Saginaw Mine

The Saginaw Mine is a copper and silver mine located in Pima county, Arizona at an elevation of 2,779 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: Saginaw Mine
Secondary: Papago Queen
Secondary: Gold Hill
Secondary: Amole Group
Secondary: Gold Mountain
Secondary: Saginaw Hill

Commodity

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

Location

State: Arizona
County: Pima
District: Amole District

Land Status

Land ownership: Unknown
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: Strong and Harris

Production

Year: 1934
Time Period: 1917-1934
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^1% Cu, 0.5 Oz/T Ag

Deposit

Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Porphyry Cu
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Sonoran Desert

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Porphyry Cu

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Ne Trending Fractures, Brecciation

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Limonite, Quartz, Sericite, Clay, Pyrite, Garnetized-Epidotized

Rocks

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

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Malachite
Ore: Cuprite

Comments

Comment (Commodity): WEAKLY MINERALIZED

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION SPORADIC. PRODUCTION OF SMELTER FLUX FROM 1956-1959

Comment (Development): HAS BEEN PROSPECTED FOR PORPHYRY COPPER

Comment (Deposit): CHALCOPYRITE & PYRITE ON W SIDE OF SAGINAW PROPERTY, COPPER OXIDE S ON E SIDE OF SAGINAW PROPERTY (PAPAGO QUEEN), CERUSSITE & GALENA ON S END OF PROPERTY ALONG RHYOLITE-LIMESTONE CONTACT

Comment (Workings): SHAFTS, PITS, AND MINOR UNDERGROUND WORKINGS. PROSEPECT WORKINGS CONCENTRATED ALONG N60E TREND, BUT NO GOOD FRACTURE ZONE IS EXPOSED

Comment (Geology): ON SE SIDE OF FRACTURE & EXTENDING 300 M AWAY IS PROPYLITIZED QUAR TZ MONZONITE. LOCAL LIMONITE AND PARTLY OXIDIZED PYRITE WITH MINOR COP PER SILICATES ALONG FRACTURE ZONE.

Comment (Deposit): THIS REPORT REPRESENTS A MERGER OF ORIGINAL RECORD M050631 WITH RE CORD M030513 OF JAN WILT IN MOLYBDENUM FILE, CONTACT PERSON T.G. THEOD ORE, USGS ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 3 FIELD OBSERV

Comment (Environmental Factors): The Saginaw Hill Site consists of two areas of potential contamination?the abandoned Saginaw Mine and the abandoned Palo Verde Mine. These areas are situated within a 540-acre parcel of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The site is located approximately 10 miles southwest of Tucson, Arizona. (BLM Fact Sheet, June 2005) Sulfide mining and smelting occurred at the site from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s in the area of the Saginaw Mine and the Palo Verde Mine. Base metal sulfides were mined and used as smelter flux to process precious metal ore brought in from outside the area. The mine tailings, waste rock, and slag left over from mining and processing the ore present a concern for human health and the environment, primarily as a source of metal contamination. The BLM is conducting site investigations to characterize the source, nature, and extent of contamination associated with the abandoned mines. Information obtained by the site investigations will enable BLM to evaluate removal action alternatives to minimize or eliminate the potential release of any site contaminants that would present a risk to human health and the environment. For public safety, BLM has fenced and signed both abandoned mine sites and has filled 27 open mine shafts identified on the Saginaw Hill property.

References

Reference (Environmental Factors): Abandoned Mines Site Investigations at Saginaw Hill Pime County, AZ: BLM Fact Sheet, June 2005. Accessed 28-JUL-2009. http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/az/pdfs/nepa/library/saginaw.Par.27395.File.dat/Saginaw_Hill_Fact_Sheet.pdf
URL: http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/az/pdfs/nepa/library/saginaw.Par.27395.File.dat/Saginaw_Hill_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Reference (Deposit): Ariz Bur Mines Bull 189 P102 1974

Reference (Production): KEITH, 1974

Reference (Deposit): ABM FILE DATA

Reference (Deposit): KEITH, 1974, ABM BULL 189, P. 103

Reference (Deposit): ASHLEY, R.P., 1974, FIELD EXAM

Reference (Deposit): KINNESON, 1958, M.S. THESIS, UNIV OF AZ, 123 P.

Arizona Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Arizona" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Arizona.