Ashdown Mine

Producer in Humboldt county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Molybdenum, Lead, Mercury
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. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Reserves and resources
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10044995
MRDS ID M232645
Record type Site
Current site name Ashdown Mine
Alternate or previous names Curley Luck Gold Property, NBMG Sample Sites 2975,2976, 2977
Related records 10246381, 10310474

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -118.69545, 41.83015 (WGS84)
Elevation 1433
Relative position 12.5 MILES BY ROAD S. OF DENIO

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Humboldt(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Vicksburg Canyon(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Denio(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Vya(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Thousand-Virgin(hydrologic unit)

Black Rock Desert(hydrologic accounting unit)

Black Rock Desert-Humboldt(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Bureau of Land Management(Bureau of Land Management NV)

Bureau of Land Management NV BLM(Type of land area)

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Humboldt

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 045N 029E 13,12 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • ACCESSIBLE VIA GOOD IMPROVED ROAD.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Secondary
Molybdenum Secondary
Lead Tertiary
Mercury Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • IN 1954, 32 TONS ORE WAS REPORTED TO CONTAIN ABOUT 1.0 % WO3, WITH NO OTHER DETAILS ON THE DEPOSIT OR MINERALS. THIS ORE MAY HAVE BEEN MINED AT ANOTHER PROPERTY AND WAS ONLY MILLED AT THE ASHDOWN MILL.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Cinnabar Ore
Copper Ore
Galena Ore
Mercury Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore

Analytical data

Result AVG. GRADE APPROX 0.313 OZ AU/TON. A 1967 REPORTS VALUES FOR 30 SAMPLES AS FOLLOWS: 0.03 TO 1.68 OZ/TON AU, 3 TO 1.04 OZ/TON AG, 0 TO 0.38 % CU. TRACE TO 0.14 % MO. SAMPLE 2975 CONTAINS 0.5 % FE, 0.07 % MG, 0.05 % CA, 0.2 % TI, 300 PPM MN, 20 PPM B, 500 PPM BA, 1.5 PPM BE, 15 PPM BI, 10 PPM CR, 1500 PPM CU, +2000 PPM MO, 5 PPM NI, 20 PPM V, AND 30 PPM ZR. SAMPLE 2976 CONTAINS 2 % FE, 0.03 % MG, 0.15 % CA, 0.02 % TI, 200 PPM MN, 2 PPM AG, 2000 PPM AS, 15 PPM B, 150 PPM BA, 1 PPM BE, 500 PPM BI, 10 PPM CR, 1000 PPM CU, 50 PPM MO, 10 PPM PB, 700 PPM SB, 20 PPM V, 50 PPM W, 10 PPM ZR, AND 3.2 PPM AU, BY AA ANALYSIS.
Result SAMPLE 2977 CONTAINS 0.3 % FE, 0.02 % MG, 30 PPM MN, 3 PPM AG, 700 PPM AS, 30 PPM BA, 1 PPM SB, AND 0.1 PPM AU, BY AA ANALYSIS. ORE CARRIES 100:1, AG:AU RATIO. SAMPLE 2607 OF VEIN QUARTZ WITH SULFIDES CONTAINS 5 % FE, 0.05 % MG, 0.1 % TI, 15 PPM MN, 1500 PPM AG, +10000 PPM AS, 20 PPM AU, 100 PPM B, 70 PPM BA, 1 PPM BE, 30 PPM BI, 10 PPM CR, 200 PPM CU, 10 PPM NI, 700 PPM PB, 100 PPM SB, 20 PPM V, 100 PPM ZR, AND 54 PPM AU, BY AA ANALYSIS. SAMPLE 2608 OF VEIN QUARTZ WITH ARSENOPYRITE CONTAINS 10 % FE, 0.02 % MG, 0.05 % TI, 50 PPM MN, 1000 PPM AG, +10000 PPM AS, 50 PPM B, 20 PPM BA, 50 PPM BI, 10 PPM CO, 10 PPM CR, 5000 PPM CU, 7 PPM NI, 3000 PPM PB, 300 PPM SB, 10 PPM V, 300 PPM ZN, AND 11.0 PPM AU, BY AA ANALYSIS

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 273
USGS model code 36a
Deposit model name Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein
Mark3 model number 27

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff > Welded Tuff

Nearby scientific data

(1) -118.69545, 41.83015

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR
    Strike NW
    Dip 35 TO 40NE
    Thickness 3.05M
    Length 914.4M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Fault Zone With Pre- And Post-Ore Movement

Comments on the geologic information

  • NARROW, GENTLY DIPPING (LESS THAN 40 DEGREES) QUARTZ VEINS IN GRANODIORITE, STEEPENING DOWNWARD; VEIN WIDTH VARIES FROM 2 TO 10 FT, AVERAGING 5 FT. IN THE FOOTWALL BELOW THE QUARTZ VEIN AT THE 400 FT. LEVEL IS SOME FINELY DISSEMINATED NATIVE COPPER WITH SECONDARY ENRICHMENT OF COPPER IN SEAMS IN GNEISS

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1863
Year of first production 1865

Mining district

District name Warm Springs District

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Nevada Mineral Development, Inc.
    First year 1980
  • Type Owner
    Owner American Copper And Nickel Co. Bought It From The Cannon Family.

