Calico Peak Alunite Deposit

The Calico Peak Alunite Deposit is a aluminum mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,028 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: Calico Peak Alunite Deposit
Secondary: Calico Peak

Commodity

Primary: Aluminum
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Sulfur
Secondary: Molybdenum
Tertiary: Potassium
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Titanium, Metal
Tertiary: Silver

Location

State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Rico (Pioneer) 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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.

Holdings

Type: Federal Lease

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Colorado Alunite Co.
Home Office: Pueblo, Co.
Years: 1918 -

Owner Name: Bulkley Wells
Home Office: Denver, Co.
Years: 1918 -

Owner Name: Peaker, D.H., and A.J.
Percent: 100.0
Info Year: 1975

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Replacement
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1899
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Epithermal quartz-alunite Au

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin

Type: L
Description: Rico Dome, Calico Peak Stock, Calico Peak Anticline

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: See Comments

Rocks

Name: Latite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 4.000000+-0.400000
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 4.000000+-0.400000
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ANALYSIS 2 (FINE-GRAINED VEIN ROCK FROM SOUTH RIDGE), 37.66 % AL203, 1.79% SI02, 37.92% SO3, 0.38 % CAO, 2.12 % NA2O, 6.77 % K2O, 13.09 % COMBINED H2O. ONE ANALYSIS FIGURE INDICATES 19.9% ALUNITE.
Analytical Data: CROSS AND SPENCER'S (1900) ANALYSES OF ALUNITE ROCK: ANALYSIS 1 (COARSE-GRAINED ROCK FROM WEST FACE). 42.35 % AL203, 2.54 % SIO2, 35.24 % SO3, 0.08% CAO, 4.02% NA20, 3.27% 12.12% COMBINED H20

Materials

Ore: Alunite
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Illite
Gangue: Muscovite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Jarosite
Gangue: Sulfur

Comments

Comment (Deposit): REPLACED BY QUARTZ AND MIXTURES OF QUARTZ, ALUNITE, AND KAOLINITE, SPHENE ALTERED TO RUTILE, ACCESSORY ZIRCON, AND JAROSITE/PLUMBOJAROSITE ALTERATION; (D) BRECCIA PHASE MOST PROMINENTLY DEVELOPED ALONG SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MARGINS OF STOCKS, COMPOSED OF QUARTZITE AND SANDSTONE FRAGMENTS (PRECAMBRIAN AND PENNSYLVANIAN?) IN QUARTZ-RICH-PHASE GROUNDMASS. STOCK EMPLACED BY TWO CLOSELY SPACED PULSES: FELDSPAR-RICH PHASE EMPLACED BY LATITE-TRACHYTE PULSE FOLLOWED BY (SECOND) QUARTZ LATITE PHASE (QUARTZ-RICH PHASE) BEFORE FINAL COOLING. FORCIBLE INJECTION AND ASSIMILATION OF COUNTRY ROCK CAUSED NO APPRECIABLE DISTURBANCE OF HOST ROCK (CUTLER FM) EXCEPT FOR FORMATION OF RADIAL AND CONCENTRIC FRACTURE SYSTEMS DURING COOLING. SOME INITIAL FRACTURES FILLED WITH DIKES FROM FIRST INJECTION PHASE. FELSITE DIKES INTRUDED ALONG ARCUATE FRACTURES CONCAVE TOWARD CENTER OF STOCK AFTER CONSOLIDATION BUT BEFORE ALTERATION AND MINERALIZATION. SERNA-ISAZA'S (1971) SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND GEOCHEMIC AL

