Balaklala

The Balaklala is a copper mine located in Shasta county, California at an elevation of 2,598 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: Balaklala
Secondary: Windy Camp

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Iron

Location

State: California
County: Shasta
District: West Shasta Copper - Zinc

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Year: 1928
Time Period: 1902 - 1928
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^2.8 % Cu, 1.3 % Zn (?), 1.0 Oz/Ton Ag, .028 Oz/Ton Au.

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1895
Year Last Production: 1948
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: L

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: Klamath Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Massive sulfide, kuroko

Orebody

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Type: L
Description: Faults, Folds And Warps. Most Faults Have Small Offsets - Not Recognized At Surface. The Balaklala Fault Has Vertical Displacement Of 220 Ft., Downthrown On The North.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Sericite, Silicification, Pyritization

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Devonian

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Devonian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Greenockite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Sericite

Comments

Comment (Geology): GEOL.DESC: ROCKS IN AREA INCLUDE LOWER UPPER UNIT AND UPPER MIDDLE UNIT OF BALAKLALA RHYOLITE, RHYOLITE IS MASSIVE AND ESSENTIALLY STRUCTURELESS. SHALY TUFF AND COARSE AND FINE PYROCLASTIC MATERIAL UNDERLIES THE RHYOLITE. PYROCLASTIC MATERIAL RANGES FROM THIN BLACK SHALE CONTAINING MINOR TUFF LAYERS TO TAN SHALY TUFF AND THIN BEDS OF LAPILLI TUFF WITH COARSE VOLCANIC BRECCIA.

Comment (Commodity): THE ORE PRESENTS LARGE MASSES OF SOLID COPPER AND IRON SULPHIDES, WITH OCCASIONAL COPPER SILVER GLANCE, BLACK OXIDES OF SILVER AND COPPER, AND NATIVE COPPER. TWO LARGE SEPERATE ORE BODIES ARE KNOWN, THE EASTERN BODY, NEAR MULE GULCH HAS A LENGTH OF 1200 FT. (EAST - WEST) AND A WIDTH OF 300 FT. (NORTH - SOUTH), THICKNESS OF 20 - 40 FT. THE OTHER DEPOSIT, MULE GULCH IS OVER 900 FT LONG AND 20 - 60 FT. THICK.

Comment (Location): UTM EST. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :UNDETERMINED

Comment (Production): CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION VALUE IS TOTAL AMOUNT PRODUCED FROM ALL THE ORE BODIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE BALAKLALA MINE.

Comment (Deposit): PRONOUNCED GOSSAN OUTCROP, SPREADING IN PLACES TO OVER 100 FT. IN WIDTH, AND TRENDING NE.

Comment (Workings): THE DEVELOPMENTS CONSIST OF FOUR TUNNELS, 800 , 200 , 80 AND 70 FT. LONG, ALONG THE OUTCROP, WITH A FEW SHALLOW SHAFTS. 3,500 FT. OF DRIFTING AND CROSSCUTTING.

References

Reference (Deposit): BROWN, C. G., 1914 , 14TH REPORT OF THE STATE MINERALOGIST, CALIF. MIN. BUR. REPT. 14 , PG. 761 - 762 .

Reference (Deposit): CRAWFORD, J. J., 1894 , 12TH REPORT OF THE STATE MINERALOGIST, CALIF. MIN. BUR. REPT. 12 , PG. 245 .

Reference (Deposit): KINKEL ET AL., 1956 , GEOLOGY AND BASE METAL DEPOSITS OF WEST SHASTA COPPER - ZINC DISTRICT, CALIF., GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 285 , PG. 102 - 107 .

California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" 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 California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.