Shirley Group

The Shirley Group is a beryllium, niobium (columbium), tantalum, and ree mine located in Chaffee county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,839 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: Shirley Group

Commodity

Primary: Beryllium
Primary: Niobium (Columbium)
Primary: Tantalum
Primary: REE
Secondary: Feldspar
Secondary: Mica

Location

State: Colorado
County: Chaffee
District: Turret 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

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
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: Southern Mosquito Range, Arkansas Valley Graben

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Gneiss
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Gneiss
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Beryl
Ore: Microcline
Ore: Albite
Ore: Muscovite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Orthoclase

Comments

Comment (Deposit): UNZONED

Comment (Location): 19 CLAIMS ON RIDGE SOUTH OF LONGS GULCH, 11 MILES NORTH OF SALIDA VIA COUNTY ROAD 180, THE LONGS GULCH ROAD AND A MINE ACCESS ROAD. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Workings): 1 TRENCH, SEVERAL SMALL PITS

References

Reference (Deposit): MEEVES, H.C., HARRER, C.M., SALSBURY, M.H., KONSELMAN, A.S., SHANNON, S.S., JR., 1966, RECONNAISSANCE OF BERYLLIUM-BEARING PEGMATITE DEPOSITS IN SIX WESTERN STATES: ARIZONA, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, AND WYOMING: USBM INFORMATION CIRCULAR 8298, P. 24

Reference (Deposit): VAN ALSTINE, R.E., 1974, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE PONCHA SPRINGS SE QUADRANGLE, CHAFFEE COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 829, 19 P.

Reference (Deposit): BOARDMAN, S.J., 1976, GEOLOGY OF THE PRECAMBRIAN METAMORPHIC ROCKS OF THE SALIDA AREA, CHAFFEE COUNTY, COLORADO: THE MOUNTAIN GEOLOGIST, V. 13, NO. 3, P. 89-100.

Reference (Deposit): BOARDMAN, S.J., 1971, PRECAMBRIAN GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE SALIDA AREA, CHAFFEE COUNTY, COLORDADO: PH. D. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, 131 P.

Colorado Mining Photos

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