Rio Oro Mine

The Rio Oro Mine is a copper, silver, and gold mine located in Saguache county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,019 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: Rio Oro Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold

Location

State: Colorado
County: Saguache
District: Blake (Mirage, Cotton Creek) 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

Owner Name: Rio Oro Mining And Milling Co.
Home Office: Moffat
Years: 1982 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Arch, Sangre De Cristo Range, Rio Grande Rift

Type: L
Description: Sangre De Cristo Fault

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Gneiss
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleoproterozoic

Name: Gneiss
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Development): MINE WAS PAST PRODUCER UNDERGOING DEVELOPMENT IN 1982

Comment (Workings): ONE TUNNEL OF UNKNOWN EXTENT; SURFACE CUTS

Comment (Location): AT WEST BASE OF SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE ALONG SPRING CREEK OR OTHER UNNAMED GULCH, PROBABLY NEAR TRIPLE T. MINE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR CENTER SEC. 29. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

References

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPT.

Reference (Deposit): SCOTT, G.R., AND OTHERS, 1978, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PUEBLO 1X2 QUADR ANGLE, SOUTH-CENTRAL COLORADO: USGS MAP I-1022

Colorado Mining Photos

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