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Myrtle 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. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10000581
MRDS ID A011030
Record type Site
Current site name Myrtle Creek
Related records 10184694

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -149.9933, 67.23969 (WGS84)
Relative position Myrtle Creek reportedly has been placer mined for approximately 6 miles above the confluence with Slate Creek. The point of reference is approximately midway along this stretch of creek (NW1/4 sec. 21, T. 28 N., R. 11 W., of the Fairbanks Meridian). Myrtle Creek is a south-flowing tributary to Slate Creek. The mouth of Myrtle Creek is approximately 5 miles southeast of Coldfoot. The lower one-quarter of the creek (about 1 1/2 to 2 miles) is in the Wiseman quadrangle, and the upper three-quarters is in the Chandalar quadrangle about 6 miles east of Coldfoot. The location is accurate within a 1/2-mile radius.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Yukon-Koyukuk(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Chandalar A-6(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Chandalar S(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Chandalar(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore

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 Metamorphic Rock > Schist

Nearby scientific data

(1) -149.9933, 67.23969
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Gold was first discovered on Myrtle Creek in 1899 about 2 1/2 miles above the mouth (Maddren, 1913). The most productive ground was reported to be 2 to 3 miles above the mouth. Gold occurs in the Myrtle Creek drainage in the gravels of the present channel and in bench gravels along the lower 2 to 3 miles of the creek. The present channel was, according to Maddren (1913), 100 to 300 feet wide, although Reed (1938) puts the width at 30 to 150 feet. In general the gold was distributed across the present stream bed. The gravels were generally 2 to 4 feet thick and as much as 7 feet thick. Maddren (1913) described the gold as shot or wheat gold, although he speculated that much of the fine gold was not being recovered at the time. The gold was coarse, clean, and somewhat flattened (like melon seeds); occasional nuggets as much as about 1 oz were found. Smith (1942) reported recovery of a 23-oz nugget. The gold was said to be generally concentrated on bedrock and in crevices of the schist bedrock down to about 3 feet below the gravel/bedrock contact. ? Reed (1938) reported active mining in 1937 from both the present channel and from benches. In at least two locations along the creek, Reed described the gold as having both as a fine and flaky component and coarse and well-worn pieces. At one of these locations, a bench about 2 3/4 miles from the mouth, Reed also noted fine and flaky gold was present all through the gravel and coarser, worn gold (with occasional small nuggets) was on or in the top 3 feet of bedrock. The gravels are generally reported to be slabby schist with varying numbers of greenstone boulders. The bedrock was reported to be graphitic to siliceous schist and slate with at least one observable greenstone dike; this is consistent with later mapping (Brosgi and Reiser, 1964).
  • Age = Quaternary.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Not determined

Mining district

District name Koyukuk

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = Myrtle Creek has reportedly been one of the largest placer gold producers in the Koyukuk district. The total production is not known, but production through 1910 was estimated by Maddren (1913) to be $182,000. Reed (1938) reported that at least $20,000 was mined in the early days (1900-1910?) from a short section above Kelly's Pup in one summer. Values reported by Reed (1938) ranged from $1.20 to $0.35 per square foot of bedrock. The most productive part of the stream was reported by Maddren (1913) to be 2 to 3 miles above Slate Creek at the mountain front. The uppermost claims along the creek (above No. 15) were not profitable at that time. Mining has continued sporadically from 1899 until the present (1998). The most recent production from this property was noted in 1995 (Bundtzen and others, 1996).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Mining began on Myrtle Creek in 1899. Mining in the early days was by open cut and later by drifting, principally on the benches. Hydraulicking was begun in 1909. Nearly all evidence of the early mining had disappeared by 1937. A dragline and bulldozers were in use in the early 1950s. Gravels are thawed near the present channel but frozen near the benches. Gold fineness from three locations along the creek was reported to be about 886 from one location and 914 from the other two (Reed, 1938). Exploration activity was noted in 1984 (Eakins and others, 1985) and development activity as late as 1992 (Swainbank and others, 1993).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Reed, 1938

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 17-NOV-1999 J.M. Britton 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

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