Cooper Fork Deposit

The Cooper Fork Deposit is a iron mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,008 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

Name: Cooper Fork Deposit  

State:  Colorado

County:  Pitkin

Elevation: 12,008 Feet (3,660 Meters)

Commodity: Iron

Lat, Long: 39.00001, -106.78560

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Cooper Fork Deposit

Cooper Fork Deposit MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Cooper Fork Deposit
Secondary: Taylor's Peak Deposit
Secondary: Cooper's Iron Mountain
Secondary: Pitkin Iron Mine
Secondary: Cooper Fork Quarry


Commodity

Primary: Iron


Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Columbia 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: Unknown


Workings

Not available


Ownership

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Mining Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N


Physiography

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


Mineral Deposit Model

Not available


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Not available


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Not available


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Unknown: Barite
Unknown: Calcite
Unknown: Chlorite
Unknown: Limonite
Unknown: Magnetite
Unknown: Pyrite
Unknown: Quartz
Unknown: Siderite


Comments

Comment (Deposit): U.S. BUREAU OF MINES MINERAL PROPERTY FILE 34.37 DESCRIBES TWO SMALL MAGNETITE DEPOSITS IN THE HEADWATERS AREA OF COOPER FORK CREEK. THESE TWO DEPOSITS ARE BELIEVED TO BE COOPER FORK QUARRY (0080970006) AND COOPER FORK DEPOSIT (0080970006). IT IS PROBABLE THAT THESE TWO DEPOSITS ARE NO MORE THAN A COUPLE OF ISOLATED MAGNETITE OUTCROPS IN THE GENERAL VICINITY OF THE PITKIN IRON MINE (0080970151). BECAUSE OF THE SMALL SIZE OF THESE DEPOSITS (ESTIMATED AT 100 LONG TONS EACH), NEITHER PROPERTY WAS EVALUATED. U.S. BUR. MINES MIN. PROP. FILE 34.37 INDICATES THAT BOTH COOPER FORK QUARRY AND COOPER FORK DEPOSIT ARE IN SECTIONS 18 AND 19, BUT THIS INFORMATION MAY BE INCORRECT BECAUSE THE AREA IS UNSURVEYED. EVALUATOR ESTIMATES LOCATION AS SE1/4, SECTION 17.

Comment (Ownership): THE PITKIN IRON MINE, LOCATED IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA, IS LOCATED ON PATENTED CLAIMS HELD BY THE PITKIN IRON CORP. OF CHICAGO. THESE CLAIMS MAY POSSIBLY ALSO INCLUDE THE COOPER FORK QUARRY AND COOPER FORK DEPOSIT.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, 1957, MINERAL PROPERTY FILE 34.37. THE ABOVE FILE GIVES RESERVES OF 100 TONS INDICATED AND NOT MORE THAN 1000 TONS INFERRED, BUT DOES NOT INDICATE WHETHER THESE ARE LONG TONS OR SHORT TONS. BECAUSE IRON RESERVES ARE NORMALLY GIVEN IN LONG TONS, IT WAS ASSUMED THAT THE FIGURES GIVEN ARE IN LONG TONS.


References

Reference (Deposit): BERRY, J.W., 1968, THE CLIMATE OF COLORADO, IN CLIMATES OF

Reference (Deposit): THE STATES, VOLUME II - WESTERN STATES INCLUDING ALASKA

Reference (Deposit): AND HAWAII: NOAA, EDS., PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., WATER

Reference (Deposit): GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 394, PAPERS ON THE CONSERVA-

Reference (Deposit): TION OF MINERAL RESOURCES, PP. 70-113.

Reference (Deposit): KNOPF, ADOLPH, 1926, RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ASPEN

Reference (Deposit): DISTRICT, COLORADO, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 785,

Reference (Deposit): CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, PART 1, P. 12.

Reference (Deposit): LEITH, C.K., 1905, IRON ORES OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

Reference (Deposit): AND BRITISH COLUMBIA, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 285

Reference (Deposit): CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, PP. 194-200.

Reference (Deposit): STARCH, KARL E., 1978-1979. THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF COLORADO

Reference (Deposit): BUREAU OF MINES MINERALS YEARBOOK, PP. 1-17.

Reference (Deposit): INFORMATION CENTER, INC., P. 595-613.

Reference (Deposit): BROWN, W.M. AND R.G. REEVES, 1964, MINERAL RESOURCES OF

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, PP.93-98.

Reference (Deposit): HARDER, E.C., 1908, THE TAYLOR PEAK AND WHITEPINE IRON-ORE

Reference (Deposit): DEPOSITS, COLORADO, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, BULLETIN 380,

Reference (Deposit): CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, PART 1, PP. 188-194.

Reference (Deposit): HAYES, C.W., 1909, IRON ORES OF THE UNITED STATES, U.S.


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

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