Spring Butte Mine

The Spring Butte Mine is a lead mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,178 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: Spring Butte Mine
Secondary: Ground Hog-Gypsum Mine
Secondary: Claims: Ground Hog
Secondary: Double Decker
Secondary: Gypsum
Secondary: Mary Mac 1-4

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Tertiary: Gypsum-Anhydrite

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Avalanche 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

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Mary Mclean And D.H. Barnes
Home Office: Carbondale, Co.
Years: 1926 -

Owner Name: Andrew Nyland
Home Office: Carbondale, Co.
Years: 1926 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1926
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

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Central Colorado Trough, Grand Hogback Monocline, Piceance Basin, Elk Uplift

Type: L
Description: Roaring Fork Syncline, Snowmass Stock, Mt Sopris Intrusive Center, Crystal Embayment

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

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

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

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Deposit): SPRING BUTTE MINE AND M&J CLAIM ARE ONLY PROPERTIES DESCRIBED FOR AVALANCHE DISTRICT. EXACT LOCATION OF M&J CLAIM UNKNOWN. OTHER UNIDENTIFIED MINE IN SW SW SEC 26; CLAIMS IN NW SEC 27, NE SEC 28, AND NE SEC 34, ALL IN T95, R88W. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Location): 1200 FT EAST OF CRYSTAL RIVER, 2000 FT NE OF PENNY HOT SPRINGS, 3.7 MILES NE OF REDSTONE ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1974)

Comment (Commodity): VANDERWILT MENTIONS ARGENTIFEROUS GALENA AND SOME AU AS GENERAL OCCURRENCES IN DISTRICT, BUT CDM REPORT CONFIRMED ONLY PB CARBONATE ORE AT THIS SITE.

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT LIES ON OR NEAR CONTACT OF PENNSYLVANIAN EVAPORITES AND CLASTICS (EAGLE VALLEY EVAPORITE) WITH OLIGOCENE MT. SOPRIS QUARTZ MONZONITE OR GRANODIORITE INTRUSION, POSSIBLY A SATELLITE STOCK FROM SNOWMASS PLUTON TO SE. MALLORY (1971) INDICATES SOME BEDDED GYPSUM AT SITE, BUT SPECIFIC LITHOLOGY OF HOST ROCK CANNOT BE DEFINITELY DETERMINED; COULD INCLUDE SILTSTONE, MUDSTONE, SHALE, AND LIMESTONE.

Comment (Workings): FOUR SHORT TUNNELS AT APPROX 100-FT VERTICAL INTERVALS

Comment (Development): CDM INDICATES SMALL PRODUCTION MANY YEARS PRIOR TO 1926. DEVELOPMENT IN 1926 AND PRODUCTION OF 3800 LB CARBONATE ORE IN 1926 WAS LAST RECORD OF ACTIVITY. SOME CONCENTRATES PRODUCED AT NEARBY MILL ON CARBONATE MILL SITE CLAIM (MS 5443, STAKED 1889). SITE CHECKED FOR WARTIME STRATEGIC MINERAL (PB) POTENTIAL.

References

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): MALLORY, W.W., 1971, THE EAGLE VALLEY EVAPORITE, NORTHWEST COLORADO-A REGIONAL SYNTHESIS: USGS BULL. 1311-E.

Reference (Deposit): VANDERWILT, J.W., 1947, MINERAL RESOURCES OF COLORADO: COLORADO STATE MINERAL RESOURCES BOARD, P. 178, 477

Reference (Deposit): TWETO, OGDEN, AND OTHERS, 1978, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LEADVILLE 1X2 QUADRANGLE, NORTHWESTERN COLORADO; USGS MAP I-999

Colorado Mining Photos

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