Alder Limonite Deposit

The Alder Limonite Deposit is a iron mine located in Saguache county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,199 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: Alder Limonite Deposit
Secondary: Miller Vein Deposit
Secondary: Round Hill Deposit
Secondary: Decker Creek Deposit

Commodity

Primary: Iron
Tertiary: Titanium, Metal

Location

State: Colorado
County: Saguache

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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sangre De Cristo Range, Rio Grande Rift

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Sand and Gravel
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Holocene

Name: Sand and Gravel
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Holocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 0.1 TO 1.0 % TI.
Analytical Data: 0.01 TO 0.1 % CU, CR, MN, NI
Analytical Data: CHARACTER SAMPLE ANALYSIS GAVE 29.8 % FE, 0.23 % P, 0.37 % S, 36.4 % SI02, LT 0.1 % MN. ANALYSIS OF ORE SHIPMENT GAVE 45.0 % FE, 0.032 % P, 19.9 % SI02, 3.5 % AL203, 0.3 % MG0. SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS GAVE 0.001 TO 0.01 % GA, PB, ZR, V

Materials

Ore: Hematite
Ore: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Location): 2 MILES EAST OF ALDER BETWEEN BRANCHES OF DECKER CR. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Workings): SEVERAL SMALL SURFACE CUTS

Comment (Geology): GEOL.DESC: HIGH SILICA CONTENT, YELLOW TO BROWN LIMONITE, ASSOC. W/SOME PYRITE

Comment (Deposit): A B0G IRON DEPOSIT OF VARIABLE COMPOSITION, TEXTURE, AND FE CONTENT, RANGING FROM NEARLY PURE, POROUS, CLINKERY LIMONITE TO MIXTURE OF LIMONITE AND SAND/GRAVEL TO COLLUVIAL MIXTURE OF PRECAMBRIAN FLOAT CEMENTED BY LIMONITE.

Comment (Production): TOTAL PRODUCTION UNKNOWN. HARRER AND TESCH ESTIMATE 1943 PRODUCTION OF 50 TONS HAND-SORTED ORE AT 45 % FE

References

Reference (Deposit): USBM MIN. EXAM FILE

Reference (Deposit): CONSV. DIV. COMP. DATE, 8,69

Reference (Deposit): HARRER, C.M., AND TESCH, W.J., JR., 1959, RECONNAISSANCE OF IRON OCCURRENCES IN COLORADO: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES 1C 7918.

Colorado Mining Photos

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