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Sierra Buttes

Past Producer in Sierra county in California, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead
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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. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10106504
MRDS ID X017608
Record type Site
Current site name Sierra Buttes
Alternate or previous names Sierra City, Ariel Independence, Bigelow, Buttes Union

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -120.64409, 39.57517 (WGS84)
Elevation 1951
Relative position 3/4 MI NW OF SIERRA CITY

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Sierra(county)

California(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Sierra City(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Portola(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Chico(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Yuba(hydrologic unit)

Lower Sacramento(hydrologic accounting unit)

Sacramento(hydrologic subregion)

California(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Tahoe 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 California Sierra

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 020N 012E 20,28,29,06,07,19 California

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary
Copper Tertiary
Lead Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • 5TH & 6TH LEVELS PROMISING ORE OCCURS IN A SERIES OF STAGGERED LENSES. 4 PAY SHOOTS; MAMMOTH SHOOT 300 FT WIDE & 15 - 20 FT THICK.

Materials information

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

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 Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Serpentinite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -120.64409, 39.57517
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike E
    Dip 41 N
    Thickness 6.1M

Comments on the geologic information

  • VEINS 6 - 20 FT THICK. ARIEL IS MAIN VEIN & STRIKES N 51 W TO N 80 E, DIPS 45 - 54 N, & BRANCHES INTO A NUMBER OF STRINGERS ON THE 9TH LEVEL. WHISKEY VEIN APPROACHES BUT DOESNT INTERSECT ARIEL. GREENSTONE & SERPENTINE FOOTWALL, QTZ-PORPHYRY HANGING WALL. THIRD VEIN, SMITH, ALSO PROSPECTED.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION IN 1914 WAS FROM 6TH LEVEL. TOTAL PRODUCTION ESTIMATED BY LOGAN, 1929 WAS $16-17 MILLION. MAKING SIERRA BUTTES THE LARGEST SINGLE PRODUCER IN SIERRA CO.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Area 267.102HA
    Overall depth 701.04M
    Overall length 3218.6M
    Overall width 609.6M

Comments on the workings information

  • SHAFT & 9 ADITS: NO. 6 350 FT., NO. 8 900 FT. 12000 FT. ON THE NO. 9 LEVEL, NOW W NO ORE. STOPING BETW 7 & 8. ORIGINAL CLAIM 11000 BY 600 FT. IN AREA.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MCCULLOCH, W. C., OESTERLING, W. A., SPURCK, W. H., & TISCHLER, M. S., 1964 , MINERALS FOR INDUSTRY, N CALIF: SO PACIFIC COMPANY, VOL 2 , P 54 .

  • Deposit

    AVERILL, C. V., 1942 , MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF SIERRA CO.: CDM CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOL, VOL 38, NO 1, P 44, 64 .

  • Deposit

    LOGAN, C. A., 1929 , SIERRA CO.: CDMM 25TH REPORT STATE MINERALOGIST, APRIL, P 182 .

  • Deposit

    MACBOYLE, E. 1920 , MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES SIERRA CO.: CSMB 16TH REPORT STATE MINERALOGIST, DEC 1918 , P 119 .

  • Deposit

    5) GOLDSTONE, E. M., 1890 , SIERRA COUNTY: CSMB 10TH REPORT STATE MINERALOGIST, P 643 , LOCATION MAP.

  • Deposit

    6) IRELAN, W. JR., 1888 , SIERRA CO.: CSMB 8TH REPORT STATE MINERALOGIST, P. 573 - 577 .

  • Production

    MCCULLOCH ETAL, 1964 ; MACBOYLE, 1920

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit VEINS, ORE SHOOTS

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1979 Hayden, F. (Albers, J.) U.S. 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 California resources

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