Eagle Mine

The Eagle Mine is a zinc, silver, copper, lead, and gold mine located in Eagle county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,409 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: Eagle Mine
Secondary: New Jersey Zinc Co. Eagle Mine
Secondary: Gilman Mine
Secondary: includes the Little Chief, Iron Mask, Belden, and Black Iron mines

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Primary: Silver
Primary: Copper
Primary: Lead
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Manganese

Location

State: Colorado
County: Eagle
District: Gilman (Red Cliff) 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.

Holdings

Type: Patented

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Paramount Communications Inc.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1994

Production

Year: 1979
Description: Cu-Ag Ore (Mt) 9995 Mt Cu-Ag Ore
Year: 1978
Description: Cu-Ag Ore (Mt) 7980 Mt Cu-Ag Ore
Year: 1977
Description: 4396 Mt Cu-Ag Ore
Year: 1977
Description: Zn Ore Production - Aug Dec 1977 56700 Mt Zn Ore

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Mining Method: Timbered Stopes - Overhand Square-Set
Milling Method: Flotation
Year First Production: 1879
Discovery Year: 1879
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic replacement

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: NE flank of Sawatch anticline

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: dolomitization and dissolution

Rocks

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Name: Sandstone
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Name: Sandstone
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Mississippian

Name: Clastic Sedimentary Rock
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian

Name: Clastic Sedimentary Rock
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian

Name: Dolomite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Devonian

Name: Dolomite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Middle Ordovician

Name: Orthoquartzite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian

Name: Mixed Clastic/Carbonate Rock
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian

Name: Orthoquartzite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Dolomite
Gangue: Barite
Trace: Gold

Comments

Comment (Orebody): Orebody materials listed include only the principal primary ore and gangue minerals.

Comment (Production): Historically, the largest zinc and copper producing mine in Colorado, the Eagle mine was closed in 1981. Cumulative production from the district, most of which came from the Eagle mine or its predecessors, totals nearly 400,000 oz. of gold, 67.6 million oz. of silver, 212 million lb. of copper, 317 million lb. of lead, and 1.868 billion lb. of zinc, from 13.1 million tons of ore. About 200,000 tons of manganiferous iron ore was also produced.

Comment (Location): At Gilman on the Eagle River, about 2 miles NW of Red Cliff, in secs. 12-13, T 6 S, R 81 W, and secs. 7,18, T 6 S, R 80 W..

Comment (Economic Factors): COPPER-SILVER ORE MINED OUT AS OF DECEMBER 1977.

Comment (Development): New Jersey Zinc Co. consolidated several mines and properties, including the Little Chief, Iron Mask, Belden, and Black Iron mines, into the Eagle mine by 1918. The Newhouse tunnel, near the railroad, and the Wilkesbarre shaft provide main access to some 20 levels and 65 miles of workings that extend at least 8,500 ft. down dip from the outcrop and 9,000 ft. along strike to develop the ore bodies.

Comment (Economic Factors): "The Eagle Mine, though never able to dominate zinc production so completely [compared with Climax's domination of molybdenum], remained the largest zinc producer and retained its position as one of the important lead and silver mines. It suffered serious labor troubles in 1952 and again in 1960 but was hurt more by a fluctuating zinc and lead price. After high levels in the early fifties, zinc production leveled off, then picked up again in the sixties, before slumping again late in the decade. San Miguel County, basically the Idarado mining operations, followed Eagle County in production" [of zinc]. (Smith, 1977, p. 150-151)

Comment (Geology): The deposits are principally replacement deposits (mantos) of zinc-lead-silver ore and chimney deposits of copper- silver ore in dolomites of Mississippian and Late Devonian age. The host rocks are little deformed or faulted and dip about 12 degrees to the NE, away from the Sawatch anticline.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves have been depleted, and the mine has been reclaimed.

Comment (Commodity): In terms of total quantity and present (2006) value, zinc is the dominant metal produced.

Comment (Deposit): CERCLA (SUPERFUND) SITE.

Comment (Geology):

References

Reference (Production): Long, K. R., DeYoung, J. H., Jr., and Ludington, S. D., 1998, Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States: Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206, pt. B.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): GULF & WESTERN SEC FORM 10-K, JUL 31, 1978, P. 26, 27.

Reference (Geology): LOVERING, T. S., OGDEN TWETO, AND T. G. LOVERING. ORE DEPOSITS OF THE GILMAN DISTRICT, EAGLE COUNTY, COLORADO, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER 1017, 1978, 90 PP.

Reference (Workings): GENTRY, D. W. LEAD & ZINC IN COLORADO & WYOMING, BUMINES GRANT GO264005, SEP 1976, 211 PP.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): GULF & WESTERN SEC FORM 10-K, JUL 31, 1977, P. 7.

Reference (Deposit): Long, K. R., DeYoung, J. H., Jr., and Ludington, S. D., 1998, Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States: Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206, pt. B.

Reference (Workings): MINING ENGINEERING MAGAZINE. NEW JERSEY ZINC, THE EAGLE MINE, DECEMBER 1953, PP. 1224-5.

Reference (Economic Factors): Smith, D.A., 1977, Colorado Mining--A photographic history: Albuquerque, Univ. of New Mexico Press, 176 p.
Pages: p. 150-151.

Reference (Deposit): Radabaugh, R. E., Merchant, J. S., and Brown, J. M., 1968, Geology and ore deposits of the Gilman (Red Cliff, Battle Mountain) district, Eagle County, Colorado, in Ridge, J. D., editor, Ore deposits of the United States, 1933-1967 (Graton-Sales volume): New York, American Institute of Mining Engineers, p. 641-664.

Colorado Mining Photos

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