Rio Vista Mine

The Rio Vista Mine is a gold and copper mine located in La Paz county, Arizona at an elevation of 551 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 Vista Mine
Secondary: Northside
Secondary: Quartz King

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Arizona
County: La Paz
District: Cienega District

Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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

Type: Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Year: 1933
Time Period: 1918-1933
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^5% Cu, 0.5 Oz Au/Ton, 0.3 Oz Ag/Ton

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Sonoran Desert

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR, LENTICULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Nw-Trending Basin And Range Faults.

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Basalt
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 100 OR MORE TONS OF ORE AVERAGING ABOUT 5% CU, 0.5 OZ AU/TON, AND 0.3 OZ AG/TON.

Materials

Ore: Specularite
Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Hematite
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Location): SW OF BILLY MACK MOUNTAIN

Comment (Development): PAST OPERATORS ARE OSBORNE AND RANSFORD

Comment (Workings): PROPERTY HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY AN INCLINE SHAFT AND TUNNEL

Comment (Production): IN 1918-1919, THIS PROPERTY YIELDED THREE CARS OF SORTED, HIGH GRADE GOLD-COPPER ORE

Comment (Geology): MINERALIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH LOW-ANGLE NORMAL FAULTS; OREBODIES ARE FOUND WITHIN AND ABOVE THE FLINTY, CHLORITIC, MICROBRECCIATED, DETACHMENT SURFACE; SOME FLAKY GOLD PRESENT.

References

Reference (Deposit): ABM BULL 137, P. 127

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULL 451, P. 73

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT BULL 192, P. 142

Reference (Deposit): WILKINS, J. AND HEIDRICK, T. L., 1982, BASE AND PRECIOUS METAL MINERALIZATION RELATED TO LOW-ANGLE TECTONIC FEATURES IN THE WHIPPLE MOUNTAINS, CALIFORNIA AND BUCKSKIN MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA. IN: MESOZOIC-CENOZOIC TECTONIC EVOLUTION OF THE COLORADO RIVER REGION, CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, AND NEVADA; CORDILLERAN PUBLISHER; P. 182.

Reference (Production): A.B.M. BULLETIN 137, P. 127

Arizona Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Arizona" 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 Arizona.