Texas Chief Mine

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

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014191
MRDS ID D010858
Record type Site
Current site name Texas Chief Mine
Alternate or previous names Mountain Meadow Mine, Texas Chief and Mountain Meadow Groups
Related records 10239754

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -108.02092, 37.36612 (WGS84)
Elevation 2938
Relative position 9.8 MILES N 54 W FROM DURANGO

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

La Plata(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Hesperus(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Cortez(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Cortez(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)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado La Plata

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 036N 011W 13 NW Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ABOVE UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF SOUTH FORK OF LIGHTNER CREEK ON EAST-PROJECTING SPUR OF PAINE RIDGE, 3.3 MILES SE OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Petzite Ore
Pyrargyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Quartz Gangue
Siderite Gangue

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 > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock unit name Porphyritic Rocks--Diorite-Monzonite Porphyry
    Rock description Porphyritic Rocks--Diorite-Monzonite Porphyry
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Dolores Formation
    Rock description Dolores Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -108.02092, 37.36612

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform
Type of structure Local
Structure description La Plata Dome

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1885
Year of first production 1917
Year of last production 1928

Mining district

District name California (La Plata) District

Land status

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

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Texas Chief Mining Co.
    Home office Durango, Co.
    First year 1934

Comments on the production information

  • COMPLETE PRODUCTION RECORD

Comments on the workings information

  • TEXAS CHIEF WORKINGS INCLUDE OPEN CUTS AND 500 FT OF TRENCHING, SHALLOW TUNNEL, AND 85-FT VERTICAL SHAFT. MOUNTAIN MEADOW GROUP WORKINGS INCLUDE 15-FT VERTICAL SHAFT, 75-FT DRIFT TUNNEL, 100-FT DRIFT TUNNEL, 150-FT DRIFT TUNNEL, 60-FT DRIFT TUNNEL, 85-FT INCLINED SHAFT.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 69-70, 168.

  • Deposit

    COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPT.

  • Production

    ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 168 (AS COMPILED FROM USGS AND USBM RECORDS)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit COUNTRY ROCKS CONSIST OF DOLORES AND CUTLER FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIKES. TEN OR MORE DISCONTINUOUS VEINS STRIKE IN TWO PRINCIPAL DIRECTIONS: N 60 TO 70 W AND N 5 T015 E.
Deposit Discovery Year: 1880S?

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-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

Authoritative Colorado resources

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