Crow Creek

Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Copper

Sections on this page

Identification information
Geographic coordinates
Site location context
Geographic areas
Commodities
Materials information
Mineral occurrence model information
Nearby scientific data
Economic information about the deposit and operations
Mining district
Links to other databases
Bibliographic references
General comments
Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID	10001007
MRDS ID	A011680
Record type	Site
Current site name	Crow Creek
Alternate or previous names	Erickson, Holmgren-Erickson property, Crow Creek Mining Co., Girdwood property, Girdwood Mining Co.
Related records	10185439

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates:	-149.08261, 60.99955 (WGS84)
Relative position	Placer mining occurred all along Crow Creek and in Glacier Creek valley into which Crow Creek flows. The majority of mining activity probably took place in the Seward quadrangle. The locality includes all of Crow Creek. Locality 115 and 116 of Cobb (1972) and locality 66 and 67 of MacKevett and Holloway (1977).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Anchorage(Municipality)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Seward D-6(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Seward NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Seward(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Anchorage(hydrologic unit)

Knik Arm(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Central Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Chugach National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country	State
United States	Alaska

Commodities

Commodity	Importance
Gold	Primary
Copper	Secondary

Materials information

Materials	Type of material
Arsenopyrite	Ore
Gold	Ore
Pyrite	Ore
Quartz	Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code	119
USGS model code	39a
Deposit model name	Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number	54

Nearby scientific data

(1)	-149.08261, 60.99955	ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

Geologic Description = Staked in 1896 or 1897. Placer mining and prospecting has occurred in high bench gravels, recent stream deposits, glacial gravels, and avalanche debris along Crow Creek. The history of the creek is complex due to repeated damming by ice in the valley of Glacier Creek, into which Crow Creek flows. Bench deposits and recent stream deposits have the highest grade and have historically produced most of the gold. Glacial deposits and avalanche debris are low grade but may locally contain significant concentrations of gold. The highest grades appear to be associated with old channels in high benches which likely consist of gravels deposited prior to the last glacial advance (Parks, 1933; Jansons and others, 1984). The stream grade is 2.5 percent in lower course. ? Crow Creek drains an area where gold lode deposits occur. Bedrock in the area is graywacke, conglomerate, and slate of the Late Cretaceous Valdez Group that have been intruded by many small granitic bodies. Eleven bench and alluvium samples from Crow Creek contained from 0.0013 to 1.17 oz Au/cubic yard. The placer gold is relatively coarse with 0.025 to 0.05 oz nuggets common and an occasional 1 oz nugget panned by recreational miners (Jansons and others, 1984). The largest nugget found at Crow Creek was 4.5 ounces (Toohey, oral commun., 1998).
Age = Quaternary

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status	Producer
Commodity type	Metallic

Comments on exploration

Status = Active

Mining district

District name	Anchorage

Comments on the production information

Production Notes = Total estimated production since 1898 is 40,000 to 45,000 oz. Production between 1979 and 1984 was estimated to be approximately 400 oz (Jansons and others, 1984). The largest nugget found at Crow Creek was 4.5 ounces (Toohey, oral commun., 1998).

Comments on the reserve resource information

Reserves = Orris and Bliss (1985) estimated 1,200,000 cubic meters of placer material grading 1.1 gram/cubic meter (0.015 to 0.04 oz/ton) Au for the Crow Creek placer deposits.

Comments on the workings information

Workings / Exploration = Staked in 1896 or 1897, mined more or less continually until World War II. Prior to 1940, one large and two small hydraulic operations accounted for the majority of the production from Crow Creek. One mechanized operation mined the creek intermittantly in 1981 and 1982. Currently Crow Creek is mined by recreational miners and a small suction dredge by Crow Creek Mining Company; and by the Girdwood Mining Company. The largest nugget found at Crow Creek was 4.5 ounces (Toohey, oral commun., 1998).? Eleven bench and alluvium samples from Crow Creek contained from 0.0013 to 1.17 oz Au/cubic yard. The placer gold is relatively coarse with 0.025 to 0.05 oz nuggets common and an occasional 1 oz nugget panned by recreational miners (Jansons and others, 1984).

