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Smuggler Mine

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

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014233
MRDS ID D010910
Record type Site
Current site name Smuggler Mine
Alternate or previous names Smuggler-Almont Mine, Patented Claims: Smuggler, MS 17325a, Almont, MS 17325a, Horlick, MS 17325a, Yule, MS 17325a, Priest, MS 17325a, Heddle, MS 17325a, Dick, MS 17325a, Lombard, MS 17325a, Lombard Mill Site, MS 17325b, Mount Pleasant Mill Site, MS 20539, Unpatented Claims: Tiger, Racine, Blue, Fannie, Columbine, Pine, Spruce, Iowa, Spring, Eagle, Lynx, Aspen, Kenosha, Chicago, Mink, Elk, Wedge
Related records 10142606

Comments on the site names

  • DISTRICT: BLAND; COCHITI MINING DISTRICT; MINES: ALBEMARLE, CROWN POINT, IRON KING, LONE STAR, WASHINGTON; CLAIMS-PATENTED AND UNPATENTED: IN 1954 W.M. BUNDY REPORTED 49 PATENTED CLAIMS IN THE DISTRICT; IN 1935 J.C. EVANS (NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA) REPORTED 18 PATENTED CLAIMS AND 36 UNPATENTED CLAIMS; IN 1899 J.L. ZIMMERMAN REPORTED 23 PATENTED CLAIMS AND 113 UNPATENTED CLAIMS IN THE DISTRICT (CLAIM MAP, NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -108.10009, 37.76168 (WGS84)
Elevation 2898
Relative position 6.07 MILES N 38 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

Dolores Peak(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;041N 011W;011W 04,05,09;32,33 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). MINE LOCATED ON SOUTH SIDE OF DOLORES RIVER 0.5 MILE BELOW DUNTON. PATENTED CLAIMS EXTEND ALONG BRANCH OF EMMA FAULT TO SE ACROSS EAGLE CREEK. SMUGGLER COAL BANK WORKINGS LIE ALONG PAPOOSE CREEK 0.45 MILE SE OF DUNTON (COAL LOTS 3 AND 4, SEC. 33). ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR SMUGGLER SHAFT (UPPERMOST WORKINGS). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Argentite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Coal Ore
Galena Ore
Polybasite Ore
Pyrargyrite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stibnite Ore
Barite Gangue
Chalcedony Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Analytical data

Result ORE MINED IN 1940 CONTAINED 4 OZ/TON AG AND 0.1 OZ/TON AU. ASSAYS FROM OTHER POINTS ALONG NO. 4 LEVEL SHOWED 1.2 TO 16 OZ/TON AG (FROM 750 FT TO FACE) AND USUALLY OVER 20 OZ/TON TO AS HIGH AS 109 OZ/TON AG (FROM 125 TO 750 FT FROM PORTAL).

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 > Gabbro
    Rock unit name Microgabbro;Lamprophyre
    Rock description Microgabbro;Lamprophyre
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Porphyry > Lamprophyre
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Dolores Formation;Dakota Sandstone
    Rock description Dolores Formation;Dakota Sandstone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -108.10009, 37.76168
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin
Type of structure Local
Structure description Rico Dome, Dunton Syncline, Emma Fault, Unnamed Fault

Ore body information

  • Thickness 0.91M

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1883
Discoverer P.K. Scott
Year of first production 1885
Year of last production 1940

Mining district

District name Lone Cone (Dunton) District

Land status

Ownership category Private
Area name San Juan N. F.

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Mining Development Resources
    Home office Rico, Co.
    First year 1974

Comments on the workings information

  • MINE DEVELOPED BY FOUR LEVELS AND SHAFT. BASTIN (1922) DESCRIBES ALMONT WORKINGS AS OF 1913: NO. 1 LEVEL DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH OR SSW ALONG ALMONT VEIN FOR SLIGHTLY OVER 150 FT; NO. 2 LEVEL LIES ABOUT 95 FT BELOW NO. 1, DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH OR SSW ALONG ALMONT VEIN FOR ABOUT 650 FT; NO. 3 LEVEL LIES ABOUT 110 FT BELOW NO. 2, DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH OR SSW AONG ALMONT VEIN FOR MORE THAN 1200 FT; NO. 4 LEVEL LIES 205 FT BELOW NO. 3, DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH OR SSW ALONG ALMONT VEIN OR MORE THAN 1200 FT. CDM INF. REPTS. DESCRIBE NO. 4 (MAIN) LEVEL IN 1941 AS BEING 2700 FT ALONG WITH RAISE TO NO. 3 LEVEL AND 325 FT OF DRIFT ON SUBLEVEL. OVERHEAD STOPING ABOVE ALL LEVELS. SMUGGLER TUNNEL LIES 75 FT BELOW NO. 4 LEVEL, DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH FOR 500 TO 600 FT ON SMUGGLER VEIN. AT ONE TIME SITE ALSO HAD 20-STAMP CONCENTRATING MILL. IN 1941 AERIAL TRAM CARRIED ORE FROM MINE TO EMMA MILL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BUSH, A.L., AND BROMFIELD, C.S., 1966, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DOLORES PEAK QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND SAN MIGUEL COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-536.

  • Deposit

    BASTIN, E.S., 1922, SILVER ENRICHMENT IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 735-D, P. 120-124.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 17325A&B, 20539

  • Deposit

    KRANTZ, P.R., AND FREEMAN, W.H., 1923, A STUDY OF THE ORES OF DUNTON, DOLORES COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES THESIS T-503.

  • Production

    COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit NW-DIPPING DOLORES FM RED BEDS CUT BY GENERALLY NNW-TRENDING EMMA FAULT. NORTH OF RIVER ALMONT FAULT SPLITS FROM EMMA FAULT, TRENDS DUE SOUTH CURVING SLIGHTLY SSE, AND TERMINATING ON GENERALLY NE- TO ENE-TRENDING CROSS FAULT THAT EXTENDS EAST TO CUT EMMA FAULT SE OF MINE. BASTIN (1922) OBSERVED ALMONT VEIN TO BE 1 TO 3 FT WIDE AND CONTAINING IRREGULAR AGGREGATES OF QUARTZ, RARE CHALCEDONY, BARITE, BASE METAL SULFIDES, ARGENTITE, AND POLYBASITE OR PEARCEITE; NONBANDED. ARGENTITE OCCURS AS INCLUSIONS IN SPHALERITE AND IS CONSIDERED PRIMARY ALONG WITH POLYBASITE. KRANTZ AND FREEMAN (1923) DESCRIBED SECONDARY ORES AS PROUSTITE, PYRARGYRITE, CHALCOPYRITE, AND ARGENTITE DEPOSITED ON FRACTURES THAT CUE EARLIER SULFIDE ORE. STIBNITE OCCURS AS RADIATING CRYSTAL CLUSTERS ON QUARTZ IN VUG LININGS. BLEACHING EXTENDS 10 TO 20 FT FROM VEIN AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY DISSEMINATED PYRITE. SLIGHT OXIDATION NOTED TO DEPTH OF ABOUT 500 FT. KRANTZ AND FREEMAN NOTED RICH RUBY AG ORES AND GALENA NEARER
Deposit SURFACE THAN AT DEPTH; PYRITE AND SPHALERITE LEANER NEAR SURFACE. COAL MINED FROM THIN SEAMS IN DAKOTA SANDSTONE ON WEST LIMB OF DUNTON SYNCLINE WHERE INTRUDED BY AND POSSIBLY LOCALLY UPGRADED BY LAMPROPHYRE SILL.

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.