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Forest-Payroll Mine

Past Producer in Dolores county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Gold, Manganese, Bismuth
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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. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Production statistics
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014125
MRDS ID D010768
Record type Site
Current site name Forest-Payroll Mine
Alternate or previous names Patented Claims: Forest, MS 730, Payroll, MS 7631, Unpatented Claim: Wedge
Related records 10142061

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -108.01009, 37.6939 (WGS84)
Elevation 3090
Relative position 1.08 MILES N 84 E FROM RICO

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Dolores(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Rico(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Dove Creek(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Cortez(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Dolores(hydrologic unit)

Upper Colorado-Dolores(hydrologic accounting unit)

Upper Colorado-Dolores(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)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Dolores

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 040N 010W 31 N2 OF NW Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). SW OF ALLYN GULCH ON NE SIDE OF NORTH PROJECTION OF DOLORES MTN. (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FROM MCKNIGHT, 1974, PL. 1 (1930 BASE). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Anglesite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Limonite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidation Of Pb Sulfide To Carbonate And Sulfate; Alteration Of Pyrite; Mn Oxides From Impure Limestone

Analytical data

Result RANSOME'S (1901, P. 283) ANALYSIS OF LIMESTONE FROM UPPER BLANKET: 39.15% CAO, 2.29% MGO, 30.86% CO2 (BY DIFFERENCE), 1.17% COMBINED H2O, 23.51% SIO2, 0.06% TIO2, 1.56% AL2O3 (AND TRACE OF P2O5), 0.30% FE2O3, 0.56% FEO (0.16% AS CARBONATE), TRACES (?) OF ZNO, CUO, AND BAO, TRACE P2O5. ANALYSIS OF ALTERATION PRODUCT OF LIMESTONE: 1.06% CAO, 14.21% MGO, 0.17% CO2, 16.21% COMBINED H2O, 29.29% SIO2, 0.27% TIO2, 12.56% AL2O3, 5.36% FE2O3, 13.27% MNO2, 1.65% ZNO, 0.40% CUO, 5.21% PBO2, TRACE (?) BAO, 0.20% NA2O AND K2O, STRONG TRACE LI2O, 0.14% P2O5, TRACE SO3. TETRAHEDRITE-TENNANTITE-BEARING SPHALERITE CONTAINED 2.5% AG AND 0.5% BI.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 72
USGS model code 19a
Deposit model name Polymetallic replacement
Mark3 model number 47

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Latite
    Rock unit name Hornblende Latite Porphyry
    Rock description Hornblende Latite Porphyry
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pennsylvanian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pennsylvanian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Hermosa Formation
    Rock description Hermosa Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -108.01009, 37.6939
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin
Type of structure Local
Structure description Rico Dome

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR
    Thickness 1.83M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Bedding Fault In Shale; Intersection Of Limestone And Nw-Trending Fault

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Year of last production 1966

Mining district

District name Pioneer (Rico) District

Land status

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

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Mountain States Mining Co.
    Home office Cortez, Co.
    First year 1966
  • Type Owner
    Owner Helen Hicks
    Home office Rico, Co.
    First year 1966

Production statistics

  • Year 1937
    Description Ap_Grade: ^8 Oz/Ton Ag, 25.5% Pb, 2% Zn, 0.02 Oz/Ton Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Gold Gold 1g/mt
    Major Zinc Zinc 2wt-pct
    Major Ore Lead Lead 26wt-pct
    Major Ore Silver Silver 226g/mt
  • Year 1949
    Description Ap_Grade: ^19 Oz/Ton Ag, 32.1% Pb, 1.2% Zn, 1.15% Cu, 0.025 Oz/Ton Au, 0.15% Sb
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Antimony Antimony 0wt-pct
    Minor Gold Gold 1g/mt
    Minor Copper Copper 1wt-pct
    Major Zinc Zinc 1wt-pct
    Major Lead Lead 32wt-pct
    Major Silver Silver 537g/mt
  • Year 1949
    Description Ap_Grade: ^6.5 Oz/Ton Ag, 28% Pb, 0.35% Cu, 0.02 Oz/Ton Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Gold Gold 1g/mt
    Minor Copper Copper 0wt-pct
    Major Ore Lead Lead 28wt-pct
    Major Ore Silver Silver 184g/mt
  • Year 1952
    Description Ap_Grade: ^5.9 Oz/Ton Ag, 9.8% Pb, 8.4% Zn, 1.37% Cu, 0.014 Oz/Ton Au, 0.135% As
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Zinc Zinc 8wt-pct
    Major Ore Lead Lead 10wt-pct
    Major Ore Silver Silver 167g/mt
    Minor Gold Gold 4g/mt
    Minor Copper Copper 1wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1937. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR 1938-1948, 1950-1951, 1953, 1955-1964, AFTER 1966. FIGURE FOR 1954 IS ORE CREDITED TO PAYROLL TUNNEL.

