Eklutna Tunnel

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodity Mercury
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 10000971
MRDS ID A011645
Record type Site
Current site name Eklutna Tunnel
Related records 10112505

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -149.15265, 61.46955 (WGS84)
Relative position Occurrence is reported by Rose (1966) as being inside the Eklutna Tunnel (marked AQUEDUCT on map), 300 ft from the north end of the tunnel. The tunnel runs through East Twin Peak, connecting Eklutna Lake with the Eklutna Powerhouse (on south side of Old Glenn Highway). Location is accurate within a few tens of feet. Locality 44 of Cobb (1972) and locality 33 of MacKevett and Holloway (1977).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Matanuska-Susitna(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Anchorage B-6(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Anchorage SW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Anchorage(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Matanuska(hydrologic unit)

Knik Arm(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Central Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Mercury Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cinnabar Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 178
USGS model code 27b
Deposit model name Almaden Hg

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Mesozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1) -149.15265, 61.46955

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Athern and Judd (1956) report a very small kidney of cinnabar reported in a 10 ft length of fault gouge about 300 ft from the north end of Eklutna tunnel. The bedrock in the area consists of graywacke and minor interbedded argillite of the Mesozoic McHugh Complex and nearby ultramafic rocks of Middle to Early Jurassic age.
  • Age = Host rock is Mesozoic.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Anchorage

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Underground mapping and sampling.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Rose, 1966

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Almaden Hg ? (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 27b ?)
Deposit Other Comments = Rose (1966) reports several other cinnabar occurrences in the Eklutna River drainage and farther southwest near Turnagain Arm, but there is no record of the exact location or extent of any of the occurrences.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 30-JUL-1998 D.P. Bickerstaff U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 30-JUL-1998 S.W. Huss U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Authoritative Alaska resources

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