Steamboat Springs Mine

The Steamboat Springs Mine is a mercury mine located in Washoe county, Nevada at an elevation of 5,000 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

Name: Steamboat Springs Mine  

State:  Nevada

County:  Washoe

Elevation: 5,000 Feet (1,524 Meters)

Commodity: Mercury

Lat, Long: 39.38333, -119.75833

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Steamboat Springs Mine

Steamboat Springs Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Steamboat Springs Mine
Secondary: Silica Pit


Commodity

Primary: Mercury
Secondary: Sulfur
Secondary: Silica
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Silver
Tertiary: Gold


Location

State: Nevada
County: Washoe
District: Steamboat Springs 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

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

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


Physiography

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


Mineral Deposit Model

Not available


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Description: Walker Lane Fault System

Type: L
Description: Steamboat Hills Fault System (N-S)


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Bleaching, Propylitic


Rocks

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

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Metacinnabar
Gangue: Opal
Gangue: Chalcedony
Gangue: Sulfur
Gangue: Quartz


Comments

Comment (Location): LOCATION SW/4, NE/4

Comment (Workings): DISCOVERED IN 1875 BY THOMAS WHEELER, NEVADA QUICKSILVER CO PRODUCED HG AND S "FOR SEVERAL YEARS" FOLLOWING 1877. CINNABAR AND SULFER OCCUR IN BLEACHED, ALTERED, GRANODIORITE, AS FRACTURE FILLINGS & DISSEM IN VEINLETS OF OPAL & CHALCEDONY & AS FRACTURE COATINGS. TOTAL PRODUCTION PROBABLY LESS THAN 100 FLASKS (BONHAM, P 87)

Comment (Geology): HOT SPRINGS WATER ALSO CONTAINS DETECTABLE AMOUNTS OF MERCURY


References

Reference (Deposit): BAILEY, EH, PHOENIX, DA, QUICKSILVER DEPOSITS IN NEVADA, NBMG BULL 41, 1944

Reference (Deposit): BONHAM, HF, GEOL & MIN RES, WASHOE & STOREY CO, NEV NBM&G BULL 70, 1969

Reference (Deposit): THOMPSON, GA, WHITE, DE REGIONAL GEOL, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS AREA, WASHOE CO, NEV USGS PROF PAPER 458-A, 1964

Reference (Deposit): PAPKE, 1969, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF WASHOE AND STOREY COUNTY, NEVADA: NBMG BULL 70


Nevada Gold

Gold Districts of Nevada

Nevada has a total of 368 distinct gold districts. Of the of those, just 36 are major producers with production and/or reserves of over 1,000,000 ounces, 49 have production and/or reserves of over 100,000 ounces, with the rest having less than 100,000 ounces. Read more: Gold Districts of Nevada.