Wells Creek Gossan

The Wells Creek Gossan is a silver and copper mine located in Whatcom county, Washington at an elevation of 2,251 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

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Site Name

Primary: Wells Creek Gossan
Secondary: Great Excelsior

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Copper

Location

State: Washington
County: Whatcom
District: Mount Baker 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: In Mount Baker National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Glacier Mining Co, Seattle
Years: 1967 -

Owner Name: Steelhead Gold
Years: 1988 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1964
Discovery Method: Geophysical Anomaly
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Northern Cascade Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Form: DISSEMINATED

Structure

Type: R
Description: West Plunging Syncline Superimposed On Regional North-Trending Anticline

Type: L
Description: Strong Shears

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Andesite Is Silicified, Sericitized

Rocks

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Middle Jurassic

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Middle Jurassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAYS SHOW 0.20 OZ/TON AG, NO GOLD, AS MUCH AS 0.40% CU. AVERAGE PYRITE CONTENT IS <3%, MAY BE AS HIGH AS 10%. SEVERAL IRON-OXIDE STAINED ZONES CONTAIN UP TO 700 PPM CU.

Materials

Ore: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Location): UNSURVEYED. APPROXIMATELY 1 MI SOUTHEAST OF CONFLUENCE OF WELLS CREEK AND NOOKSACK RIVER

Comment (Development): IN 1964, AN AEROMAGNETIC ANOMALY WAS DETECTED, WHICH INDICATED A COPPER DEPOSIT AT 700 TO 900 FT DEPTH. IN 1966, A GEOCHEMICAL SURVEY OF THE AREA FOUND AS MUCH AS 700 PPM CU IN SOIL NEAR SOUTH END OF CLAIMS.

Comment (Deposit): THE CU ANOMALY IS IN STRONGLY SHEARED AND ALTERED ANDESITE. SHEAR ZONE STRIKES N ON THE NORTH END OF THE CLAIMS AND N 45 E ON THE SOUTH END. WITHIN THE SHEAR ZONE, SILICIFIED AND SERICITIZED ANDESITE CONTAINS FINE-GRAINED DISSEMINATED PYRITE.

Comment (Geology): HOST ROCKS ARE OVERLAIN BY PLEISTOCENE ANDESITE OF MOUNT BAKER.

Comment (Deposit): 19 CLAIMS ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Deposit): SEE ALSO MRDS RECORD M700046

References

Reference (Deposit): MOEN, W.S., 1969, MINES AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 57, P. 95.

Reference (Deposit): DERKEY, R.E., JOSEPH, N.L., AND LASMANIS, RAYMOND, 1990, METAL MINES OF WASHINGTON - PRELIMINARY REPORT: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 90-18, P. 557.

Reference (Deposit): TABOR, R.W., HAUGERUD, R.A., BOOTH, D.B., AND BROWN, E.B., 199X, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE MOUNT BAKER 30 X 60 MINUTE QUADRANGLE, WASHINGTON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 9X-XXX, SCALE 1:100,000 (IN PREPARATION IN 1993).

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, P. 75, 95.

Washington Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Washington" 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 Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Washington.