Lady Bug Mine

The Lady Bug Mine is a lead, silver, and zinc mine located in Rio Grande county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,639 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: Lady Bug Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  Rio Grande

Elevation: 9,639 Feet (2,938 Meters)

Commodity: Lead, Silver, Zinc

Lat, Long: 37.40639, -106.70611

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 Lady Bug Mine

Lady Bug Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Lady Bug Mine
Secondary: Claims MS 10261: East Boston
Secondary: Shackman
Secondary: Goodie Queen
Secondary: West Field
Secondary: Nantucket
Secondary: Topeka
Secondary: Elwood Mill Site


Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Cadmium
Tertiary: Bismuth


Location

State: Colorado
County: Rio Grande
District: Crater District


Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Type: Surface/Underground


Ownership

Owner Name: Aztec Industries
Home Office: Santa Fe, N.M.
Years: 1971 -


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1896
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: Polymetallic veins


Orebody

Form: POD


Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Platoro Caldera, Elwood Creek Fault Zone, Crater Creek Stock And Satellites


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification


Rocks

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

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

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


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SAMPLES FROM OLDER PROSPECTS AND STOCKPILES NORTH OF LOWER PORTAL CONTAINED TRACE AU, 0.1 TO 1.4 OZ/TON AG, UP TO 0.06% CU, UP TO 0.15% PB, UP TO 7.9% ZN (VISIBLE SPHALERITE). VEIN SAMPLES FROM DRIFT IN LOWER TUNNEL CONTAINED TRACE TO 0.2 OZ/TON AG, UP TO 0.02% CU, UP TO 0.15% PB, 0.2% ZN. SECOND VEIN IN LATERAL CONTAINED 1.6 TO 1.9 OZ/TON AG, 0.6 TO 1.0% PB, 1 TO 4% ZN, 0.008 TO 0.016% CU. WEIGHTED AVERAGE METAL CONTENTS FOR 14 SAMPLES IN 5.3-FT-WIDE VEIN IN RAISE ARE 0.67 TO 0.72 OZ/TON AG, 0.06% PB, 4.2 TO 4.5% ZN, WITH TRACE AU, MINOR CU, 0.07 TO 0.5% CD (ASSOCIATED WITH SPHALERITE). WEIGHTED AVERAGE METAL CONTENTS FOR 4 SAMPLES ALONG UPPER TUNNEL ARE 3.8 OZ/TON AG, 2.7 TO 3.1% PB, 9.8 TO 11.2% ZN, WITH TRACE AU, MINOR CU, 0.01 TO 0.02% BI, 0.04 TO 0.3% CD.


Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sphalerite


Comments

Comment (Workings): SURFACE PROSPECTS AND SAMPLE SITES; MINE DEVELOPED BY TWO TUNNELS. LOWER LEVEL DRIVEN S 62 E FOR 525 FT TO FAULT ZONE; AT 480 FT, LATERNAL DRIVEN S 24 E FOR 125 FT; AT 45 FT ON THIS BRANCH TUNNEL, 60-FT DRIFT DRIVEN S 58 W WITH 79-FT RAISE PROBABLY TO UPPER LEVEL. PORTAL OF UPPER TUNNEL IS 438 FT S 49 E OF LOWER PORTAL. UPPER LEVEL DRIVEN N 52 TO 65 E FOR 270 FT. RAISE FROM LOWER LEVEL PROBABLY CONNECTS AT 70 FT INSIDE UPPER TUNNEL. SHORT UPPER RAISE AT 247 FT FROM PORTAL.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON NE SIDE OF CRATER CREEK 0.5 MILE ABOVE CONFLUENCE WITH EAST FORK SAN JUAN RIVER AND 1.3 MILES BELOW CRATER LAKE. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Reserve-Resource): LINDQUIST, 1977

Comment (Development): LAST REPORTED ACTIVITY WAS EXTENSION OF UNDERGROUND WORKINGS AND SAMPLING

Comment (Deposit): TUNNELS DRIVEN INTO ALTERED ANDESITE PORPHYRY OF CONEJOS FM VENT FACIES INTRUDED BY SMALL MONZONITE STOCK TO NE. LOWER TUNNEL INTERSECTS FAULT ZONE TRENDING N 57 E, 81 SE, AND CONTAINING GOUGE WITH MINOR PYRITE AND SPHALERITE. ON HANGING WALL IS VEIN OF FINE-GRAINED CRYSTALLINE QUARTZ WITH DISCONTINUOUS PODS AND STRINGERS OF SPHALERITE AND MINOR PYRITE CONTAINING HIGHER AG, PB, AND ZN VALUES THAN GOUGE.


References

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 10261

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PLATORO CALDERA AREA, SOUTHEASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-828.

Reference (Deposit): LINDQUIST, A.E., 1977, METALLIC AND COAL RESOURCES, IN MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE CHAMA-SOUTHERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, MINERAL, RIO GRANDE, ARCHULETA, AND CONEJOS COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS OPEN-FILE REPT. 77-309.


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