Silver Swan Mine

The Silver Swan Mine is a silver, lead, and zinc mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,694 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

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Site Name

Primary: Silver Swan Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: N.A. Cowdrey, MS 6317
Secondary: Little Maggie, MS 8070
Secondary: Hardscrabble, MS 8070
Secondary: Burchard, MS 8070
Secondary: Sachem, MS 20620
Secondary: Dawson, MS 20620
Secondary: Silver Swan, MS 20620
Secondary: Wamba, MS 20620
Secondary: Katherine,Ms 20620
Secondary: Twilight, MS 20622
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: New Era
Secondary: Nirvana
Secondary: New Era Nos. 1-3
Secondary: Nirvana Nos. 1-3
Secondary: Frances
Secondary: Tamale
Secondary: Ruby
Secondary: Ira
Secondary: Alice
Secondary: Eliese
Secondary: Marjorie
Secondary: Pine Knot
Secondary: Panama
Secondary: Crescent Romilda
Secondary: Louise
Secondary: Tango
Secondary: White Hope
Secondary: Rose
Secondary: Eleanor
Secondary: Signal and Sunrise
Secondary: Champiton

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold

Location

State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Pioneer (Rico) 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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Rico-Argentine Mining Co.
Home Office: Rico, Co.
Years: 1972 -

Production

Year: 1951
Description: Ap_Grade: ^2.2 Oz/Ton Ag, 3.2% Pb, 4.16% Zn, Trace Cu, Trace Au
Year: 1949
Description: Ap_Grade: ^6 Oz/Ton Ag, 6.6% Pb, 7.8% Zn, 0.1% Cu
Year: 1928
Description: Ap_Grade: ^8.67 Oz/Ton Ag, 14.3% Pb, 12.9% Zn, 0.25% Cu, 0.0235 Oz/Ton Au
Year: 1926
Description: Ap_Grade: ^3.5 To 4 Oz/Ton Ag, 15% Pb, 16% Zn, 0.1% Cu, 0.02 Oz/Ton Au
Year: 1952
Description: Ap_Grade: ^2.54 Oz/Ton Ag, 3.47% Pb, 4.9% Zn, Trace Cu, Trace Au
Year: 1950
Description: Ap_Grade: ^5.17 Oz/Ton Ag, 6.88% Pb, 7.01% Zn, 0.4% Cu, Trace Au
Year: 1929
Description: Ap_Grade: ^14.58 Oz/Ton Ag, 23% Pb, 18.3% Zn, 0.94% Cu, 0.0105 Oz/Ton Au
Year: 1927
Description: Ap_Grade: ^8 Oz/Ton Ag, 12% Pb, 12% Zn, 0.5% 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: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic replacement

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin

Type: L
Description: Rico Dome

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

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

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): TUNNEL DRIVEN INTO LOWER HERMOSA FM LIMESTONE, SANDSTONE, AND SHALE INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY. SMALL IRREGULAR VEIN IN LOWER LEVEL ENLARGES IN UPPER LEVEL AND TRENDS N 80 E, 70 NW, AND SHOWS ONE FOOT OF ORE ON HANGING WALL WITH SHEETED SANDSTONE AND ORE STRINGERS ON FOOTWALL. HIGHER LEVEL OFF RAISE FROM UPPER LEVEL SHOWS BLANKET REPLACEMENT CONSISTING OF LOWER 6 INCHES OF CLAY AND GOUGE OVERLAIN BY SHATTERED AND CRUSHED SHALE.

Comment (Workings): BY 1953, WORKINGS CONSISTED OF CROSSCUT TUNNEL AT LEAST 2000 FT LONG AND DRIVEN GENERALLY WEST, WITH 150-FT RAISE AT END TO UPPER VENTILATION TUNNEL; SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET OF DRIFTS, WITH RAISES AND WINZES. AT ABOUT 900 FT IN TUNNEL, OLD 60-FT RAISE CONNECTS TO SHORT UPPER LEVEL, FROM WHICH 12-FT RAISE DRIVEN TO HIGHER LEVEL.

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAIBLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1926. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR 1930-1948, 1954-1965, AND AFTER 1966. PRODUCTION FOR 1966 WAS DUMP ORE.

Comment (Development): EARLY HISTORY UNKNOWN, BUT IN LATER YEARS MINE WORKED BY RICO MINING AND REDUCTION CO. (1926), ST. LOUIS SMELTING AND REFINING CO. (1927-1929), AND RICO-ARGENTINE MINING CO. (1949-1972).

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON WEST SIDE OF DOLORES RIVER JUST BELOW SULPHUR CREEK CONFLUENCE (UNSURVEYED SECTIONS). ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FROM MCKNIGHT, 1974, PL. 1 (1930 BASE). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

References

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 6317, 8070, 20620, 20622

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): RANSOME, F.L., 1901, THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 22D ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 361-362.

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

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): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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