Alta Mine

The Alta Mine is a silver and lead mine located in Santa Cruz county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,049 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: Alta Mine

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Zinc
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Fluorine-Fluorite

Location

State: Arizona
County: Santa Cruz
District: Harshaw 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

Type: Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1877
Year Last Production: 1952
Discovery Year: 1875
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Sonoran Desert

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: 300-400 Ft Thick Lava Flows Of Hardshell-Hardshaw Creek Area

Type: L
Description: Normal Faulting; Slickensides Indicate Post-Vein Movement

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Quartz-Fluorite Gouge Replaces Rhyolite; Surface Oxidation To Unknown Depths

Rocks

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

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: AT 250 FT DEPTH, HIGH GRADE ORE BODY 2-3 FT WIDE CONTAINS VALUES OF 37% PB WITH 2 OZ. AU, 1% CU, 15 OZ/TON AG

Materials

Ore: Embolite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Specularite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1870'S

Comment (Geology): RHYOLITE DIKE DIPS 40 NNE, AND WEATHERS YELLOWISH BROWN WITH LIMONITE STAIN; MINERALIZATION EXTENDS SOME 200 FT FROM DIKE INTO DIORITE COUNTRYROCK; RHYOLITE LOCALLY MUCH ALTERED TO SERICITE, EPIDOTE, CARBONATE, CHLORITE

Comment (Location): 1/3 MILE NNW OF HARDSHELL MNE, IN MOUTH OF SW TRIBUTARY OF HARDSHELL GULCH. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1979)

Comment (Commodity): MINOR AMOUNTS OF CHALCOPYRITE

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION ESTIMATED AT 3500 TONS OF ORE (17,500 OZ. AG; 2,590,000 LBS PB)

Comment (Development): WORKED INTERMITTENTLY IN LATE 1870'S, EARLY 1880'S AND TO MINOR DEGREE IN 1900'S; OPERATORS INCLUDED MELBA MINING CO. (ACQUIRED PROPERTY IN 1897 AND WORKED FOR A FEW YEARS); MINE IS PATENTED

Comment (Deposit): MINERALIZATION OCCURS ALONG HANGING-WALL SIDE OF RHYOLITE DIKE EMPLACED IN FAULT FISSURE; LENSING ORE SHOOTS AT GREATER DEPTHS; HIGH GRADE SILVER HALIDES IN OXIDIZED SURFACE ZONE.

Comment (Workings): DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDED A SHAFT INCLINED TO N; SHAFT PRESENTLY CAVED IN AND WORKINGS ARE INACCESSIBLE; WORKINGS AT 250 FT EXPOSED 45 FT LONG, 3 FT WIDE ORE SHOOT OF LEAD; WORKINGS AT 300 FT EXPOSED 4 INCH VEIN OF PYRARGYRITE

References

Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, FRANK S., 1972, MESOZOIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS AND ADJOINING AREAS, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 658-E.

Reference (Deposit): USBM FILES, ALTA MINE.

Reference (Deposit): PHILLIPS, K.A., 1987, ARIZONA INDUSTRIAL MINERALS: ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES MINERAL REPORT 4, 185 P.

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Deposit): MOORES, RICHARD C., 1972, THE GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF APORTION OF THE HARSHAW DISTRICT, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: M.S. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, P. 73.

Reference (Deposit): SCHRADER, FRANK C.,1915, MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE SANTA RITA AND PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA: USGS BULLETIN 582, P. 264-265.

Reference (Deposit): KEITH, STANTON B., 1975, INDEX OF MINING AND PROPERTIES IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: ARIZONA BUREAU OF MINES BULLETIN 191, P. 56.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT FILE DATA, STANTON B. KEITH.

Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, FRANK S., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP AND SECTIONS OF THE NOGALES AND LOCHIEL QUADRANGLES, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: USGS MAP I-762, SCALE 1:48000.

Arizona Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Arizona" 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 Arizona.