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  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Lake Aleknagik

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodity Mercury
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Mining district
  9. Links to other databases
  10. Bibliographic references
  11. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10307422
Record type Site
Current site name Lake Aleknagik

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -158.70267, 59.27932 (WGS84)
Relative position This location represents an area of occurences on the southwest shore of Lake Aleknagik. The site chosen to represent these occurrences is the mouth of Yako Creek, about 3 miles west of the village of Aleknagik.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Dillingham(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Dillingham B-8(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Dillingham SW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Dillingham(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Wood River(hydrologic unit)

Nushagak River(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Aleknagik Natives, Limited(ANCSA Village)

ANCSA Village UND(Type of land area)

UND(Federal land areas administered by UND)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Mercury Primary

Nearby scientific data

(1) -158.70267, 59.27932
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Eakin (1968) completed a reconnaissance stream-sediment geochemical survey of the Wood River-Tikchik Lakes region. These samples were analyzed for their Cu, Pb, Zn, Mo, and Hg content. In general, there are few anomalous sample results for base metals and molybdenum. However, Eakins' results showed many areas of high mercury levels. Of these, the southern Lake Aleknagik area contains the highest concentration of samples with anomalous mercury contents. For example, six samples along the southeast side of lower Lake Aleknagik were reported to contain greater than 250 ppb Hg, including one with greater than 2,500 ppb Hg. Eakin (1968) cautioned that the analytical technique used for his mercury determinations had potential pitfalls. However, field tests showed the expected anomalous mercury results in areas of known cinnabar deposits (Red Top mine, DI002), and follow-up geochemical studies (Eakin, 1969) roughly duplicated the earlier anomalous mercury results. The Red Top mercury mine (DI002), on Marsh Mountain, is 6 miles east of this location. Although the analytical technique available to Eakin (1968) had its problems, it appears that elevated mercury levels do exist in several areas, especially around the southern end of Lake Aleknagik. Bedrock in the area is mostly interbedded, very fine- to very coarse-grained graywacke, calcareous graywacke, and siltstone. These rocks are probably correlative with Jurassic clastic sedimentary rocks like those in the southeast part of the Hagemeister Island quadrangle (Jk unit of Hoare and Coonrad, 1978; Decker and others, 1994, fig. 1).
  • Age = Cretaceous or Tertiary. Epigenetic mercury deposits in this region developed after Mesozoic clastic rocks of the area had been deformed and intruded by Cretaceous or Tertiary granitic plutons.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Bristol Bay region

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Eakin, 1968

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 15-MAR-01 Travis L. Hudson Applied Geology

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.