Comment (Deposit): RECOGNIZED THREE PERIODS OF ALTERATION (DETAILED UNDER "SIGNIFICANT ALTERATION") CLOSELY FOLLOWING EMPLACEMENT AND CONSOLIDATION OF STOCK AND FORMATION OF RADIAL/CONCENTRIC FRACTURE SYSTEMS: (A) EARLY EPITHERMAL(?) ALTERATION CHARACTERIZED BY SERICITIZATION OF FELDSPAR AND ALTERATION OF SPHENE TO RUTILE, AND PARTLY MASKED OR CHANGED BY (B) PRINCIPAL SOLFATARIC ALTERATION STAGE, CHARACTERIZED BY INTRODUCTION OF ALUNITE AND FORMATION OF STOCKWORK SILICA AND JAROSITE, SURROUNDED BY ARGILLIC ENVELOPE OF KAOLINITE AND ILLITE OR MIXTURES OF KAOLINITE-SERICITE AND ALUNITE-KAOLINITE, SECONDARY FORMATION OF RARE ZUNYITE; (C) LATE SUPERGENE ALTERATION OF PYRITE AND JAROSITE TO HEMATITE, AND LIMONITE, SOME PROBABLE LATE FORMATION OF ALUNITE AND KAOLINITE IN VEINLETS. SOLFATARIC ALTERATION BELIEVED TO BE CONTROLLED BY AND CENTERED ON RADIAL FRACTURE SYSTEM WITHIN STOCK, WHICH PERMITTED ACIDIC SULFUROUS VAPORS, CO2, AND MINOR DISSOLVED SILICA TO SEPARATE FROM MAGMA RESERVOIR, RISE THROUGH CONDUITS

Comment (Geology): VOLCANIC PLUG (?) SOLFATARICALLY ALTERED

Comment (Workings): ABANDONED CROSSCUT TUNNEL LOCATED ON SE SIDE OF STOCK ON NORTH SIDE OF HEADWATER BRANCH OF HORSE CREEK, DRIVEN N 83 W FOR 143 FT TO FACE, AT WHICH 60-FT RAISE TO SURFACE: AT 25 FROM PORTAL, DRIFT DRIVEN GENERALLY NORTH FOR ABOUT 35 FT WITH 40-FT NW BRANCH. SECOND TUNNEL LOCATED ON NE SIDE OF STOCK AT HEAD OF UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF HORSE CREEK, DRIVEN S 57 W FOR 137 FT TO FACE. OPEN CUTS.

Comment (Deposit): AND STRUCTURALLY WEAK ZONES IN STOCK, INTERACT WITH METEORIC WATERS TO FORM ACIDIC SOLUTIONS (AND SEPARATION OF NATIVE S) THAT SPREAD OUTWARD FROM MINERALIZING CENTERS, REACTING WITH WALL ROCKS, AND GRADUALLY CHANGING FROM STRONGLY ACIDIC TO LESS ACIDIC TO NEUTRAL TO BASIC THROUGH PROGRESSIVELY WEAKER, OUTER ALTERATION ZONES. NAESER AND OTHERS (1979) DATED CALICO PEAK PORPHYRY AS PLIOCENE, THUS ESTABLISHING MAXIMUM AGE OF ITS ALTERATION AND MINERALIZATION. BASED ON ANNEALING OF FISSION TRACKS IN OLDER IGNEOUS ROCKS (LATE CRETACEOUS TO TERTIARY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY), THEY ALSO POSTULATED LATE TERTIARY THERMAL DISTURBANCE PROBABLY CENTERED ON BURIED STOCK ON NE SIDE OF RICO AND RELATED EITHER TO CALICO PEAK PORPHYRY OR TO ALASKITE PORPHYRY (PLIOCENE) INTRUSIONS, AND HAVING POTENTIAL FOR PORPHYRY-TYPE MINERALIZATION (BASED ON MO IDENTIFICATION AT CALICO PEAK).

Comment (Orebody): From merged and deleted record 10166903: Area: 62 HA Length: 530 M Width: 408 M Depth to Top: 0 M Thickness: 150 M MAS Matrix: Type of Orebody #1 : REPLACEMENT Shape of Orebody #1 : OTHER Primary mode of Origin : CONT METASOMATIC Primary Ore Control : LITHOLOGY Secondary Ore Control : FRACTURINGD egree of Wallrock Alter. : UNKNOWN Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 : UNKNOWN Strike And Dip : N00S: Minimum Depth to Top : 0 Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 0 Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 0 Total Surface Area (HA) : 62 Date of Last Modification : 801119

