Independent Claim

The Independent Claim is a copper and uranium mine located in Huerfano county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,652 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: Independent Claim

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Uranium

Location

State: Colorado
County: Huerfano
District: La Veta District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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: Prospect
Operation Type: Underground
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Interior Plains
Physiographic Province: Great Plains Province
Physiographic Section: Raton Section

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Sandstone U

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Culebra Massif

Type: L
Description: Vega Creek Anticline, La Veta Syncline

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Malachite

Rocks

Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Permian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: RADIOACTIVITY RANGES 3X BACKGROUND

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Location): LOWER WEST SLOPES OF KRUGER MTN. PROBABLE SITE WITHIN QUARTER-QUARTER DETERMINED FROM AIRPHOTOS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975) (1975)

Comment (Development): SOME DRILLING BY VANADIUM CORP. OF AMERICA

Comment (Deposit): YELLOW AND CHARTREUSE-COLORED (URANIUM) MINERALS OCCUR AS THIN COATINGS ON FRACTURES.

Comment (Workings): TRENCH AND SHAFT

References

Reference (Deposit): JOHNSON, R.B., 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE TRINIDAD QUADRANGLE, SOUTH-CENTRAL COLORADO: USGS MAP 1-558.

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., COLLINS, D.B., AND HORNBAKER, A.L., 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL. 40, P. 183.

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.