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Bonanza Creek

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10100571
MRDS ID A013003
Record type Site
Current site name Bonanza Creek
Related records 10282668

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -154.69771, 60.71637 (WGS84)
Relative position Near intersection of Bonanza Creek and Little Bonanza Creek. Placer deposits extend from 'Gill's camp' at least 6 km upstream to above Cabin (or Cash) Creek and about 6 km downstream to Caribou Creek (Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals, 1961). This is locality 7 of Nelson and others (1985), localities 1 and 5 of MacKevett and Holloway (1977), and localities 1 and 6 of Cobb (1972). Locality of 'Gill's camp' accurate within 100 m.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Lake and Peninsula(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Lake Clark C-5(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Lake Clark NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Lake Clark C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Mulchatna River(hydrologic unit)

Nushagak River(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Not applicable

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54
Model code 273
USGS model code 36a
Deposit model name Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein
Mark3 model number 27
Model code 85
USGS model code 22c
Deposit model name Polymetallic veins
Mark3 model number 46

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Glacial Sediment

Nearby scientific data

(1) -154.69771, 60.71637
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Bonanza Creek is both placer gold deposit and gold-quartz vein occurrence. Jasper (1961) reported: evidence indicates that glacial scouring was not an important erosional factor in this area, it is believed that pre-glacial alluvials were undisturbed, and that placer gold concentrations remain more or less as originally deposited along Bonanza Creek . The valley surface width varies from 300 to 700 feet with an average width of 400 feet. The valley alluvials are mostly uniform gravels with some boulders, interpreted as reworked glacial deposits. Stream gradient is 1 to 1.5 percent. The near-surface ground water level suggests a fairly loose gravel due to lack of sufficient sediment to 'tighten' the ground. Under these circumstances, the greater gold concentrations (if any) may be on or near bedrock (Jasper, 1961). ? Bedrock is shale, argillite, and graywacke cut by porphyritic granitic dikes. The sediments strike N 40 to 45 E, and dip varies from 60 to 75 SW. Many quartz veins were noted by Jasper (1961) but only one was closely examined. The 12-foot-wide mineralized shear zone contains quartz veins with 5 to 6 percent pyrite, minor arsenopyrite, and some free gold. The shear zone stikes E, and dips 45 to 50 N. The shear zone extends 150 feet up slope. The quartz occurs in more or less continuous stringer from a few inches to 10 or 12 inches in width. One pan sample taken accross 18 inches of outcrop showed 3 fine gold colors. The sample was not crushed to free possible gold included in quartz fragments (Jasper, 1961).?
  • Age = Quaternary.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Bristol Bay

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = Principal site of prospecting in Mulchatna basin; total gold production since 1912 of the area probably less than 3,000 oz (Nelson and others, 1985).

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves = the near-surface ground water level suggests a fairly loose gravel due to lack of sufficient sediment to 'tighten' the ground. Under these circumstances, the greater gold concentrations (if any) may be on or near bedrock. However, Millet reported finding 'fair' pay in his 14-foot shaft; this makes it a reasonable expectation that appreciable gold values may be found at a number of horizons from surface to bedrock (Jasper, 1961).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Brooks (1913) reported first encouraging prospects from benches of Bonanza Creek. By 1914, hand drills were in use to test placer ground in the Bonanza Creek drainage (Brooks, 1915; Jasper, 1961). ? Jasper (1961) described the historic activity at Bonanza Creek: O.B. Millet was one of the original locators and spent 5 years propsecting his claims. He first sunk a 14 foot shaft which had to be abandoned because his hand pump could not handle the amount of water. Millet did not reach bedrock but he reported finding pay. He next got $400 (including nuggets up to $1.50 - with gold at $20.67/oz) from 100 cubic yards of material from a narrow channel 80 feet above the 14 foot shaft. In the mid-1920s, Millet brought a 4-inch hand drill and a hand pump to test the valley alluvials. Six holes were drilled - three holes 6 miles below Gill camp and three holes 1.75 miles below Gill camp. The gold values were too low to warrent a mining operation. During the 1930's, a 4-inch drill was brought to the area overland from Nondalton. Enroute several holes were drilled on Dummy and Chilikindrotna Creeks with discouraging results. No holes were put down on Bonanza Creek due to lack of funds and the venture was abandoned. ? Cobb (1973) indicated that there has been extensive prospecting, but total production, including from tributaries, was less than 150 oz. The valley might be capable of supporting a small dredge or a dragline operation.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Eakins and others, 1978

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au and Au-quartz veins or Polymetallic veins ? (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a and 36a or 22c ?)
Deposit Model Number = 39a, 36a, or 22c
Deposit Other Comments = None.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 15-JUN-1998 M.L. Miller U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 15-JUN-1998 D.P. Bickerstaff U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

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