Denver Tunnel

The Denver Tunnel is a silver, lead, and zinc mine located in Mineral county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,600 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: Denver Tunnel

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc

Location

State: Colorado
County: Mineral
District: Royal Arch (Spar City) 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

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: San Juan Volcanic Field, Creede Caldera

Type: L
Description: Deep Crek Graben

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 26.400000+-
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 26.400000+-
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Barite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): MINERALIZATION LOCALIZED IN MINOR FAULTS NEAR INTERSECTION OF INFERRED SOUTHWARD EXTENSION OF NORTH-SOUTH TRENDING DEEP CREEK GRABEN (TENSIONAL FEATURE FORMED DURING RESURGENT DOMING IN CREEDE CALDERA) AND INFERRED EAST-WEST TREND OF REACTIVATED CALDERA MARGIN FAULT PROBABLY ACTIVE DURING EARLIER CALDERA FORMATION BUT LATER BURIED BY VISCOUS FISHER QUARTZ LATITE FLOWS DEPOSITED DURING POST-DOMING MARGINAL VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

Comment (Location): ON DIVIDE BETWEEN PALO ALTO CREEK AND BIRD CREEK 1.2 MILES SE OF SPAR CITY AND 0.6 MILE NW OF EMMA MINE. S-T-R PROJECTED INTO UNSURVEYED AREA. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

Comment (Commodity): ORE MINERALS BASED ON PROBABLE SIMILARITY WITH CREEDE DISTRICT

Comment (Development): AREA PROSPECTED SPORADICALLY SINCE EARLY 1900S. ALTHOUGH AG AND PB FOUND, SYSTEMATIC EXPLORATION DISCOURAGED BY THICK SOIL AND FOREST COVER, LANDSLIDES, AND GLACIAL DRIFT. AMOUNT OF PRODUCTION, IF ANY, UNKNOWN BUT CERTAINLY SMALL.

Comment (Workings): ONE TUNNEL OF UNKNOWN EXTENT DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH AND SE

References

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND LIPMAN, P.W., 1973, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SPAR CITY QUADRANGLE, MINERAL COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-1052.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., 1964, GEOLOGIC SETTING OF THE SPAR CITY DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 475-D, P. D123-D127.

Colorado Mining Photos

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