Slate Creek (placer)

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold

Sections on this page

Identification information
Geographic coordinates
Site location context
Geographic areas
Commodities
Materials information
Mineral occurrence model information
Host and associated rocks
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	10001378
MRDS ID	A012120
Record type	Site
Current site name	Slate Creek (placer)

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates:	-149.9033, 67.22969 (WGS84)
Relative position	Slate Creek is a west-flowing tributary to the Middle Fork Koyukuk River, and the confluence of the two is at the old town of Coldfoot. The reference point, approximately 15 miles southwest of Poss Mountain, is about at the center of early mining activity on the upper creek (NE1/4 sec. 26, T. 28 N., R. 11 W., of the Fairbanks Meridian). It is approximately the same location as the symbol indicating recent mining in Brosgi and Reiser (1964). Mining in this area probably extended about 1 mile both up- and downstream from the reference point. There was also mining activity on lower Slate Creek below its confluence with Myrtle Creek in the Wiseman quadrangle. The location is accurate within a 1-mile radius.

Geographic coordinates:

-149.9033, 67.22969 (WGS84)

Relative position

Slate Creek is a west-flowing tributary to the Middle Fork Koyukuk River, and the confluence of the two is at the old town of Coldfoot. The reference point, approximately 15 miles southwest of Poss Mountain, is about at the center of early mining activity on the upper creek (NE1/4 sec. 26, T. 28 N., R. 11 W., of the Fairbanks Meridian). It is approximately the same location as the symbol indicating recent mining in Brosgi and Reiser (1964). Mining in this area probably extended about 1 mile both up- and downstream from the reference point. There was also mining activity on lower Slate Creek below its confluence with Myrtle Creek in the Wiseman quadrangle. The location is accurate within a 1-mile radius.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Yukon-Koyukuk(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Chandalar A-6(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Chandalar S(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Chandalar(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country	State
United States	Alaska

Commodities

Commodity	Importance
Gold	Primary

Materials information

Materials	Type of material
Gold	Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

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

Host and associated rocks

Host or associated Host

Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel

Host or associated	Host
Rock type	Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel

Nearby scientific data

(1)	-149.9033, 67.22969	ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

Geologic Description = Much of the descriptive information available for Slate Creek does not distinguish between the lower part of the creek that lies in the Wiseman quadrangle and the upper part of the creek that lies in the Chandalar quadrangle. Reed (1938) reported that no deep channel was found on Slate Creek although placer gold was found on Slate Creek in the present channel and in high benches. On the upper creek (the part in the Chandalar quadrangle) the present channel was worked in the short canyon just below the reference point (about 2 miles east of the Myrtle Creek landing strip), and the old-timers were said to have rockered out $8 per day (gold at $20 per ounce). The present channel and a low left-limit bench were also worked from a short distance above the canyon for a distance of 1 1/2 miles. The bench was said to have bedrock only a few feet above the bedrock in the present channel. Bedrock is described as mica schist and slate or phyllite with small bodies of quartz and cut by several altered diorite dikes (this description may apply principally to the lower two-thirds of the creek). Upper Slate Creek lies along the boundary between Devonian quartz-muscovite schist and a Devonian(?) sequence of graywacke, phyllite, and volcanic rocks and chert (Brosgi and Reiser, 1964).
Age = Quaternary.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status	Past Producer
Commodity type	Metallic

Comments on exploration

Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name	Koyukuk

Comments on the production information

Production Notes = Most of the production was apparently from below the junction with Myrtle Creek (Wiseman quadrangle), and any production figures probably reflect that production. Production between 1900 and 1909 said to be worth $3,000 (gold at $20 per ounce) (Maddren, 1913).

Comments on the workings information

Workings / Exploration = Mined mostly by simple hydraulic and hand methods; bulldozer and sluice plate in use in 1974. Stripping reported in preparation for mining in 1993.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency	Database name	Acronym	Record ID	Notes
USGS	Mineral Resources Data System	MRDS	A012120
USGS	Alaska Resource Data File	ARDF	CH007

Bibliographic references

Deposit

Schrader, F.C., 1904, A reconnaissance in northern Alaska across the Rocky Mountains, along Koyukuk, John, Anaktuvuk, and Colville rivers and the Arctic coast to Cape Lisburne, in 1901, with notes by W.J. Peters: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 20, 139 p.
Deposit

