOTES ON COPPER DEPOSITS IN CHAFFEE, FREMONT, AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS BULLETIN 340, P. 170-174.

Reference (Deposit): BUTLER, J.R., 1954, GEOLOGY OF AN AREA NORTH OF COTOPAXI, FREMONT COUNTY, COLORADO: M. S. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, P. 47-48.

Reference (Deposit): TAYLOR, R.B., SCOTT, G.R., WOBUS, R.A., EPIS, R.C., 1975, RECONNAISSANCE GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE COTOPAXI 15-MINUTE QUADRANGLE, FREMONT AND CUSTER COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-900, 1:62,500.

Colorado Mining Photos

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