Indian Creek Cinnabar Property

The Indian Creek Cinnabar Property is a mercury mine located in Yakima county, Washington at an elevation of 4,675 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: Indian Creek Cinnabar Property

Commodity

Primary: Mercury
Tertiary: Nickel

Location

State: Washington
County: Yakima

Land Status

Land ownership: National Wilderness
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 William O. Douglas Wilderness In Snoqualmie National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1951
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: Silica-carbonate Hg

Orebody

Form: DISSEMINATED

Structure

Type: L
Description: Foliation Trends Nnw Dips Steeply W.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silica-Carbonate

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SOME SAMPLES CONTAINED AS MUCH AS 0.6% HG, MOST CONTAINED MUCH LOWER QUANTITIES OF HG. DUMP SAMPLE ASSAYED 0.03% HG, HIGHEST ASSAY IN MINE WAS 0.17% HG. SOME SELECTED SAMPLES RAN 0.23-0.55% HG

Materials

Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Dolomite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Ankerite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Deposit): MRDS RECORD M054835 HAS BEEN MERGED WITH THIS RECORD AND DELETED

Comment (Commodity): MAGNETITE IS DISSEMINATED IN MANY OF THE ROCKS

Comment (Location): UNSURVEYED. ON AN EASTERN TRIBUTARY OF INDIAN CREEK

Comment (Development): DMEA CONTRACT RECOMMENDED, DENIED IN 1955. AREA ALONG STEEP CREEK BANKS EXPLORED BY TRENCHING, DIAMOND DRILLING, AND AN ADIT. NO COMMERCIAL CONCENTRATION OF CINNABAR FOUND. FURTHER EXPLORATION MIGHT BE JUSTIFIED.

Comment (Workings): 2 ADITS, TRENCHES, 14 DIAMOND DRILL HOLES, TRENCHING

Comment (Geology): METASEDIMENTARY ROCKS OF POSSIBLE MESOZOIC AGE ARE IN AREA OF CLAIMS

Comment (Deposit): HYDROTHERMALLY ALTERED ZONE IS 150 X 1500 X 300 FT. SLIGHT NI STAINING SEEN IN PLACES. WIDELY DISSEMINATED CINNABAR AS PAINT AND TINY CRSTALS IN SILICA CARBONATE (ALTERED VOLCANIC ROCK?) IN THIS 1500-FT LONG ZONE.

References

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, V. 1, P. 266.

Reference (Deposit): PURDY, C.P., JR., 1952, DIRECTORY OF WASHINGTON MINING OPERATIONS, 1952: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY INFORMATION CIRCULAR 20, P. 35.

Reference (Deposit): SIMMONS, G.C., VAN NOY, R.M., AND ZILKA, N.T., 1983, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE COUGAR LAKES-MOUNT AIX STUDY AREA, YAKIMA AND LEWIS COUNTIES, WASHINGTON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1504, P. 64.

Reference (Deposit): 1952 DIREXPL DMEA, FAILED TO FIND ANY MINEABLE OR

Reference (Deposit): WARREN, W.C., 1941, RELATION OF THE YAKIMA BASALT TO THE KEECHELUS ANDESITE SERIES: JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY, V. 49, NO. 8, P. 795-814.

Reference (Deposit): BAILEY, E.H., U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, PERSONAL FILES.

Reference (Deposit): U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, 1965, MERCURY IN WASHINGTON, IN MERCURY POTENTIAL OF THE UNITED STATES: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 8252, P. 366.

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.