El Plomo Mine

The El Plomo Mine is a copper and zinc mine located in Fremont county, Colorado at an elevation of 6,601 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: El Plomo Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Iron
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Colorado
County: Fremont
District: Grape Creek 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

Type: Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
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: Stratabound Precambrian sulfide, Colorado and Wyoming

Orebody

Form: LENSES

Structure

Type: R
Description: Northern Wet Mountains, Canon City Embayment, Thirtynine Mile Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Grape Creek Fault, Ilse Fault, Horseshoe Fault

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Altered Biotite Gneisses; Kaolinization

Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 0.74 TO 0.96% CU, 0.71 TO 8.7% ZN, 0.6 TO 0.8 OZ/TON AG

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Chalcanthite
Ore: Limonite
Unknown: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Location): 7 MILES SW OF CANON CITY ON TEMPLE CANYON ROAD, THEN UPSTREAM ON GRAPE CREEK 2.5 MILES TO MINE; PATENTED CLAIM SURROUNDED BY BLM LAND; SOUTH SLOPE OF HORSESHOE MOUNTAIN ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Reserve-Resource): COKER, 1982

Comment (Development): BLM GEOLOGISTS NOTE THAT MORE EVIDENCE OF SULFIDE MINERALIZATION WAS FOUND IN THE DRAINAGE BELOW EL PLOMO MINE AND HORSESHOE MINE THAN IN EITHER WORKING

Comment (Deposit): THE DRAINAGE UP TO THE DEPOSIT IS "FILLED WITH CHALCOPYRITE RICH FLOAT AND SOME MASSIVE SULFIDES IN PLACE"; THERE IS A PROMINENT GOSSAN ZONE INTO WHICH WORKINGS ARE DRIVEN

Comment (Workings): 2 ADITS, 1 SHAFT (NOW CAVED)

Comment (Geology): THE SULFIDE ZONE IS RELATIVELY CONTINUOUS FROM EL PLOMO MINE TO JENNINGS GULCH; THE PROMINENT GOSSAN ZONE STRIKES NNE, DIPPING SE.

References

Reference (Deposit): COKER, R. J., 1982, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE ARKANSAS CANYON PLANNING UNIT WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE FORMER GRAPE CREEK WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS AND THE MCINTYRE HILLS WILDERNESS STUDY AREA: US BLM MINERAL REPORT, P. 21-24

Reference (Deposit): TAYLOR, R. B., SCOTT, G. R., WOBUS, R. A., AND EPIS, R. C., 1975, RECONNAISSANCE GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE ROYAL GORGE QUADRANGLE, FREMONT AND CUSTER COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-869, 1: 62,500.

Colorado Mining Photos

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