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency	Database name	Acronym	Record ID	Notes
USGS	Mineral Resources Data System	MRDS	A011680
USGS	Alaska Resource Data File	ARDF	AN104

Bibliographic references

Deposit

Mendenhall, W.C., 1900, A reconnaissance from Resurrection Bay to the Tanana River, Alaska, in 1898: U.S. Geological Survey 20th Annual Report, part 7, p. 265-340.
Deposit

Purington, C.W., 1905, Methods and costs of gravel and placer mining in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 263, 273 p.
Deposit

Paige, Sidney and Knopf, Adolph, 1907, Reconnaissance in the Matanuska and Talkeetna basins, Alaska, with notes on the placers of the adjacent regions: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314, p. 104-125.
Deposit

Brooks, A.H., 1911, The Mount McKinley region, Alaska, with descriptions of the igneous rocks and of the Bonnifield and Kantishna districts, by L.M. Prindle: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 70, 234 p.
Deposit

Brooks, A.H., 1911, The mining industry in 1910: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, p. 21-42.
Deposit

Johnson, B.L., 1912, Gold deposits of the Seward-Sunrise region, Kenai Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 520-F, p. 131-173.
Deposit

Brooks, A.H., 1913, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1912: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 308 p.
Deposit

Brooks, A.H., 1914, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1913: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592, p. 340-341.
Deposit

Brooks, A.H., 1915, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1914: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622, 238 p.
Deposit

Brooks, A.H., 1916, Antimony deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 649, 67 p.
Deposit

Brooks, A.H., 1918, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1916: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662, 469 p.
Deposit

Martin, G.C., 1919, Alaska Mining Industry in 1917: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 692, p. 11-42
Deposit

Brooks, A.H., 1923, The Alaska mining industry in 1921: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 739, p. 1-50.
Deposit

Brooks, A.H. and Capps, S.R., 1924, Mineral industry in Alaska, 1922: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 755, p. 1-56.
Deposit

Capps, S.R., 1924, Geology and mineral resources of the region traversed by the Alaska Railroad: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 755-C, p. 73-150.
Deposit

Park, F.C., 1933, The Girdwood District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 849-G, p. 381-424.
Deposit

Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-91.
Deposit

Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.
Deposit

Smith, P.S., 1936, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-91.
Deposit

Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95.
Deposit

Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.
Deposit

Smith, P.S. 1939, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.
Deposit

Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113.
Deposit

Jasper, M.W., 1966, Geochemical investigations of selected areas in southcentral Alaska, 1965: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geochemical Report 7, 60 p.
Deposit

Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.
Deposit

Clark, S.H.B., and Yount, M.E., 1972, Reconnaissance geologic map and geochemical analyses of stream-sediment and rock samples of the Anchorage A-6 Quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map 351, 2 sheets, scale 1:63,360.
Deposit

Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.
Deposit

MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.
Deposit

Jansons, Uldis, Hoekzema, R.B., Kurtak, J.M., and Fechner, S.A., 1984, Mineral occurrences in the Chugach National Forest, Southcentral Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 5-84, 218 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.
Deposit

Orris, G.J., and Bliss, J.D., 1985, Geologic and grade volume data on 330 gold placer deposits: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-0213, 173 p.
Deposit

Hoekzema, R.B., and Fechner, S.A., 1986, Placer Gold sampling in and near the Chugach National Forest, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9091, 42 p.
Deposit

Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials in the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 79-1095, 184 p.
Deposit

Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-409, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Deposit

Capps, S.R., 1916, Gold mining in the Willow Creek district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 642-G, p. 147-194, 195-200.
Deposit

MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.
Deposit

Toohey, oral commun., 1998.
Deposit

Smith, S.S., 1917, The mining industry in the Territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1916: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 153, 89 p.
Deposit

Smith, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106.
Deposit

Moffit, F.H., 1905, Gold placers of Turnagain Arm, Cook Inlet: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 259, p. 90-99.
Deposit

Moffit, F.H., 1906, Mineral resources of Kenai Peninsula, Alaska; Gold field of the Turnagain Arm region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 277, 80 p.
Deposit

Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-81.
Deposit

Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

Comments on the references

Primary Reference = Park, 1933

General comments

Subject category	Comment text
Deposit	Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Deposit	Other Comments = Most mining activity probably took place in Seward quadrangle. The entire Crow Creek drainage has been prospected, because it drains an area where lode gold deposits have long been known. Presence of numerous large boulders and cemented gravels may cause mining difficulties (Jansons and others, 1984). Attempts to mine upper basin unsuccessful due to legal difficulties; outcome of litigation to stop mining is unknown to reporter.

Subject category

Comment text

Deposit

Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Deposit

Other Comments = Most mining activity probably took place in Seward quadrangle. The entire Crow Creek drainage has been prospected, because it drains an area where lode gold deposits have long been known. Presence of numerous large boulders and cemented gravels may cause mining difficulties (Jansons and others, 1984). Attempts to mine upper basin unsuccessful due to legal difficulties; outcome of litigation to stop mining is unknown to reporter.

Reporter information

Type	Date	Name	Affiliation	Comment
Reporter	30-JUL-1998	D.P. Bickerstaff	U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter	30-JUL-1998	S.W. Huss	U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.