North Big Hole Canyon

The North Big Hole Canyon is a phosphorus-phosphates mine located in Madison county, Montana at an elevation of 4,898 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: North Big Hole Canyon

Commodity

Primary: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Tertiary: Uranium
Tertiary: Fluorine-Fluorite

Location

State: Montana
County: Madison

Land Status

Land ownership: Unknown
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

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Deposit): LOCATION CONSISTS OF TRENCHES AND EXPOSURES. BEDS STRIKE N70E AND DIP 20NW. SEDIMENTS ARE CLOSELY FOLDED, PARTLY OVERTURNED TO THE EAST, BROKEN BY FAULTING, AND CUT AT DEPTH BY A MAJOR OVERTHRUST FAULT. RETORT MEMBER: BED IS 1.73 FT THICK AT 26.3% P2O5, 16.6 FT THICK AT 18.7% P2O5. MEADE PEAK MEMBER: BED IS 0.6 FT THICK AT 34% P2O5. SAMPLE LOT 1358 FROM USGS PROF PAPER 313-EIS LOCATED HERE.

Comment (Reference): Political location in record is Madison county. However, original lat/long plots 30 meters inside adjacent Beaverhead county. Original coordinates were: lat/long NAD27 45-26-8N 112-34-14W (45.4356 -112.5706); UTM N5032319 E377154 Z12N; PLSS line# 1: Meridian- Montana Principal, TWNSHP 005 S, RNG 008 W, Sect 03, Sect_fract C NE. The lat/long was recalculated using WGS84 datum which shifted the location into Madison county and the north side of Big Hole River as the site name implies. The PLSS coords remained in agreement, though Section Fraction C NE should probably be changed to NW NE NE.

References

Reference (Deposit): POPOFF,C.C.,1965, AN EVALUATION OF THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE

Reference (Deposit): INDUSTRY AND IT'S RESOURCES,PT.2, MONTANA, USBM RI 6611.

Reference (Deposit): LUFT,S.,1958, NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY CO. PROPERTIES AND

Reference (Deposit): INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT DEPT. PHOSPHATE REPORT.

Reference (Deposit): SWANSON, R.W., 1970, MIN. RES. IN PERMIAN ROCKS OF SW

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA: USGS PROF. PAPER 313-E.

Reference (Deposit): PETERSON, J.A., 1954, STRAT. SECS. OF THE PHOSPHORIA FM.

Reference (Deposit): IN MONTANA, 1951: USGS CIRC. 326, 27 PP.

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.