Forest-Payroll Mine

The Forest-Payroll Mine is a silver, zinc, and lead mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,138 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

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Site Name

Primary: Forest-Payroll Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Forest, MS 730
Secondary: Payroll, MS 7631
Secondary: Unpatented Claim: Wedge

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Pioneer (Rico) 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

Owner Name: Helen Hicks
Home Office: Rico, Co.
Years: 1966 -

Owner Name: Mountain States Mining Co.
Home Office: Cortez, Co.
Years: 1966 -

Production

Year: 1937
Description: Ap_Grade: ^8 Oz/Ton Ag, 25.5% Pb, 2% Zn, 0.02 Oz/Ton Au
Year: 1952
Description: Ap_Grade: ^5.9 Oz/Ton Ag, 9.8% Pb, 8.4% Zn, 1.37% Cu, 0.014 Oz/Ton Au, 0.135% As
Year: 1949
Description: Ap_Grade: ^19 Oz/Ton Ag, 32.1% Pb, 1.2% Zn, 1.15% Cu, 0.025 Oz/Ton Au, 0.15% Sb
Year: 1949
Description: Ap_Grade: ^6.5 Oz/Ton Ag, 28% Pb, 0.35% Cu, 0.02 Oz/Ton Au

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1966
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 replacement

Orebody

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin

Type: L
Description: Rico Dome

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation Of Pb Sulfide To Carbonate And Sulfate; Alteration Of Pyrite; Mn Oxides From Impure Limestone

Rocks

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: RANSOME'S (1901, P. 283) ANALYSIS OF LIMESTONE FROM UPPER BLANKET: 39.15% CAO, 2.29% MGO, 30.86% CO2 (BY DIFFERENCE), 1.17% COMBINED H2O, 23.51% SIO2, 0.06% TIO2, 1.56% AL2O3 (AND TRACE OF P2O5), 0.30% FE2O3, 0.56% FEO (0.16% AS CARBONATE), TRACES (?) OF ZNO, CUO, AND BAO, TRACE P2O5. ANALYSIS OF ALTERATION PRODUCT OF LIMESTONE: 1.06% CAO, 14.21% MGO, 0.17% CO2, 16.21% COMBINED H2O, 29.29% SIO2, 0.27% TIO2, 12.56% AL2O3, 5.36% FE2O3, 13.27% MNO2, 1.65% ZNO, 0.40% CUO, 5.21% PBO2, TRACE (?) BAO, 0.20% NA2O AND K2O, STRONG TRACE LI2O, 0.14% P2O5, TRACE SO3. TETRAHEDRITE-TENNANTITE-BEARING SPHALERITE CONTAINED 2.5% AG AND 0.5% BI.

Materials

Ore: Limonite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Anglesite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Workings): MAIN TUNNEL DRIVEN S 29 W FOR ABOUT 400 FT, WITH CROSS DRIFTS ON INTERSECTED VEINS, WINZE AT 260 FT FROM PORTAL; AT 280 FT FROM PORTAL IS 120-FT RAISE ON FOREST VEIN TO UPPER CONTACT, WITH DRIFTS CONNECTING TO NO. 3 TUNNEL FROM SURFACE. DRIFTS ON LOWER CONTACT AT 75 FT IN RAISE. FIVE OR SIX OTHER TUNNELS HIGHER ON SLOPE.

Comment (Deposit): SE-AND SW-DIPPING LOWER HERMOSA FM SANDSTONE, SHALE, AND LIMESTONE ARE INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIKES. PRINCIPAL VEIN IS FOREST VEIN, TRENDING N 75 W, 85 SW, AND CONTAINING ONE FOOT OF QUARTZ AND LOW-GRADE SPHALERITIC ORE. MCKNIGHT DESCRIBES IT AS QUARTZ VEIN WITH PYRITE, SPHALERITE, GALENA, CHALCOPYRITE, AND OXIDIZED TO ANGLESITE, CERUSSITE, AND LIMONITE, RANSOME (1901) DESCRIBES BLANKET REPLACEMENT DEPOSITS AS LOWER 5-FT-THICK SHALE-FRAGMENT AND CLAY-MATRIX BRECCIA LYING ABOUT 85 FT ABOVE MAIN FOREST DRIFT BETWEEN SANDSTONE AND SHALE. BRECCIA CONTAINS UNALTERED BEDS OF HARDER SANDSTONE AND SHALE. LOW-GRADE GALENA AND ARGENTIFEROUS PB CARBONATE ORE OCCUR IN BLANKET NEAR VERTICAL FISSURES. UPPER BLANKET, 5 TO 6 FT THICK, LIES IN LIMESTONE 30 TO 50 FT ABOVE LOWER BLANKET BETWEEN SHALE ROOF AND FLOOR OF EITHER PORPHYRY OR SHALY CALCAREOUS SANDSTONE; ORE IS GALENA, ANGLESITE, AND CERUSSITE IN SMALL BODIES ALONG VERTICAL FISSURE. UPPER BLANKET CHARACTERIZED BY

Comment (Deposit): ABUNDANT SOOTY MN OXIDES, APPARENTLY A RESIDUAL ALTERATION PRODUCT OF IMPURE LIMESTONE (SEE ANALYTICAL DATA). BOTH BLANKETS SLIGHTLY FAULTED, DOWNDROPPED IN STEPS TO SOUTH. ALTHOUGH SIMILAR TO UNION-CARBONATE, FOREST-PAYROLL BLANKETS NOT DEFINITELY CORRELATABLE.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). SW OF ALLYN GULCH ON NE SIDE OF NORTH PROJECTION OF DOLORES MTN. (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FROM MCKNIGHT, 1974, PL. 1 (1930 BASE). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1937. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR 1938-1948, 1950-1951, 1953, 1955-1964, AFTER 1966. FIGURE FOR 1954 IS ORE CREDITED TO PAYROLL TUNNEL.

References

Reference (Deposit): PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.

Reference (Deposit): RANSOME, F.L., 1901, THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 22D ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 346-349.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND RANSOME, F.L., 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE: USGS FOLIO 130.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 730, 7631

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.; MCKNIGHT, 1974, P. 94 (FIGURES FOR 1965-1966)

Reference (Deposit): MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 723, P. 73-75, 93-94.

Colorado Mining Photos

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