Gold Anchor Mine

Past Producer in Dolores county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Copper, Gold, Zinc, Lead, Molybdenum
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. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Reserves and resources
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014126
MRDS ID D010769
Record type Site
Current site name Gold Anchor Mine
Alternate or previous names Patented Claims: Johnny Bull, MS 596, Legal Tender, MS 1838, Spanking Jack, MS 7047, Last Chance, MS 7047, Unpatented Claims: Gold Anchor, Gold Anchor Extension, Last Effort, Caledonia, Rainbow, Albion, Primrose, Cambia, Inspiration, Owl, Owl Nos.1-4
Related records 10142746

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -108.08815, 37.71529 (WGS84)
Elevation 3463
Location accuracy 100(meters)
Relative position 3.5 MILES N 64 W 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 011W 20,21 E2 (20); W2 (21) Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). AT HEAD OF UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF HORSE CREEK 0.35 MILE NE OF CALICO PEAK AND ABOUT 1000 FT SE OF JOHNNY BULL MINE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FROM PRATT AND OTHERS (1969). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Commodities

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

Comments on the commodity information

  • OCCURRENCES OF PB, ZN, AND MO APPARENTLY NOT OBSERVED BUT REPORTED IN CDM INF. REPTS.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Galena Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Kaolinite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Shallow But Intense Near-Surface Oxidation Of Ores

Analytical data

Result AURIFEROUS PYRITE REPORTEDLY CONTAINED OVER 90 OZ/TON AU. ORE SHIPPED IN 1919 CONTAINED 3.18 OZ/TON AU, 30.27 OZ/TON AG, 16.91% CU, 0.01% ZN. SETTLEMENT ASSAY ON ORE SHIPPED IN 1937 CONTAINED 2.51 OZ/TON AU, 48.9 OZ/TON AG, 3% PB, 12.6% CU, 5.7% ZN. MARR'S (1925) LOW-GRADE ORE SAMPLES FROM SEVERAL DUMPS AND OUTCROPS AVERAGED 0.13 OZ/TON AU, 1.4 OZ/TON AG, 0.2% PB, 0.3% CU. MEDIUM-GRADE ORE AVERAGED 0.4 OZ/TON AU, 16.2 OZ/TON AG, 8.2% CU. HIGH-GRADE ORE (WITH VISIBLE AU) AVERAGED $4000/TON AU (194 OZ/TON AU AT $20.65/OZ), $500/TON AG, AND $20/TON PB, CU, FE, AND S.

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 And Basalt;Calico Peak Porphyry
    Rock description Hornblende Latite Porphyry And Basalt;Calico Peak Porphyry
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Cutler Formation
    Rock description Cutler Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) Morrison, Wanakah, and Entrada Fms

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin
Type of structure Local
Structure description Rico Dome, Calico Peak Stock, Calico Peak Anticline

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1879
Year of first production 1890
Year of last production 1937

Mining district

District name Pionner (Rico) District

Land status

Ownership category Private
Area name San Juan N. F.

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Gold Anchor Mining Co.
    Home office Rico, Co.
    First year 1937

Comments on the production information

  • PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1916. NO REPORTS FOR 1917-1918, 1920, 1922-1936, NO PRODUCTION IN 1921 AND AFTER 1937. SOME OF ABOVE PRODUCTION MAY HAVE COME FROM JOHNNY BULL MINE.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1925
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 65.315 g/mt Silver Major 1925
    Lead Pb 0.3 wt-pct Lead Minor 1925
    Copper Cu 0.4 wt-pct Copper Major 1925
    Gold Au 5.08 g/mt Gold Minor 1925

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • MARRS (1925)

Comments on the workings information

  • UPPER TUNNEL IS 550-FT LONG DRIVEN GENERALLY NW. LOWER TUNNEL IS 750-FT CROSSCUT WITH 475-FT DRIFT AND 125-FT RAISE TO JOHNNY BULL WORKINGS.

Comments on development

  • MARRS (1925) NOTES DISCOVERY OF MINES IN 1879 OR 1880 BY AN ITALIAN WHO PRESUMABLY FOUND OXIDIZED ORE AT SURFACE. CLAIM BOUNDARY DISPUTES HELD PROPERTY IDLE AND IN LITIGATION UNTIL 1890 AFTER WHICH VARIOUS LEASEES HIGH-GRADED ORES AND CONDUCTED NO COORDINATED ATTEMPTS AT ORDERLY AND COMPLETE DEVELOPMENT OF DEPOSITS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 723.

  • 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. 358.

  • Deposit

    COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 596, 1838, 7047

  • Deposit

    MARRS, G.O., 1925, REPORT ON THE GOLD ANCHOR GROUP OF MINES, PIONEER MINING DISTRICT, DOLORES COUNTY, COLORADO: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 8 P.

  • Production

    COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ON NORTH SIDE OF RICO DOME, HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY AND BASALT DIKES INTRUDE CUTLER FM AND OVERLYING DOLORES FM (TRIASSIC). CALICO PEAK STOCK (PLIOCENE) AND RELATED DIKES CUT CUTLER FM. CALICO PEAK ANTICLINE PLUNGES WNW FROM WEST SIDE OF STOCK. AT 450 FT FROM PORTAL, GOLD ANCHOR VEIN STRIKES NORTH-SOUTH, DIPS ABOUT 70 EAST AND CONSISTS OF PORPHYRY DIKE ON HANGING WALL AND EVIDENCE OF METASOMATIC REPLACEMENT OF SANDSTONE BY PYRITE AND TETRAHEDRITE. AT 600 FT FROM PORTAL, SUPPOSED JOHNNY BULL VEIN STRIKES N 50 E, DIPS 50 SE, AND CONSISTS OF THIN SEAM OF SOFT, PYRITE-BEARING SANDSTONE OPENING INTO SMALL CHAMBER OR STOCK ABOUT 10 FT IN DIAMETER. ORE FORMED BY REPLACEMENT OF SANDSTONE AND SHALE ADJACENT TO FISSURE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-83 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Authoritative Colorado resources

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