Skamania Mine

The Skamania Mine is a copper mine located in Skamania county, Washington at an elevation of 1,900 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: Skamania Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Vanadium

Location

State: Washington
County: Skamania
District: Washougal 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.
Administrative Organization: Property Is Said To Be On Deeded Land, But Topo Map Shows All Of Section To Be Within Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Unknown

Ownership

Owner Name: L. P. Montchalin, Washougal, And Mabel Mcgowan, Chinook
Years: 1956 -

Owner Name: Northwest Mining Co.
Home Office: Portland, Or
Years: 1977 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1950
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

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Form: VEIN

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Leaching, Oxidation

Rocks

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

Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAYS OF HAND SORTED ORE: 15.8-23.5% CU, 0.01-0.18 OZ/TON AU, 8.7-18.5 OZ/TON AG (1916). USBM SAMPLES: 2% CU, 1.0 OZ/TON AG OVER AVERAGE THICKNESS OF 3.5 FT FOR 1,374 FT. 1930 SAMPLES: 1.05-5.54% CU ON VEIN THICKNESS OF 8 IN.-6 FT. 13 SAMPLES FROM EAST ADIT: 1.05-12.2% CU, NIL-0.03 OZ/TON AU, 0.04-11.6 OZ/TON AG. 2 SAMPLES FROM WEST ADIT: 0.25-0.35% CU. VEIN QUARTZ ON THE DUMP: TR-5% CU. AVERAGE OF 4 SAMPLES: 4.59% CU, 0.06 OZ/TON AU, 3.29 OZ/TON AG. SEE MOEN (1977) FOR OTHER ASSAYS

Materials

Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Bornite

Comments

Comment (Location): ON EAST BANK OF WEST FORK WASHOUGAL RIVER 1.5 MI UPSTREAM FROM LAST CHANCE MINE. HUNTTING GIVES ALTERNATIVE LOCATION AS SE/4 SW/4 SEC. 21.

Comment (Deposit): LOCATION MAP AND MAPS OF MINE WORKINGS AVAILABLE, MOEN (1977). ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Production): AROUND 1915, SEVERAL SHIPMENTS OF CONCENTRATES WERE MADE TO TACOMA SMELTER.

Comment (Development): MINE HAS BEEN IDLE SINCE 1966. MOST UNDERGROUND WORKINGS ARE INACESSIBLE

Comment (Deposit): QUARTZ FISSURE VEIN IN QUARTZ DIORITE OF SILVER STAR PLUTON. VEIN CONSISTS OF WHITE VUGGY QUARTZ 1-6 FT THICK. SOME PARTS OF VEIN CONSIST OF SEVERAL THIN PARALLEL QUARTZ VEINS SEPARATED BY BRECCIATED AND SILICIFIED WALL ROCK AND GOUGE. SEVERAL NARROW BARREN QUARTZ VEINS PARALLEL MAIN VEIN. NEAR SURFACE PART OF VEIN IS OXIDIZED. ORE MINERALS CHIEFLY DISSEMINATED IN QUARTZ BUT LOCALLY FORM ISOLATED LENSES TO SEVERAL INCHES THICK.

Comment (Workings): 1,040 FT EAST ADIT WITH 6 CROSSCUTS 5-10 FT LONG, 326 FT WEST ADIT WITH 2 CROSSCUTS, 458 FT SHAFT WITH WINZE, 450 FT SHAFT WITH DRIFTS AT TWO LEVELS AND A CROSSCUT.

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1900'S

Comment (Geology): SKAMANIA VOLCANICS CROP OUT 800 FT EAST OF MINE AND ANDESITE ON DUMP INDICATES THAT IT WAS ENCOUNTERED UNDERGROUND

References

Reference (Production): MOEN (1977 )

Reference (Deposit): PHILLIPS, W.M., 1987, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE VANCOUVER QUADRANGLE, WASHINGTON AND OREGON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 87-10, SCALE 1:100,000.

Reference (Deposit): MOEN, W.S., 1977, ST. HELENS AND WASHOUGAL MINING DISTRICTS OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 60, P. 43, 50-52.

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. 78.

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.