Waterfall Mine

The Waterfall Mine is a copper, silver, and gold mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,299 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: Waterfall Mine
Secondary: Bluff-Waterfall Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold

Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: Needle Mountain (Tacoma, Florida, Vallecito) 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

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

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, San Juan Basin, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Needle Mtns Uplift, Eolus Batholith, Chicago Basin Stock, Trimble Stock

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Silver
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). CROSS AND OTHERS' (1905) MAP SHOWS LOCATION APPROX 0.7 MILE UP UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF NEEDLE CREEK NORTH OF MOUNTAIN VIEW CREST, 4.5 MILES WNW OF COLUMBINE PASS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Deposit): CROSS AND OTHERS (1905) DESCRIBE DEPOSIT AT WATERFALL MINE AS MODIFIED-TYPE VEIN IN WHICH MINERALIZATION FORMED BY REPLACEMENT IN CLOSELY SPACED QUARTZ VEINLETS IN SHEETED ZONE IN METAMORPHICS. INTERSECTING ZONES CAN FORM STOCKWORK-TYPE DEPOSIT. SHEETED ZONE USUALLY CUTS ACROSS FOLIATION AND COMMONLY BRANCHES IN HANGING WALL. NATIVE AU AND AG REPORTED FROM UPPER OXIDIZED ZONE.

References

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 30-32, 55-67.

Reference (Deposit): SCHMITT, L.J., AND RAYMOND, W.H., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS DISTRICT, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1434, 40 P.

Colorado Mining Photos

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