Unnamed Prospects

The Unnamed Prospects is a copper, lead, and silver mine located in San Juan county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,299 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: Unnamed Prospects

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver

Location

State: Colorado
County: San Juan
District: Snowdon Peak Area

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

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
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: San Juan Uplift

Type: L
Description: Needle Mtns Uplift, Unnamed Fault

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Fe Oxides, Cu Carbonates

Rocks

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

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: DUMP SAMPLE OF FE-STAINED LIMESTONE WITH CU CARBONATES FROM NE ADIT CONTAINED 2.45% CU, 1.10% PB, 0.3 OZ/TON AG. CHIP SAMPLES OF FE-STAINED QUARTZITE FROM CENTER ADIT CONTAINED 0.2 TO 0.3 OZ/TON AG. CHIP SAMPLE OF LIMESTONE WITH CU CARBONATES FROM SW PROSPECT PIT CONTAINED 0.06% CU AND 0.05% PB. VEINLETS ALSO SHOW UP TO 10.3% BARITE.

Materials

Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Dolomite
Gangue: Malachite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Barite

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). NEAR HEAD OF UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF LIME CREEK 1.25 MILES SOUTH OF U.S. ROUTE 550 1.7 MILES SW OF MOLAS PASS, AND 1.3 MILES NW OF SNOWDON PEAK (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Workings): ONE SURFACE PROSPECT PIT; TWO TUNNELS OF UNKNOWN EXTENT DRIVEN GENERALLY SE.

Comment (Deposit): ON NW SIDE OF UPLIFT, WNW-TRENDING QUARTZITES AND SLATES OF PRECAMBRIAN UNCOMPAHGRE FM LIE IN FAULT CONTACT WITH DEVONIAN AND MISSISSIPPIAN LIMESTONES AND WITH PENNSYLVANIAN CLASTICS. PRINCIPAL FAULT TRENDS GENERALLY NE, DOWNDROPPED ON NW. BARITE AND CALCITE GANGUE AND METALS OCCUR IN VEINLETS IN OPEN SPACES WITHIN FAULT.

References

Reference (Deposit): SCOTT, D.C., 1983, MINERAL INVESTIGATION OF THE WEST NEEDLE WILDERNESS STUDY AREA AND THE BLM WEST NEEDLE CONTIGUOUS WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, LA PLATA AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES, COLORADO: USBM MLA 35-83, P.8-9, 20-21.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE: USGS FOLIO 131.

Reference (Deposit): BARKER, FRED, 1969, PRECAMBRIAN GEOLOGY OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 644-A.

Colorado Mining Photos

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