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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Cache Creek (Spruce 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 10001785
MRDS ID A012589
Record type Site
Current site name Cache Creek (Spruce Creek)

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -164.15215, 64.59042 (WGS84)
Relative position Cache Creek is labeled Spruce Creek on older maps. Its mouth is on Taylor Lagoon adjacent to Norton Sound, 8.3 miles east of Solomon. This is locality 105 (Spruce Creek) of Cobb (1972, MF 445; 1978, OF 78-181).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nome(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Solomon C-5(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Solomon NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Solomon(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Nome(hydrologic unit)

Norton Sound(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Solomon Native Corporation(ANCSA Village)

ANCSA Village NTVPIC(Type of land area)

NTVPIC(Federal land areas administered by NTVPIC)

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 > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -164.15215, 64.59042
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = About 8,000 feet of placer workings have been mapped along this drainage between elevations of about 45 and 130 feet. The workings start about 5,000 feet upstream from the mouth of the creek on Taylor Lagoon. Although prospected in the 1900's (Collier and others, 1908), principal mining was by dredging in the 1930's (Cobb, 1978). Some gravels were locally-derived schist and greenstone that was coarse and not well-rounded (Smith, 1910). The gravels were about 11 feet thick on bedrock and permafrost was locally encountered (Smith, 1933). Some beach gravel was encountered and mined but the location was not reported. The paystreak was reported to have been mined out (Smith, 1939). The elevation and location of this placer indicates that it was influenced by Quaternary sea level fluctuations. Bedrock in the area is part of a pelitic schist assemblage of possible Cambrian or Precambrian age (Till and others, 1986).
  • 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 Nome

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = The dredge operating on this creek was apparently the major producer in the area between 1932 and 1935; considering the extent of the workings the deposits may have been high grade. The paystreak was reported to have been mined out (Smith, 1939).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = About 8,000 feet of placer workings have mapped along this drainage between elevations of about 45 and 130 feet. The workings start about 5,000 feet upstream from the mouth of the creek on Taylor Lagoon. Although prospected in the 1900's (Collier and others, 1908), principal mining was by dredging in the 1930's (Cobb, 1978).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Collier, A. J., Hess, F.L., Smith, P.S., and Brooks, A.H., 1908, The gold placers of parts of Seward Peninsula, Alaska, including the Nome, Council, Kougarok, Port Clarence, and Goodhope precincts: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 328, 343 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1910, Geology and mineral resources of the Solomon and Casadepaga quadrangles, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 433, 234 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S. 1939, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic resources map of the Solomon quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-445, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1978, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Solomon quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-181, 185 p.

  • Deposit

    Till, A.B., Dumoulin, J.A., Gamble, B. ., Kaufman, D.S., and Carroll, P.I., 1986, Preliminary geologic map and fossil data, Soloman, Bendeleben, and southern Kotzebue quadrangles, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 86-276, 10 p., 3 plates, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836-A, p. 1-83.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Cobb, 1978 (OF 78-181)

General comments

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

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 19-AUG-1999 Travis L. Hudson Applied Geology

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.