California Creek Placer Mine

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Links to other databases
  11. Bibliographic references
  12. General comments
  13. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10001178
MRDS ID A011881
Record type Site
Current site name California Creek Placer Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -156.65787, 66.95148 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Northwest Arctic(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Shungnak D-2(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Shungnak NE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Shungnak(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Kobuk River(hydrologic unit)

Kobuk-Selawik Rivers(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

NANA Regional Corporation, Incorporated(ANCSA Region)

ANCSA Region NTVPIC(Type of land area)

NTVPIC(Federal land areas administered by NTVPIC)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Comments on the location information

  • DEPOSIT OCCUPIES AREA ALONG CALIFORNIA CR. BETWEEN LITTLE CREEK AND WONDER CREEK, UPSTREAM OF CANYON RUNNING E-W ALONG THE N 1/2 OF SEC. 21 AND 22, T.18 N., R. 10 E. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Asbestos Gangue
Nephrite Gangue

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel

Nearby scientific data

(1) DPxaqm

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • GRAVEL IS COARSE, UP TO 3 IN IN DIAMETER; NUMEROUS SUBANGULAR BOULDERS, UP TO 3 FT DIAMETER; NEPHRITE BOULDERS COMMON, BUT LITTLE OF GEM-QUALITY; ASBESTOS FIBERS FOUND IN WORKINGS ; MAJOR.UNITS: GARNETIFEROUS GREENSTONE; METAVOLCANIC ROCK AND PHYLLITE CUT BY QUARTZ VEINS ; REG.COM: AU PROBABLY LOCALLY DERIVED

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1918
Year of first production 1918
Year of last production 1940

Comments on the workings information

  • FLUMES, HYDRAULIC MINING EQUIPMENT AND PILES OF STRIPPED GRAVEL REMAIN ALONG THE CREEK; PROBABLY MINED OUT.

Comments on development

  • INTERMITTENTLY MINED; SMALL SCALE METHODS UNTIL ABOUT 1922, WHEN HYDRAULIC EQUIPMENT WAS INSTALLED

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    TDM PAM 3-R, P. 13, 25

  • Deposit

    TDM PAM 5-R, P. 14, 47

  • Deposit

    REED, IRVING, 1931, PLACER DEPOSITS OF THE UPPER KOBUK GOLD FIELDS, UNPUB TDM REPORT

  • Deposit

    ADGGS GR 37, P. 28

  • Deposit

    USGS OFR 78-120I, LOC. 34

  • Other Database

    BAG-OFR-78-120I-34

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit COARSE GOLD IN LOWER 5 FT OF CREEK GRAVELS UP TO 20 FT THICK; AVERAGE THICKNESS ABOUT 14 FT
Deposit LOCAL GRADIENT AT PLACER: 200 FT/MI; SEE ALSO: DAHL CREEK ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1986 Leonard, Kenneth R. (Elliott, R. L.) 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.