Comment (Workings): From merged and deleted record 10166903: (appears to be a model, not actual workings) Type of Workings: Surface Area: 22 HA Additional Information: MAS Development Schedule #: 1 Mining Record # : 1 Status of Mining Method : PROPOSED Mining Method : BENCH (BERM) Swell Factor : .67 Avg. Overburden Thickness : 0 Hardness of Ore : HARD ROCKS Avg. Bench Height (meters): 10 Max. Pit Slope (degrees) : 35 Capacity : 9072 Capacity Units : MT ORE/DAY Preprod. Stripping Vol. : 0 Unit Production Cost : .85 Units of Production : $/MT ORE Operating Days per Year : 350 Operating Shifts per Day : 3 Year of Information : 1975 DATA ENTRY BY R.A. SALISBURY. REC. 080, COL. 23 ORE BODY SHAPE IS ASSUMED TO BE CONE SHAPE SURFACE MINING UNIT PROD. COST AND PLANT CAPITAL COST ARE AS TO BE SIMILAR TO THE N-G ALUNITE PROJECT OWNED BY EARTH SCIE IN BEAVER CO., UTAH. RECORD 160 ASSUME SHIPPING POINT IS RICO, COLO. RECORD 160 ASSUME DESTINATION OF CONCENTRATE IS THE DALLES, ESTIMATED 8 YEARS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BRING DEPOSIT TO PROD DUE TO THE LOWER GRADE NATURE OF THIS DEPOSIT, IT IS SUGGEST THIS DEPOSIT IS NOT LIKELY TO BECOME ACTIVE IN THE NEAR FUTU GRADES ARE IN TERMS OF AL203 (ALUMINA). RECORD 130 ACQUISITION NOT INCLUDED. ASSUME $0.14 PER TO ASSUME COST DATA GOOD TO MAY 30, 1975.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). APPROX UPPER 630 FT OF CALICO PEAK. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR TOP OF CALICO PEAK. LOCATED AT THE HEAD OF HORSE CRREK CANYON. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Reserve-Resource): THOENEN, 1941; SERNA-ISAZA, 1971. SERNA-ISAZA, M.J., (1971 M.S. THESIS) ESTIMATED 100 MILLION TONS OF 19.9% ALUNITE. R.B. HALL CONSIDERS THIS UNREALISTIC.

Comment (Development): DEPOSIT WAS KNOWN AND DESCRIBED BEFORE 1900, BUT NO APPARENT ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO EVALUATE AND DEVELOP IT UNTIL COLORADO ALUNITE CO.'S WORK DURING WW I. JUST BEFORE WW II, USBM ESTIMATED ALUMINA RESOURCES AT CALICO PEAK AND OTHER U.S. ALUNITE DEPOSITS.

Comment (General): Merged and deleted record 10166903 ((old MAS 0080330007) gave year of discovery as 1912 and mining method as bench (berm) and milling method as "hydrometallurgy unspecified" on a surface operation.

Comment (Deposit): SAMPLING SHOWS CLOSE CORRELATION BETWEEN ALTERATION PATTERNS IN STOCK AND ANOMALOUS DISTRIBUTIONS OF SELECTED ELEMENTS. PRINCIPAL ALUNITE CONCENTRATIONS (G.T. 25 % AS CALCULATED FROM % SOLUBLE AL203) LIE AT CENTER OR PEAK AND RADIAL FRACTURE SYSTEM AND ON FAR EAST AND SOUTHERN MARGINS WITH SEVERAL SMALLER AREAS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT STOCK AND POSSIBLY INDICATING POSITIONS OF SECONDARY CONDUITS OR OTHER MAJOR FRACTURES OR STRUCTURALLY WEAK ZONES. ANOMALOUS MO (20 TO 40 PPM) FOUND ON NORTH SIDE OF STOCK, APPARENTLY INCREASING DOWNWARD; TWO OTHER AREAS COINCIDE WITH RICH QUARTZ-ALUNITE AREAS AND STOCKWORK SILICIFICATION IN CENTER AND SE SIDE OF STOCK. ANOMALOUS PB (250 TO 500 PPM) SHOWS FAIR RADIAL DISTRIBUTION CENTERED ON HIGHLY SILICIFIED AREA. SAMPLING ALSO SHOWS GENERAL LEACHING OF MG AND CA, AND CONCENTRATION OF NA AND K. ANOMALOUS CU (350 PPM) AND MN (2 %) COMMON IN INTERMEDIATE DIKES; TRACES OF AG FOUND IN APOPHYSIS OF CALICO PEAK PORPHYRY ON SW SIDE OF STOCK. SERNA-ISAZA

