F. M. D. Mine

The F. M. D. Mine is a copper mine located in Jefferson county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,119 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: F. M. D. Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  Jefferson

Elevation: 7,119 Feet (2,170 Meters)

Commodity: Copper

Lat, Long: 39.68072, -105.28820

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 F. M. D. Mine

F. M. D. Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: F. M. D. Mine
Secondary: FMD Mine


Commodity

Primary: Copper
Tertiary: Zinc


Location

State: Colorado
County: Jefferson
District: Malachite 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

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-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

Not available


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Description: Front Range Uplift, Denver Basin

Type: L
Description: Floyd Hill Fault Zone, Bear Creek Shear Zone, Yankee Creek Pluton


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Fe Oxidation


Rocks

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

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

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


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Labradorite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Malachite
Gangue: Apatite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Magnetite


Comments

Comment (Location): PROBABLY ALONG OR NEAR UNNAMED TRIBUTARY TO BEAR CREEK APPROX 5000 TO 7000 FT WNW OF MALACHITE MINE, LAT-LONG AND ELEV ARE FOR UNIDENTIFIED WORKINGS IN NW NE NW SEC 25. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)

Comment (Workings): 350-FT VERTICAL SHAFT, OTHER SURFACE PROSPECTS AND TUNNELS DUG WITHIN 2500 FT ALONG WNW TREND

Comment (Deposit): ORES OCCUR IN WNW-TRENDING LAYER OF AMPHIBOLITE SCHIST COUNTRY ROCK, WITH PARALLEL FOLIATION DIPPING 75 TO 90 NE AND INTERPRETED AS METAMORPHOSED DIABASE. ROCK COMPOSED OF HORNBLENDE, BIOTITE INTIMATELY INTERGROWN WITH LABRADORITE MOSAIC, WITH ACCESSORY MAGNETITE, APATITE, PYRITE, AND CHALCOPYRITE. COARSE-GRAINED MASSES OF QUARTZ, BIOTITE, AND LABRADORITE PROBABLY REPRESENT YOUNGER DIKES TRENDING OBLIQUELY TO SCHIST FOLIATION. FRACTURES IN DIKES CONTAIN SECONDARY PYRITE AND ZINCIFEROUS SIDERITE. DEPOSIT INTERPRETED AS CHALCOPYRITE-MARMETITE-PYRRHOTITE-MAGNETITE-TYPE MAGMATIC SEGREGATION, WITH SOME POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT AND DISSEMINATIONS, ASSOCIATED WITH CA-RICH ROCKS NEAR EDGE OF PLUTON. AMPHIBOLITE AND DIKES TREND ESE TOWARD MALACHITE MINE.

Comment (Location): In Genesee, along tributary to Bear Creek and hiking trail south of Foothills Drive South. Plaque with mine history on hiking trail below mine dump. [Previous comment, Location Line 1, is obsolete].

Comment (General): Site visited inadvertently by Anna Wilson on Aug. 2, 2009. Abundant oxidized iron on dump along stream. Remains of a boiler on the north end of the dump. Remains of a caved shaft, partially covered with roofing metal, are immediately south of the boiler. Plaque along the hiking trail notes this mine never produced but it was active from 1902-1904, employed miners, and represented an investment of $80,000.


References

Reference (Deposit): LOVERING, T.S., AND GODDARD, E.N., 1950, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE FRONT RANGE, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 223, P. 67-68.

Reference (Deposit): SHERIDAN, D.M., AND OTHERS, 1972, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE EVERGREEN QUADRANGLE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-786-A

Reference (Deposit): LINDGREN, WALDEMAR, 1908, NOTES ON COPPER DEPOSITS IN CHAFFEE, FREMONT, AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, COLO.: USGS BULL. 340, P. 157-174


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

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