Maddren, A.G., 1913, The Koyukuk-Chandalar region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 532, 119 p.
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

Holdsworth, P.R., 1952, Report of the Commissioner of Mines for the Biennium ended December 31, 1952: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Annual Report 1952, 66 p.
Deposit

Brosgi, W.P., and Reiser, H.N., 1964, Geologic map and section of the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations Map 1-375, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Deposit

Heiner, L.E., and Wolff, E.N., eds., 1968, Mineral resources of northern Alaska, Final report, submitted to the NORTH Commission: Mineral Industry Research Laboratory, University of Alaska, Report 16, 306 p.
Deposit

Mulligan, J.J., 1974, Mineral resources of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline corridor: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8626, 24 p.
Deposit

Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Chandalar and Wiseman quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-340, 205 p.
Deposit

Cobb, E.H., 1977, Placer deposit map of central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-168B, 64 p., 1 map, scale 1:1,000,000.
Deposit

Grybeck, D.J., 1977, Known mineral deposits of the Brooks Range, Alaska: US Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-166C, 41 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.
Deposit

DeYoung, J.H., Jr., 1978, Mineral resources map of the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-878-B, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.
Deposit

U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1978, Mineral appraisal of the proposed Gates of the Arctic Wilderness National Park, Alaska, A preliminary comment: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 109-78, 29 p., 4 sheets.
Deposit

Cobb, E.H., and Cruz, E.L., 1983, Summaries of data and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral deposits in the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 83-278, 91 p.
Deposit

Eakins, G.R., Bundtzen, T.K., Lueck, L.L. Green, C.B., Gallagher, J.L., and Robinson, M.S., 1985, Alaska mineral industry, 1984: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 38, 57p.
Deposit

Maas, K.M., 1987, Maps summarizing land availability for mineral exploration and development in northern Alaska, 1986: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 10-87, 33 sheets.
Deposit

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

Schrader, F.C., 1900, Preliminary report on a reconnaissance along the Chandalar and Koyukuk Rivers, Alaska, in 1899: U.S. Geological Survey Twenty-first Annual Report, Part 2, p. 441-486.
Deposit

Maas, K.M., 1987, Maps summarizing land availability for mineral exploration and development in northern Alaska, 1986: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 10-87, 33 quadrangle overlays.
Deposit

Bundtzen, T.K., Swainbank, R.C., Clough, A.H., Henning, M.W., and Hansen, E.W., 1994, Alaska's mineral industry, 1993: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 48, 84 p.
Deposit

Holdsworth, P.R., 1955, Report of the Commissioner of Mines for the biennium ended December 31, 1954: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Annual Report 1954, 110 p.
Deposit

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

Maddren, A.G., 1910, The Koyukuk-Chandalar gold region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442-G, p. 284-315.
Deposit

Reed, I.M., 1938, Upper Koyukuk region, Alaska (Wiseman, Chandalar, and Bettles): Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 194-7, 201 p.

Comments on the references

Primary Reference = Maddren, 1913

General comments

Subject category	Comment text
Deposit	Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Deposit	Other Comments = Many of the references to and descriptions of Slate Creek do not differentiate between the upper creek (in the Chandalar quadrangle) and the lower creek (in the Wiseman quadrangle). Most probably refer to the lower part of the creek, which produced most of the gold. ? See also: Myrtle Creek and Slate Creek in the Wiseman quadrangle (see Cobb, 1981,OFR 81-732B, for a list of references for these occurrences in the Wiseman quadrangle).? Alaska Kardex No. 031-26, 031-109 (Kardex is a card file mining claim information system located at the State of Alaska DNR Public Information Center in Fairbanks).

Subject category

Comment text

Deposit

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

Deposit

Other Comments = Many of the references to and descriptions of Slate Creek do not differentiate between the upper creek (in the Chandalar quadrangle) and the lower creek (in the Wiseman quadrangle). Most probably refer to the lower part of the creek, which produced most of the gold. ? See also: Myrtle Creek and Slate Creek in the Wiseman quadrangle (see Cobb, 1981,OFR 81-732B, for a list of references for these occurrences in the Wiseman quadrangle).? Alaska Kardex No. 031-26, 031-109 (Kardex is a card file mining claim information system located at the State of Alaska DNR Public Information Center in Fairbanks).

Reporter information

Type	Date	Name	Affiliation	Comment
Reporter	17-NOV-1999	J.M. Britton	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

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