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Democrat Creek

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Antimony
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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 10001696
MRDS ID A012477
Record type Site
Current site name Democrat Creek
Alternate or previous names Democrat Gulch, Democrat Pup

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -146.36479, 64.33774 (WGS84)
Relative position Democrat Creek drains into Banner Creek (BD001), approximately 3.5 miles north of the town of Richardson, Alaska, on the Richardson Highway. The creek is approximately 1 mile long and has placer workings throughout its length. The approximate center of the mining activity is in SW1/4NE1/4 section 4, T. 7 S., R. 7 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. Numerous unimproved roads provide access to the area. It is locality 17 of Cobb (1972; MF-388), who summarized relevant references under the name 'Democrat Creek'. Note: The Democrat Creek labeled on U.S.G.S, Big Delta (B-5) quadrangle, 1:63,360 map is not the same creek discussed here.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Fairbanks North Star(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Big Delta B-5(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Big Delta SW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Big Delta(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary
Antimony Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Arsenopyrite Ore
Gold Ore
Pyrite Ore
Stibnite 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 Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel

Nearby scientific data

(1) -146.36479, 64.33774
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Richardson area is characterized by gentle slopes and broad, alluvium-filled valleys (Prindle and Katz, 1913, p. 140). The area is unglaciated and largely overlain by windblown silt, sand, and loess, locally up to 50 meters thick (Foster and others, 1979). The bedrock in the region comprises greenschist to amphibolite facies schist, marble, and gneiss that have been intruded by various igneous bodies (Bundtzen and Reger, 1977, p. 29). The schist and marble are probably Paleozoic, and the gneiss has a probable protolith of Precambrian and Paleozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks (Weber and others, 1978). Some quartz veins in the schist and gneiss are mineralized (Chapin, 1914). The intrusive bodies in the area range in composition from rhyolite to andesite. Fine-grained rhyolite containing quartz and feldspar phenocrysts is common throughout the area (Olson and others, 1985). At the nearby Democrat Lode (BD014), the rhyolite contains arsenopyrite, gold, and pyrite, and is albitic, clay, and sericite altered (R.J. Newberry, oral communication, 1998). Structurally, the Richardson region is cut by a northwest-trending fracture system termed the Richardson Lineament. The lineament appears to correspond with the distribution of the rhyolite and other intrusive bodies and placer gold deposits (Bundtzen and Reger, 1977, p. 29). Also, the lineament tends to separate gneissic rocks to the northeast from schistose rocks to the southwest (Swainbank and others, 1984). ? the Democrat Creek placers are located on a section of the Richardson Lineament termed the Democrat dike. Bedrock in the Democrat Creek drainage is composed primarily of biotite gneiss and rhyolite. The gold source for the residual and fluvial placers of Democrat Creek is interpreted to be the rhyolite. The rhyolite has an aphanitic groundmass, and quartz, plagioclase, and K-spar phenocrysts. Locally, the plagioclase phenocrysts are weathered to clay, possibly montmorillonite. Albite accompanies quartz in the veins (R.J. Newberry, oral communication, 1998). Quartz stringers locally containing sulfides are also present (Olson and others, 1985). The lode contains fractures with Fe-stained void-space quartz veins and localized sericite. K-spar from the rhyolite yielded a K-Ar minimum age of 86.9 +/- 2.6 Ma (Bundtzen and Reger, 1977). Minerals in the rhyolite are arsenopyrite, gold, pyrite, and stibnite (McCoy and others, 1997). Metz and Hawkins (1981) reported the average gold fineness to be 928. ? Gold was first discovered in the Richardson district in 1905. Placer mines began operating in several streams in the immediate area. These include Tenderfoot Creek (BD039), Banner Creek, and Buckeye Creek (BD005) and associated tributaries. After peak gold production in 1908, mining in the area declined (Olson and others, 1985). From 1905 through 1921, production from the Richardson district was approximately 95,000 ounces of gold and 24,000 ounces of silver (Bundtzen and Reger, 1977). Since 1980, the district has produced approximately 10,000 additional ounces of gold from intermittent mining (Olson and others, 1985). Because of the depth to bedrock, mining along Democrat Creek has primarily used open-cut methods (Ellsworth and Parker, 1911). Recently, limited placer mining has occurred in association with the development of the Democrat Lode (BD014).
  • Age = Quaternary

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairbanks; Richardson

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = From 1905 through 1921, production in the Richardson district was approximately 95,000 ounces of gold and 24,000 ounces of silver (Bundtzen and Reger, 1977). Since 1980, the district has produced approximately 10,000 additional ounces of gold from intermittent mining (Olson and others, 1985). For this time period, information regarding individual mine production was not available.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Gold was first discovered in the Richardson area in 1905. Placer mines began operating in several streams in the immediate area. These include Tenderfoot Creek (BD039), Banner Creek, Buckeye Creek (BD005) and associated tributaries. After peak gold production in 1908, mining in the area declined (Olson and others, 1985). Because of the depth to bedrock, mining along Democrat Creek has primarily used open-cut methods (Ellsworth and Parker, 1911). Recently, limited placer mining has occurred in association with the development of the Democrat Lode (BD014).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Ellsworth, C.E., and Parker, G.L., 1911, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, 325 p.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1913, Detailed description of the Fairbanks district, in Prindle, L. M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 59-152.

  • Deposit

    Saunders, R.H., 1965, A geochemical investigation in the Richardson area, Big Delta quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geochemical Report 3, 11 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Big Delta quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-388, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Bundtzen, T.K., and Reger, R.D., 1977, The Richardson lineament-a structural control for gold deposits in the Richardson mining district, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Geologic Report 55, 46 p.

  • Deposit

    Eberlein, G.D., Chapman, R.M., Foster, H.L., and Gassaway, J.S., 1977, Map and table describing known metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits in central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-168-D, 132 p., 1 map, scale 1:1,000,000.

  • Deposit

    Weber, F.R., Foster, H.L., Keith, T.E.C., Dusel-Bacon, C., 1978, Preliminary geologic map of the Big Delta quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-529A, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Menzie, W.D., and Foster, H.L., 1979, Metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral resource potential in the Big Delta quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-529D, 61 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., and Eberlein, G.D., 1980, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral deposits in the Big Delta and Tanacross quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-1086, 77 p.

  • Deposit

    Metz, P.A., and Hawkins, D.B., 1981, A summary of gold fineness values from Alaska placer deposits: University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Mineral Industry Research Laboratory Report No. 45, 63 p.

  • Deposit

    Swainbank, R.C., Burton, J.P., and Metz, P.A., 1984, Bedrock geology of the Richardson mining district, Alaska: University of Alaska, Mineral Industry Research Laboratory Open-File Report 84-2, 60 p., 8 maps, scale 1:40,000.

  • Deposit

    Olson, B.G., Burton, J., Wolff, E.N., and Swainbank, R.D., 1985, Mining and minerals in the golden heart of Alaska: Fairbanks North Star Borough Publication, 80 p.

  • Deposit

    McCoy, Dan, Newberry, R.J., Layer, Paul, DiMarchi, J.J., Bakke, Arne, Masterman, J.S., and Minehane, D.L., 1997, Plutonic-related gold deposits of interior Alaska, in R.J. Goldfarb, and L.D. Miller, eds., Mineral Deposits of Alaska: Economic Geology Monograph 9, p. 191-241.

  • Deposit

    Chapin, Theodore, 1914, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592-J, p. 357-362.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Bundtzen and Reger, 1977

General comments

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

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 26-APR-1999 Cameron S. Rombach Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

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