Comments on the production information

  • $400,000 WORTH OF AU AND AG PRODUCED BY 1938, AND A REPORT ESTIMATES PROVEN RESERVES OF MORE THAN 135,000 TONS AT $10.45/TON IN AU, IN 1940.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Total resources 526000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 3.529 g/mt Gold Major 1987

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 3200.4M
    Overall depth 121.92M

Comments on the workings information

  • 10 ADITS (UP TO 1500 FT. LONG) AND OTHER UNDERGROUND WORKINGS

Comments on development

  • PROPERTY WAS TEMPORARILY INACTIVE AT TIME OF EXAMINATION IN 1984.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    WILLDEN, R., 1964, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY, NEVADA; NBMG, BULL. 59.

  • Deposit

    VANDERBURG, W.O., 1938, RECONNAISSANCE OF MINING DISTRICTS IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY, NEVADA; UBSM INF. CIRC. 6995

  • Deposit

    STATE INSPECTOR OF MINES, 1981, DIRECTORY OF NEVADA MINE OPERATIONS ACTIVE DURING CALENDAR YEAR 1980.

  • Deposit

    GONNASON, W.L., 1967, UNPUBLISHED GEOLOGICAL REPORT ON THE ASHDOWN MINE; ON FILE AT NBMG. #5. QUADE, JACK, 1 OCT 84, NBMG FIELD EXAMINATION AND SAMPLE ANALYSIS. #6. NBMG STAFF, 1985, NBMG OFR 85-3. #7. STAGER, H.K. AND TINGLEY, J.V., IN PREPARATION, NBMG BULL. ON TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS OF NEVADA.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

  • Reserve-Resource

    BONHAM, H.F., 1988 MI-1993

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit IN PLACES, QUARTZ IS MASSIVE AND IN OTHERS, PEGMATITIC. IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE MINE AREA, AMERICAN DRILLED INTO A MOLYBDENITE OREBODY INTO WHICH A DECLINE WAS SUNK. THE NEW WORKINGS ARE REPORTED TO EXCEED 3000 FT. SAMPLE 2975 FROM MOLY OREBODY MATERIAL, FROM THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TONS OF ORE STOCKPILED CURRENTLY IN DUMPS. MINERALIZATION INCLUDES MASSIVE MOLYBDENITE, CHALCOPYRITE, MINOR MERCURY, AND OTHER SULFIDES. SAMPLE 2976 FROM DUMPS SERVING #8 LEVEL IN OLD MINE WORKINGS FURTHER UP THE MOUNTAIN. MINERALIZATION OCCURS IN A BRECCIATED, IRON-STAINED QUARTZ VEIN. SAMPLE 2977 IS OF SULFIDE-BEARING VEIN MATERIAL FROM ONE OF THE LOWER DUMPS.; MODEL NAME COULD ALSO BE: POLYMETALLIC VEINS.
Deposit OWNED IN THE 1960'S BY VERN CANNON. MOST OF THE PRODUCTION IN THIS DISTRICT HAS COME FROM THIS MINE. THE FIRST CLAIMS WERE LOCATED IN THE AREA IN 1863. EARLY MINING WAS HINDERED BY ISOLATION AND HOSTILITY OF THE BANNOCK INDIANS. A SMALL MILL ERECTED IN 1864 WAS BURNED BY THE INDIANS IN 1865. THE ASHDOWN IS COMPOSED OF A GROUP OF 16 CLAIMS, OWNED IN THE 1930'S BY C.C. CROW AND LEASED TO G. MATHEWSON. DEVELOPMENT AT THAT TIME CONSISTED OF 10 ADITS (ONE ABOUT 1500 FT LONG) AND OTHER WORKINGS TOTALLING ABOUT 10,500 FT.; IN 1980, THE MINE WAS ACTIVE, AS AN "UNDERGROUND REHABILITATION" PROPERTY, EMPLOYING 3 WORKERS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 3 FIELD OBSERV

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-1981 La Pointe, D. D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-MAY-1987 La Pointe, D.D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-SEP-1994 Li, Zhiping (Moyer, Lorre A.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Authoritative Nevada resources

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