Winchester Tunnel

The Winchester Tunnel is a gold and silver mine located in Rio Grande county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,834 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: Winchester Tunnel  

State:  Colorado

County:  Rio Grande

Elevation: 11,834 Feet (3,607 Meters)

Commodity: Gold, Silver

Lat, Long: 37.42528, -106.59889

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 Winchester Tunnel

Winchester Tunnel MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Winchester Tunnel


Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper


Location

State: Colorado
County: Rio Grande
District: Summit (Summitville) 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: Surface/Underground


Ownership

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
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

Model Name: Epithermal quartz-alunite Au


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Platoro Caldera, Summitville Caldera, Summitville Fault, South Mountain Dome


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Quartz-Alunite Solfataric Alteration


Rocks

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAY FROM CARPER (1914): 0.58 OZ/TON AU, 0.75 OZ/TON AG (AT $20.65/OZ AU, $0.60/OZ AG)


Materials

Not available


Comments

Comment (Location): ON NE SIDE OF SOUTH MTN 1640 FT SE OF CHANDLER PORTAL. PORTAL ELEV FROM STEVEN AND RATTLE (1960, PL.4). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED PRINCIPALLY ON LITTLE ANNIE VEIN ZONE, MOST EXTENSIVELY DEVELOPED VEIN AND RICHEST AU PRODUCER IN DISTRICT. DEPOSIT IS NW-SE-TRENDING, NEARLY VERTICAL, IRREGULARLY TABULAR MASS OF LIMONITE-STAINED, HIGHLY SILICIFIED ROCK, ALMOST ENTIRELY VUGGY QUARTZ WITH LOCAL SELVAGES OR INCLUSIONS OF QUARTZ-ALUNITE ROCK. ZONE APPARENTLY ENDS ON SE NEAR WINCHESTER PORTAL. NE-TRENDING CROSS-FRACTURES REFLECTED BY PROJECTIONS OF SILICIFIED ROCK AND ELONGATED PIPES, SUCH AS ANNIE BELLE VEIN EXTENDING SW FROM ANNIE OPEN CUT. HIGHLY OXIDIZED ORE (AURIFEROUS LIMONITE) STOPED ABOVE IDA LEVEL, SOME MINED BETWEEN IDA AND CHANDLER LEVELS. UNOXIDIZED AU-CU SULFIDE ORE ON CHANDLER LEVEL AND AS DEEP AS REYNOLDS LEVEL BUT CONTINUITY UNKNOWN. WINCHESTER MINE ALSO EXTENDS SW INTO ANNIE BELLE VEIN AND INTO NW END OF COPPER HILL-ESMOND VEIN ZONE BENEATH DEL NORTE WORKINGS.

Comment (Workings): TUNNEL DRIVEN S 62 TO 72 W FOR 100 FT INTO SE END OF VEIN ZONE. DRIFTS EXTEND NW INTO VEIN ZONE FOR 940 FT; 1200 FT OF WORKINGS IN COPPER HILL-ESMOND VEIN ZONE. ANNIE OPEN CUT DEVELOPED TO SURFACE ABOVE WINCHESTER LEVEL 350 FT NW OF PORTAL. IDA CUT ON SURFACE AT NW END OF TUNNEL 600 FT NW OF PORTAL.


References

Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., 1917, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE PLATORO-SUMMITVILLE MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: CGS BULL. 13.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND RATTE, J.C., 1960, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE SUMMITVILLE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 343

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): CARPER, A.F., 1914, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN, RIO GRANDE COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES THESIS T-464.


Colorado Mining Photos

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