Wheeler Ranch Deposit

The Wheeler Ranch Deposit is a mercury mine located in Washoe county, Nevada at an elevation of 5,259 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: Wheeler Ranch Deposit  

State:  Nevada

County:  Washoe

Elevation: 5,259 Feet (1,603 Meters)

Commodity: Mercury

Lat, Long: 39.45972, -119.84639

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 Wheeler Ranch Deposit

Wheeler Ranch Deposit MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Wheeler Ranch Deposit


Commodity

Primary: Mercury


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: Occurrence
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: North-Trending Faults


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Bleaching, Propylitization


Rocks

Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Mercury
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Gypsum
Gangue: Chalcedony
Gangue: Jarosite


Comments

Comment (Workings): DEPOSIT DISCOVERED IN 1875 BY JOHN POE, PROPERTY EXPLORED BY SOME 260 FEET OF DRIFTS, HAS BEEN WORKED ONLY INTERMITTENTLY WITH SMALL PRODUCTION

Comment (Geology): CINNABAR AS VEINLETS ALONG N-TRENDING FAULTS W/DISCONT QUARTZ VEINS. EXPLORATION UNDERWAY IN 1966.


References

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

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

Reference (Deposit): BAILEY, EH, US GEOL SURVEY, PERSONAL FILES

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

Reference (Deposit): 5) HOLMES, GW, JR, 1965, MERCURY IN NEVADA: USBM IC 8252


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.