Sunset Mine

The Sunset Mine is a copper mine located in Snohomish county, Washington at an elevation of 1,401 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: Sunset Mine

Commodity

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

Location

State: Washington
County: Snohomish
District: Index 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: In Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Index Mining Co.
Years: 1956 -

Owner Name: Granore Co.
Years: 1956 -

Production

Year: 1951
Time Period: 1902-1951
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^2.45 % Cu, 0.59 Oz Ag/Ton, 0.005 Oz Au/Ton

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1902
Discovery Year: 1897
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Northern Cascade Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Cascade Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Form: VEIN

Structure

Type: L
Description: Wnw-Trending Fracture Zone.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Weak Potassic, Sericitic, Chloritic

Rocks

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: AVERAGE FOR PRODUCTION: 2.45% CU, 0.59OZ/TON AG, 0.0057 OZ/TON AU.

Materials

Ore: Marcasite
Ore: Silver
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Cuprite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Copper
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Bornite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Talc
Gangue: Serpentine

Comments

Comment (Deposit): 5 SHEAR ZONES A FEW INCHES TO 16 FT WIDE WITH ORE FORMING LENSES, DISSEMINATIONS, REPLACEMENTS, AND FRACTURE FILLINGS

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED ON 5 LEVELS - 3 ARE BELOW DRAINAGE ON NO. 2 LEVEL. 5 VEINS WERE PRODUCTIVE; 1, THE SUNSET, YIELDED OVER 90% OF THE ORE. 3746 FT OF DIAMOND DRILL HOLES BY USBM (1950)

Comment (Geology): THE DIKES AND QUARTZITE THAT ARE PRESENT ON THE PROPERTY BUT DO NOT HAVE A DIRECT ASSOCIATION WITH ORE

Comment (Deposit): GRANT MAY BE SUGGESTING THAT THE DISTRICT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR A PORPHYRY COPPER, BUT NONE HAS YET BEEN FOUND. IN THAT CASE, THIS DEPOSIT WOULD BE ONE OF THE ASSOCIATED VEIN DEPOSITS ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Deposit): MRDS RECORDS W017894, US53033 HAVE BEEN MERGED WITH THIS RECORD AND DELETED

Comment (Location): POSSIBLY PORPHYRY COPPER AREA FROM GRANT. ON NORTH SIDE OF TROUT CREEK NEAR JUNCTION WITH SKYKOMISH RIVER

Comment (Production): TOEPFER ALSO GIVES ANNUAL PRODUCTION FIGURES

Comment (Development): PROPERTY IDLE SINCE 1946

References

Reference (Deposit): TOEPFER, P.H., 1953, INVESTIGATION OF THE SUNSET COPPER MINE, SNOHOMISH COUNTY, WASHINGTON: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 4989, 9 P.

Reference (Deposit): WEAVER, C.E., 1912, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE INDEX MINING DISTRICT: WASHINGTON GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 7, P. 71-73.

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, MINERAL INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, V. 1, P. 91.

Reference (Deposit): BROUGHTON, W.A., 1942, INVENTORY OF MINERAL PROPERTIES IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY, WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 6, P. 16.

Reference (Deposit): 1950 DIREXPL U.S. BUREAU OF MINES RPT INV. 4989

Reference (Production): TOEPFER, 1953, P. 4

Reference (Reserve-Resource): GRANT, 1976

Reference (Deposit): GRANT, A.R., 1969, CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CONTROLS FOR BASE METAL DEPOSITION IN THE CASCADE RANGE OF WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULETIN 58, P. 78.

Reference (Deposit): DERKEY, R.E., JOSEPH, N.L., AND LASMANIS, RAYMOND, 1990, METAL MINES OF WASHINGTON - PRELIMINARY REPORT: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 90-18, P. 368.

Reference (Deposit): GRANT, A.R., 1976, REPORT OF EVALUATION, MINERAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS STUDY ON UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE LAND, STATE OF WASHINGTON: PREPARED FOR U.S. FOREST SERVICE - REGION 6, CONTRACT NO. 004724N, P. 38-39.

Washington Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Washington" 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 Washington.