Gilman (Red Cliff) District

The Gilman (Red Cliff) District is a zinc, silver, copper, lead, and gold mine located in Eagle county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,921 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: Gilman (Red Cliff) District
Secondary: Red Cliff District
Secondary: Battle Mountain District

Commodity

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

Location

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

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: District
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic replacement

Orebody

Form: REPLACEMENT

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: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

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: Mississippian

Name: Sandstone
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: Hemimorphite
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Cerussite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Anglesite
Ore: Smithsonite
Ore: Pyrolusite
Ore: Psilomelane
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Jarosite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Gypsum
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Goethite
Gangue: Dolomite
Gangue: Barite
Trace: Gold

Comments

Comment (Orebody): Orebody materials listed include (1) the principal primary ore and gangue minerals, and (2) the principal oxidized ore minerals.

Comment (Production): 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. Gilman is the largest copper and 2nd largest zinc producing district in Colorado.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Known reserves have been depleted.

Comment (Location): On the east side of the Eagle River, between Gilman and Red Cliff, in secs. 12-13, T 6 S, R 81 W, and secs. 7,18-20, T 6 S, R 80 W.. The most productive part underlies about 3 square miles bounded by the Eagle River, and Rock, Willow, and Turkey Creeks.

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

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. Less important are deposits in Sawatch Quartzite and veins in Precambrian rocks that were significant for gold and silver in early mining periods.

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 (Deposit): UMPLEBY JOSEPH B ENG AND MIN JOUR VOL 104 NO 26 DEC 29 1917

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.

Reference (Deposit): KNICKERBOCKER G S AND VIRGIL MILLER BUMINES R I 3659 1942

Reference (Deposit): MUILENBERG G A COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 15 1919

Reference (Deposit): PEELE ROB MINING ENGINEERS HANDBOOK VOL 1 JN WILEY AND SONS

Reference (Deposit): Lovering, T. S., and Tweto, O. L., and Lovering T. G., 1978, Ore deposits of the Gilman district, Eagle County, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1017, 90 p.

Reference (Deposit): Crawford, R. D., and Gibson, R., 1925, Geology and ore deposits of the Red Cliff district, Colorado: Colorado Geological Survey Bulletin 30, 89 p.

Colorado Mining Photos

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