Comments on the workings information

  • MAIN TUNNEL DRIVEN S 29 W FOR ABOUT 400 FT, WITH CROSS DRIFTS ON INTERSECTED VEINS, WINZE AT 260 FT FROM PORTAL; AT 280 FT FROM PORTAL IS 120-FT RAISE ON FOREST VEIN TO UPPER CONTACT, WITH DRIFTS CONNECTING TO NO. 3 TUNNEL FROM SURFACE. DRIFTS ON LOWER CONTACT AT 75 FT IN RAISE. FIVE OR SIX OTHER TUNNELS HIGHER ON SLOPE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 723, P. 73-75, 93-94.

  • Deposit

    PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.

  • Deposit

    RANSOME, F.L., 1901, THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 22D ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 346-349.

  • Deposit

    CROSS, WHITMAN, AND RANSOME, F.L., 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE: USGS FOLIO 130.

  • Deposit

    COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 730, 7631

  • Production

    COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.; MCKNIGHT, 1974, P. 94 (FIGURES FOR 1965-1966)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SE-AND SW-DIPPING LOWER HERMOSA FM SANDSTONE, SHALE, AND LIMESTONE ARE INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIKES. PRINCIPAL VEIN IS FOREST VEIN, TRENDING N 75 W, 85 SW, AND CONTAINING ONE FOOT OF QUARTZ AND LOW-GRADE SPHALERITIC ORE. MCKNIGHT DESCRIBES IT AS QUARTZ VEIN WITH PYRITE, SPHALERITE, GALENA, CHALCOPYRITE, AND OXIDIZED TO ANGLESITE, CERUSSITE, AND LIMONITE, RANSOME (1901) DESCRIBES BLANKET REPLACEMENT DEPOSITS AS LOWER 5-FT-THICK SHALE-FRAGMENT AND CLAY-MATRIX BRECCIA LYING ABOUT 85 FT ABOVE MAIN FOREST DRIFT BETWEEN SANDSTONE AND SHALE. BRECCIA CONTAINS UNALTERED BEDS OF HARDER SANDSTONE AND SHALE. LOW-GRADE GALENA AND ARGENTIFEROUS PB CARBONATE ORE OCCUR IN BLANKET NEAR VERTICAL FISSURES. UPPER BLANKET, 5 TO 6 FT THICK, LIES IN LIMESTONE 30 TO 50 FT ABOVE LOWER BLANKET BETWEEN SHALE ROOF AND FLOOR OF EITHER PORPHYRY OR SHALY CALCAREOUS SANDSTONE; ORE IS GALENA, ANGLESITE, AND CERUSSITE IN SMALL BODIES ALONG VERTICAL FISSURE. UPPER BLANKET CHARACTERIZED BY
Deposit ABUNDANT SOOTY MN OXIDES, APPARENTLY A RESIDUAL ALTERATION PRODUCT OF IMPURE LIMESTONE (SEE ANALYTICAL DATA). BOTH BLANKETS SLIGHTLY FAULTED, DOWNDROPPED IN STEPS TO SOUTH. ALTHOUGH SIMILAR TO UNION-CARBONATE, FOREST-PAYROLL BLANKETS NOT DEFINITELY CORRELATABLE.

Reporter information

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

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

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