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Big Eldorado Creek

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10002850
MRDS ID A015327
Record type Site
Current site name Big Eldorado Creek

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -147.7599, 64.96856 (WGS84)
Relative position The Big Eldorado Creek mine is located in the south half of T. 2 N., R. 1 W., Fairbanks Meridian. Big Eldorado Creek is an approximately 9-mile-long tributary of Goldstream Creek. The location of placered ground is uncertain, but there are several prospects marked on the Fairbanks (D-2) NW and the Fairbanks (D-2) NE topographic maps approximately 3.5 miles upstream from its junction with Goldstream Creek. The mine is locality 51of Cobb (1972 [MF 410]).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Fairbanks North Star(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Fairbanks D-2(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Big Delta NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Fairbanks(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

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

Nearby scientific data

(1) -147.7599, 64.96856
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Placer gold is found in a narrow paystreak where depth to bedrock is as much as 98 feet (Prindle, 1908; Prindle and Katz, 1909). In the upper part of the valley, gold is found in gravel 50 feet deep and 30 feet wide (Prindle and Katz, 1913). Production through 1910 was worth $50,000 with an average value of gold at $19.38 per ounce (Prindle and Katz, 1913). Mining was reported in 1915 and 1916 (Brooks, 1916 [B 642]; Smith, 1917 [BMB 153]). Small-scale drift mining was reported in 1925 and 1926 (Wimmler, 1925 [ATDM MR 195-8, p. 46]; Wimmler, 1926 [ATDM MR 195-11, p. 58]). The gold is between 941 and 952 fine (Glover, 1950).
  • Age = Quaternary placer.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairbanks

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = The creek produced $50,000 through 1910; the average value of the gold was $19.38 per ounce (Prindle and Katz, 1913).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Mining began before 1910, and small-scale drift mining was reported in 1925 and 1926 (Wimmler, 1925 [ATDM MR 195-8, p. 46]; Wimmler, 1926 [ATDM MR 195-11, p. 58]).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1908, The mining industry in 1907: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 345, 294 p.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., 1908, The Fairbanks and Rampart quadrangles, Yukon-Tanana region, Alaska, with a section on the Rampart placers, by F.L. Hess, and a paper on the water supply of the Fairbanks region, by C.C. Covert: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 337, 102 p.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1913, Detailed description of the Fairbanks district, in Prindle, L. M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 59-152.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.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

    Wimmler, N.L., 1925, Placer mining in Alaska in 1925: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-8, 118 p.

  • Deposit

    Wimmler, N.L., 1926, Placer mining in Alaska in 1926: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-11, 121 p.

  • Deposit

    Glover, A.E., 1950, Placer gold fineness: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-1, 38 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-410, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-662, 174 p.

  • 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.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Prindle and Katz, 1913

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 31-JUL-2001 J.R. Guidetti Schaefer Avalon Development Corporation
Reporter 31-JUL-2001 C.J. Freeman Avalon Development Corporation

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.