Little Jim Mine

Past Producer in La Plata county in Colorado, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Manganese
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014084
MRDS ID D010708
Record type Site
Current site name Little Jim Mine
Alternate or previous names Patented Claims: Little Jim, MS 4520, Southern Corss, MS 4520, E.A.K., MS 4520
Related records 10142238

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.60841, 37.61084 (WGS84)
Elevation 3426
Relative position 14 MILES S 14 E FROM SILVERTON

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

La Plata(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Columbine Pass(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Silverton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Animas(hydrologic unit)

Upper San Juan(hydrologic accounting unit)

San Juan(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

San Juan National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Weminuche Wilderness(Wilderness)

Wilderness FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado La Plata

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 039N 007W 26,35 S2 OF S2 (26); N2 OF N2 (35) Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON SE SIDE OF NEEDLE CREEK AND CHICAGO BASIN 0.9 MILE WSW OF JUPITER MTN AND 0.9 MILE NW OF COLUMBINE PASS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Manganese Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Argentite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Silver Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Fluorite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Rhodochrosite Gangue

Analytical data

Result STEVEN AND OTHERS' (196) ASSAY OF 5-FT CHIP SAMPLE FROM FACE OF STUB DRIFT 390 FT FROM PORTAL CONTAINED 0.04 OZ/TON AU, 1.92 OZ/TON AG
Result 5-FT-CHIP SAMPLE FROM FACE OF MAIN TUNNEL CONTAINED 2.44 OZ/TON AG, 0.28 % CU, 0.40 % CU, 0.40 % PB, 4.40 % ZN. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF TWO FOUR QUARTZ VEIN SAMPLES CONTAINED 200 TO 1000 PPM TI, 300 TO GT 5000 PPM MN, 2 TO 1000 PPM AG, LT 200 PPM AS, 100 TO 300 PPM AS, 100 TO 300 PPM BA, LT 10 PPM BI, LT 20 TO 30 PPM CD, LT 5 PPM CR, 5 TO 7000 PPM CU, 20 TO 30 PPM MO, 20 TO GT 20000 PPM PB, LT 100 TO 300/ PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 PPM SR, 20 TO 50 PPM V, LT 50 PPM W, LT 550 TO GT 10000 PPM ZN. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED LT 0.02 TO 0.30 PPM AU, LT 10 TO 4600 PPM CU, 34 TO 2500 PPM PB, LT 25 T/ 5300 PPM ZN, 2 TO 6 PPM SB.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 85
USGS model code 22c
Deposit model name Polymetallic veins
Mark3 model number 46

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1460
    Dating method K-Ar
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method Rb-Sr
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 10.1
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 9
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method U-Pb (zircon)
    Type of media Zircon
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 10.1
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 9
    Type of media Zircon
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Eolus Granite;Intrusive Bodies And Related Rocks (Younger And Older Bodies Of Chicago Basin Stock)
    Rock description Eolus Granite;Intrusive Bodies And Related Rocks (Younger And Older Bodies Of Chicago Basin Stock)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 10.1
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method U-Pb (zircon)
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1460
    Dating method K-Ar
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method Rb-Sr
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 9
    Type of media Zircon
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 10.1
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1460
    Dating method K-Ar
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method Rb-Sr
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method U-Pb (zircon)
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 9
    Type of media Zircon
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Eolus Granite
    Rock description Eolus Granite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 10.1
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1460
    Dating method K-Ar
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method Rb-Sr
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 9
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method U-Pb (zircon)
    Type of media Zircon

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.60841, 37.61084

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, San Juan Basin, San Juan Volcanic Field
Type of structure Local
Structure description Needle Mtns Uplift, Chicago Basin Stock, Eolus Batholith, Trimble Stock

Ore body information

  • Thickness 3.05M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Metalliferous Veins Controlled By Regional Rectangular Fracture System In Granites And By Local Radial Fracture System Associated With Emplacement Of Chicago Basin Stock.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discoverer Duncan Mckercher And Others (Claimants)

Mining district

District name Needle Mountain (Tacoma, Florida, Vallecito) District

Land status

Ownership category National Forest
Area name San Juan N. F.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 143.26M

Comments on the workings information

  • ONE TUNNEL HEADING ALONG VEIN AT N 75 E FOR 470 FT

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SCHMITT, L.J., AND RAYMOND, W.H., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS DISTRICT, SOUTH-WESTERN COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1434, 40 P.

  • Deposit

    STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 30-32, 55-67, 96. 160-163.

  • Deposit

    CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 4520

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit QUARTZ VEIN TRENDS N 75 E, DIPS VERTICAL, AND IS PART OF EAST-WEST-TRENDING REGIONAL RECTANGULAR FRACTURE SYSTEM.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-1983 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Authoritative Colorado resources

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