Comment (Deposit): CALICO PEAK STOCK AND ASSOCIATED LATITE DIKES INTRUDED WEST- AND NW-DIPPING CUTLER FM RED BEDS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIKES, ALL ON WEST SIDE OF RICO DOME. SERNA-ISAZA (1971) IDENTIFIED SEVERAL PHASES OF LATITE PORPHYRY STOCK EMPLACEMENT: (A) FELDSPAR-RICH PHASE IN NORTH PART OF STOCK AND INCLUDING RADIAL DIKES, CHARACTERIZED BY TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF FELDSPAR PHENOCRYSTS BY KAOLINITE, ILLITE, ALUNITE, SOME SERICITE AND JAROSITE, IN QUARTZ-ALUNITE MATRIX, ACCESSORY ZIRCON, AND SPHENE REPLACED BY RUTILE; (B) TRANSITIONAL PHASE THROUGH CENTRAL PART OF STOCK, CHARACTERIZED BY GRADATION FROM FELDSPAR PORPHYRY TO QUARTZ PORPHYRY, PHENOCRYSTS REPLACED BY KAOLINITE, ALUNITE, AND SERICITE IN FINE-GRAINED QUARTZ MATRIX, ACCESSORY SPHENE AND ZIRCON, JAROSITE PARTLY ALTERED TO HEMATITE, AND SOME ILLITE AND PLUMBOJAROSITE; (C) QUARTZ-RICH PHASE IN SOUTHERN PART OF STOCK, CHARACTERIZED BY QUARTZ AND FELDSPAR PHENOCRYSTS IN FELSIC MATRIX, FELDSPAR

References

Reference (Deposit): CALKIN, W.S., 1970, EVALUATION OF THE ALUNITE OF CALICO PEAK, DOLORES CO. COLO FOR COLORADO CENTRAL MINES: EARTH SCIENCES, INC., OCT. 21, 1970. CONFIDENTIAL REPORT.

Reference (Deposit): NEUBERT, J.T., 1992, MINERAL APPRAISAL OF SAN JUAN NATIONAL FOREST, CO: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES MINERAL LAND ASSESSMENT OPEN-FILE REPORT 2-92 (SAMPLES 93-123)

Reference (Deposit): 1943, GEOLMAP: L.S. GARDNER; UNPUB. REPT.

Reference (Deposit): GARDNER, L.S., 1944, UNPUB. REPT. IN USGS FILE.

Reference (Deposit): 1899, RECON: W. CROSS AND A.C. SPENCER: 21ST ANN. REPT.

Reference (Deposit): NAESER, C.W., AND OTHERS, 1979, PLIOCENE INTRUSIVE ROCKS AND MINERALIZATION NEAR RICO, COLORADO: USGS OF-79-1093, 18 P.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND SPENCER, A.C., 1900, GEOLOGY OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 21ST ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 32-33, 87, 92-94.

Reference (Deposit): THOENEN, J.R., 1941, ALUNITE RESOURCES OF THE UNITED STATES: USBM RI-3561, 48 p.

Reference (Deposit): SERNA-ISAZA, M.J., 1971, GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF CALICO PEAK, DOLORES COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES M.S. THESIS T-1338.

Reference (Deposit): MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 723.

Reference (Deposit): PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.

Reference (Deposit): RATTE, J.C., 1968, ALUNITE, IN MINERAL AND WATER RESOURCES OF COLORADO: U.S. GOVT. PRINTING OFFICE, P. 155-157.PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.

Reference (Deposit): HALL, R.B., 1980, ALUNITE--A POTENTIALLY ECONOMIC SOURCE OF ALUMINUN AND POTASH?, IN SCHOWCHOW, S.D., ED., PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTEENTH FORUM ON GEOLOGY OF INDUSTRIAL MINERALS: CGS RESOURCE SER. 8, P. 77-88.COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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