Pick and Shovel Mine

The Pick and Shovel Mine is a chromium mine located in San Luis Obispo county, California at an elevation of 1,519 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: Pick and Shovel Mine
Secondary: Safety Mine
Secondary: Safety Chrome Mine

Commodity

Primary: Chromium
Tertiary: Iron

Location

State: California
County: San Luis Obispo
District: Cuesta Pass

Land Status

Land ownership: State
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

Type: Other

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Camp San Luis Obispo Miltary Reservation-Cal Natl Guard
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1976

Owner Name: Pierce, W. D. -Last Operator 1958
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1976

Production

Year: 1943
Description: Lump Ore Mined 56 Mt
Year: 1942
Description: Lump Ore Mined 95 Mt
Year: 1917
Description: Lump Ore Mined From 1917-1918 5200 Mt @ 45 Pct
Year: 1954
Description: Concentrate Produced From 1953-1988 74 Mt @ 48 Pct
Year: 1954
Description: Lump Ore Mined From 1953-1958 720 Mt @ 46.76 Pct
Year: 1880
Description: Lump Ore Mined From 1880-1910 4800 Mt

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Year First Production: 1880
Discovery Year: 1880
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: California Coast Ranges

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Unknown: Chromite
Unknown: Magnesite
Unknown: Manganite
Unknown: Serpentine

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): RESERVE ESTIMATE 1941 5000-7000 TONS 5-10% CR2O3 CITED FROM 700. DESCRIPTIONS BASED ON 1941 REPT. AND FIELD VIST BY CDM LY,1975. MINING CONTINUED UNTIL 1958. MINE VISTED 7-22-75 INADEQUAT RESOURCES FOR COST ANALYSIS. ANALYSIS BY CDMG IN 1976 GAVE FOLLOWING PERCENTAGES-MASSIVE 2 01.72,CR2O3 42.02,FEO 12.67,TOTAL FE 17.69,AL203 21.26,MGO CR/FE 2.09.OLD MILL CONCENTRATES=S102 9.72,CR2O3 45.31,TOTAL 24,AL203 11.58,MGO 14.09,CR/FE 2.19.

Comment (Environmental Factors): CHROMITE DEPOSITS IN THE CHORRO CREEK WATERSHED ARE NOT SULFIDES WITH POTENTIAL TO GENERATE ACID MINE DRAINAGE THOUGH THEY MAY ERODE CHROMIUM, ALUMINUM, MAGNESIUM, IRON, MANGANESE, TITANIUM, CALCIUM, SILICON, AND NICKEL TO THE WATERSHED. METALS WHICH APPEAR TO BE ERODING FROM INACTIVE MINES INCLUDE MAGNESIUM, IRON, NICKEL, AND CHROMIUM. SAN LUISITO CREEK, PENNINGTON CREEK, AND UPPER CHORRO CREEK APPEAR TO BE THE MOST HEAVILY MINE-IMPACTED TRIBUTARIES IN THE CHORRO CREEK WATERSHED.

References

Reference (Deposit): P. 64.

Reference (Deposit): CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD, CENTRAL

Reference (Deposit): COAST REGION. SURFACE WATER DEGRADATION BY INACTIVE

Reference (Deposit): METAL MINES IN NORTHWEST SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CA,

Reference (Deposit): DECEMBER 1993 (P. 6-8).

Reference (Deposit): CALIF. STATE MINING BUR. BULLETIN 76, 1918, P. 174-175.

Reference (Deposit): CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOL. V. 37, 1941, P. 163.

Reference (Deposit): U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 945-B, 1944, P. 40.

Reference (Deposit): CALIF. DIV. MINES BULLETIN 134, 1953, PART II, CHAPT. 2,

California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" 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 California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.