Bear Creek Mine

The Bear Creek Mine is a vanadium and uranium mine located in San Miguel county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,520 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: Bear Creek Mine
Secondary: Bear Creek Group
Secondary: Patented Claims: Vanadis No. 4, MS 16864
Secondary: Vanadis No.5, MS 16864
Secondary: Vanadis No. 6,Ms 16864
Secondary: Primos A, MS 19304
Secondary: Primos No. 1, MS 19305
Secondary: Primos No. 2, MS 19327
Secondary: Primos No. 3, MS 19363
Secondary: Primos No. 4, MS 19384

Commodity

Primary: Vanadium
Primary: Uranium
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Selenium

Location

State: Colorado
County: San Miguel
District: Lower San Miguel 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

Owner Name: Foote Minerals Co.
Home Office: Shiprock, N.M.
Years: 1967 -

Production

Year: 1946
Description: Ap_Grade: ^2.79 % V205

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1910
Year Last Production: 1957
Discovery Year: 1903
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: Paradox Basin, Uncompahgre Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field, San Miguel Mtns

Type: L
Description: Placerville Anticline, Frazier Fault, Ross Graben

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: GALENA-CLAUSTHALITE SAMPLE CONTAINED 10% SE (COLEMAN AND DELEVAUX),1957)

Materials

Gangue: Galena

Comments

Comment (Deposit): BEDS DIP GENTLY EAST AND POSSIBLY SE OFF CREST OF PLACERVILLE ANTICLINE. RHYOLITE SILL INTRUDES DAKOTA SANDSTONE NEAR TOP OF RIM OF WILSON MESA. NW-TRENDING FRAZIER FAULT (DOWNTHROWN ON SW) FORM NE BOUNDARY OF ROSS GRABEN, TRUNCATES SE LIMB OF ANTICLINE, AND DISPLACES V-BEARING LAYER SW OF MINE. MINE PRODUCED ABNOUT 100,000 TONS OF ORE FROM TWO LARGEST ORE BODIES IN AREA, REPORTEDLY AVERAGING 2.5 TO 3% V205. DEPOSIT LIES CLOSE TO CENTER OF MINERALIZED BELT NEAR ITS SE END.

Comment (Location): CLAIMS COVER MINERALIZED BED ON BOTH SIDES OF BIG BEAR CREEK 1.7 TO 2.4 MILES SOUTH OF VANADIUM (CONFLUENCE OF BIG BEAR CREEK AND SAN MIGUEL RIVER), PARTLY OVERLAPPING CLAIMS AT CARPENTER MINE TO NORTH. PRINCIPAL WORKINGS LIE ON WEST SIDE OF CREEK IN N2 SEC. 04. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR CENTER OPENING ON WEST SIDE OF CREEK. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. ANNUAL TOTALS FOR 1910-1918 UNAVAILABLE, BUT FISCHER AND OTHERS REPORT ESTIMATED CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF 130,000 TONS ORE. ANNUAL FIGURES FOR 1944-1957 FROM CDM RECORDS. MINE PRODUCED ORE IN 1944, 1946, AND 1947, BUT FUGURES WERE NOT REPORTED. NO REPORTED PRODUCTION IN OTHER INTERVENING YEARS. CUMULATIVE TOTAL THROUGH 1971 FROM NELSON-MOORE AND OTHERS, BUT EXACT YEARS OF COVERAGE UNCERTAIN.

Comment (Development): VANADIS CLAIMS SURVEYED BY U.S. VANADIUM CO. IN 1903; REMAINDER SURVEYED AND PATENTED IN 1912-1915 BY HAROLD BOERICKE. PRIMOS CHEMICAL CO. OPERATED MINE IN 1910-1918, PRODUCING ABOUT 130,000 TONS ORE. MINING RESUMED IN 1943 OR 1944 BY VANADIUM CORP OF AMERICA.

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY SEVERAL SHORT TUNNELS WITH STOPES ON EAST SIDE OF CREEK. PRINCIPAL WORKINGS ON WEST SIDE CONSIST OF TWO GROUPS OF INTERCONNECTED OPENINGS AND STOPES FROM WHICH EXPLORATORY TUNNELS EXTEND. TO TEST FOR V LAYER ON DOWNTHROWN SIDE OF FRAZIER FAULT, INCLINE DRIVEN S 30 W AT 23% FOR ABOUT 1500 FT, THENCE SW AND WEST INTO EXPLORATORY TUNNELS AGGREGATING ABOUT 4000 FT.

References

Reference (Deposit): FISCHER, R.P., AND OTHERS, 1947, VANADIUM DEPOSITS NEAR PLACERVILLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCI. SOC. PROC., V. 15, NO. 3, P. 117-146.

Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND OTHERS, 1961, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE GRAY HEAD QUADRANGLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-176.

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., AND OTHERS, 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL. 40, P. 405.

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

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 16864, 19304, 19305, 19327, 19363, 19384

Reference (Deposit): COLEMAN, R.G., AND DELEVAUX, MARYSE, 1957, OCCURRENCE OF SELENIUM IN SULFIDES FROM SOME SEDIMENTARY ROCKS OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 52, P. 499-527.

Reference (Production): FISCHER AND OTHERS, 1947, P. 133; COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS,; NELSON-MOORE AND OTHERS, 1978, P. 405.

Colorado Mining Photos

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