Pioneer Placer

Past Producer in Powell county in Montana, United States with commodity Gold
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. Production statistics
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10148836
MRDS ID W014738
MAS/MILS ID 0300770183
Record type Site
Current site name Pioneer Placer

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -112.95311, 46.52409 (WGS84)
Elevation 1402
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Powell(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Griffin Creek(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Elliston(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Butte(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Clark Fork(hydrologic unit)

Pend Oreille(hydrologic accounting unit)

Kootenai-Pend Oreille-Spokane(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Montana Powell

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 009 N 011 W 23 SWNWNW Montana

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Quartz Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Glacial Sediment
    Rock type qualifier GLACIAL DRIFT
    Rock unit name Unconsolidated sand and gravel
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Quaternary
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Quaternary
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Alluvium
    Rock type qualifier SUBANGULAR TO ROUNDED COBBLES OF GRANITE QUARTZITE, DIORITE, AND HORNFELS AND CONTAINS MINOR AMOUNTS OF SAND AND GRAVEL
    Rock unit name Unconsolidated sand and gravel

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -112.95311, 46.52409

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure name ROYAL STOCK

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE OLDEST DRIFT IS COMPOSED OF BOULDERS AND COBBLES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCK AND MINOR AMOUNTS OF METAMORPHIC ROCK. THE INTERMEDIATE DRIFT IS COMPOSED OF METAMORPHIC ROCK AND MINOR GRANITIC ROCK. THE YOUNGEST DRIFT IS COMPOSED ALMOST ENTIRELY OF FRESH GRANITIC BOULDERS AND COBBLES.
  • LATE GLACIAL OUTWASH DEPOSIT THAT OVER LIES TERTIARY "LAKE BED" CLAY. CLAY PROVIDED IDEAL BEDROCK FOR DREDGE MINING.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Placer
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes

Mining district

District name Pioneer

Land status

Ownership category Unknown

Production statistics

  • Year 1959
    Period 1861-1959
    Material gold
    Ore mined 9mt
    Accuracy Estimate

Comments on the workings information

  • DREDGE MINING IN QUATERNARY ALLUVIUM WIDTH VARIES FROM 250-1500 FT. PRE 1942 1.5 MI DOWNSTREAM FROM PIONEER WAS DREDGED

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    PARDEE J T, 1951, USGS BULL. 978-C, P.77-79,91.

  • Deposit

    ALSO LOCATED T9N R11W SECTIONS 14,22.

  • Deposit

    FORMERLY OPERATED BY PIONEER PLACER DREDGING COMPANY

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DEPTH VARIES FROM 15-50 FT. OVERBURDEN OF TAILINGS FROM EARLIER MINING OPERATIONS ON PIONEER BAR WERE REWORKED.
Deposit "PAY STREAK" RANGED IN THICKNESS FROM 2-50 FT. THICK
Deposit SIX TERRACES 100 TO 300 FT WIDE, THROUGH VERTICAL DISTANCE OF 200 FT. GRAVELS ARE 8-12 FT. THICK OVER BEDROCK OF TERTIARY CLAY.
Deposit Merged data from Deposit ID's 10015912 (K&K Bar and E. Fork of Pioneer Placer), 10015911 (Lower Pioneer Gulch Placer), and 10015914 (Pioneer Bar Placer)
Deposit MUCH OF THE PLACER GOLD WAS COATED BY LIMONITE. 3 STAGES OF GLACIATION WITH A NOTED DECREASE IN GOLD FROM THE OLDEST TO THE YOUNGEST.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 25-SEP-92 Western Field Operations Center (WFOC) U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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