Ruby Creek

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Gold, Bismuth, Tin, Uranium, Tungsten
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 10001651
MRDS ID A012425
Record type Site
Current site name Ruby Creek
Alternate or previous names Strand
Related records 10282196

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -154.79906, 63.23559 (WGS84)
Relative position The Ruby Creek (Strand) placer gold deposit is the lower portion of the Ruby Creek placer (see Ruby Creek; MD068). It is located below the confluence of Crystal Gulch at an elevation of 750 feet in Section 14, T. 26 S., R. 21 E., of the Kateel River Meridian. Location is known to within 250 feet (76 m).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Yukon-Koyukuk(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Medfra A-4(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Medfra S(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Medfra C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Stony River(hydrologic unit)

Upper Kuskokwim River(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Gold Primary
Bismuth Critical Secondary
Tin Critical Secondary
Uranium Secondary
Tungsten Critical Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Material = uranothorianite

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bismuth Ore
Cassiterite Ore
Gold Ore
Scheelite Ore
Azurite Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Ilmenite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Sphene Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 121
USGS model code 39c
Deposit model name Shoreline placer Ti

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel

Nearby scientific data

(1) -154.79906, 63.23559

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = No data on size or grade of the Ruby Creek (Strand) deposit has been found in published sources. Ilmenite and magnetite were abundant in concentrates. The Strand part of the Ruby Creek placer is a mature, third order stream with an average gradient of about 150 feet/ mile. The upper end above Crystal Gulch is a second order stream with a higher gradient. In 1929, fineness was estimated to be 807 gold and 107 silver (Mertie, 1936). Age is Quaternary, based on inference with similar deposits in area (Bundtzen and others, 1997).
  • Age = Quaternary, based on inference with similar deposits in area (Bundtzen and others, 1997).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name McGrath

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = Ruby Creek was the first to be mined in the Nixon Fork area (1917). From 1917 to 1942, Ruby Creek produced at least 1,522 ounces (47 kg) gold and unknown amounts of silver. Production continued intermittently until about 1961, but the latter year's production levels were believed to be modest.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Both underground drifting and open cut methods were used prior to 1933 (Mertie, 1936).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Mertie, 1936

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model no. 39c)
Deposit Other Comments = See also Hidden Creek (MD066), Upper Ruby Creek (MD068), Birch Gulch (MD073), and Holmes Gulch (MD072).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-JUN-98 Bundtzen, T.K. Pacific Rim Geological Consulting

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.