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Waterpump Creek

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc
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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. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10002530
MRDS ID A013474
Record type Site
Current site name Waterpump Creek
Alternate or previous names Last Hurrah

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -157.8031, 64.06944 (WGS84)
Relative position The Waterpump Creek prospect is in the southern Kaiyuh Mountians, approximately 7 miles southeast of the summit of Khotol Mountain. The coordinates are for the approximate center of mineralization at Waterpump Creek, just south of the center of sec. 26, T. 16 S., R. 5 E., Kateel River Meridian. The location is accurate within 500 feet.? This site also includes the Last Hurrah prospect, which is on the same mineral trend as the Waterpump Creek prospect. The Last Hurrah prospect is centered about 1.4 miles southwest of the Waterpump Creek prospect.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Yukon-Koyukuk(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

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

Nulato SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Nulato C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Gangue = manganosiderite

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Acanthite Ore
Anglesite Ore
Beudantite Ore
Bornite Ore
Boulangerite Ore
Cerussite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Hemimorphite Ore
Hydrozincite Ore
Limonite Ore
Mimetite Ore
Plattnerite Ore
Plumbojarosite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyrolusite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stannite Ore
Argentojarosite Ore
Fraipontite Ore
Carminite Ore
Hopeite Ore
Massicot Ore
Schultenite Ore
Scorodite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Dolomite Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Gypsum Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Siderite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Calcite and dolomite veining, manganosiderite alteration of wallrock, and replacement of dolostone wallrock by siderite.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 85
USGS model code 22c
Deposit model name Polymetallic veins
Mark3 model number 46

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -157.8031, 64.06944
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Waterpump Creek deposit is in dolomitic quartzite and metadolostone. There are two ore zones: 1) a body about 200 meters long and 9 by 30 meters in section that consists of oxidized ore (gossan); and 2) a body of sulfide-siderite ore about 120 meters below the gossan that is about 120 meters long and 20 by 15 meters in section (Flanigan, 1998).? Initially, the Waterpump Creek deposit was considered to be syngenetic. However, Flanigan (1998) demonstrates that it probably is a plutonic-related, epigenetic deposit, based on its relationship to the 113 Ma Khotol pluton, the presence of stannite and boulangerite, and a depositional temperature of 300-350 degrees C.? the oxide (gossan) zone and the deeper, unoxidized sulfide-siderite zone strike S40E and dip 30SE. The mineralization pinches, swells, and bifurcates, suggesting that it comprises several different zones. Most of the mineralization is in quartzite with minor dolostone layers. The ore zones cross-cut quartzite-dolostone contacts (Flanigan, 1998).? the gossan consists of soft masses and veins with many voids and masses of loose breccia. Breccia clasts range from clay size to small cobbles, and include rare, unoxidized mineral grains that range up to sand size. The minerals in the gossan zone include anglesite, argentojarosite, beudantite, carminite, cerussite, gypsum, fraipontite, hemimorphite, hopeite, jarosite, massicot, mimetite, platternite, plumbjarosite, pyrolusite, schultenite, and scorodite (Flanigan, 1998). The oxidized zone also contains galena that occurs as remnants rimmed with lead oxide or carbonate minerals, including anglesite or cerussite. Zinc-rich areas of the gossan consist primarily of limonite, along with hemimorphite and hydrozincite (Flanigan, 1998).? In the unoxidized, sulfide-siderite zone, siderite gangue replaces dolostone along irregular contacts. Major sulfide minerals include sphalerite, galena, and pyrite, within manganosiderite gangue. Radiating clusters of acicular calcite crystals coat fracture surfaces and line vugs near mineralization. Calcite and dolomite veins also occur. Sphalerite and galena commonly are intergrown and may form large pods, veins, bands, and rare vug fillings. Minor disseminated galena, pyrite, and manganosiderite occur throughout massive sphalerite. Pyrite commonly is subordinate, but it locally may form as much as 70% of the sulfide body (Flanigan, 1998). Boulangerite occurs as small, wire-like grains in siderite or as inclusions in pyrite. Stannite forms inclusions in pyrite. Teller and Wilson (in Flanigan, 1998) also identified acanthite, bornite, chalcopyrite, diopside, rosenhahnite, and tremolite in the sulfide zones, suggesting a possible skarn affinity (Flanigan, 1998). Alteration consists of calcite and dolomite veining, manganosiderite alteration of wallrock, and replacement of dolostone wallrock by siderite.? Estimated reserves at the Waterpump Creek prospect are 166,000 metric tons of ore averaging 9.5 ounces of silver per ton, 16.1% lead, and 5.5% zinc (Flanigan, 1998).? the Waterpump Creek deposit lies along a lineament that also crosses the Illinois Creek (NL023) and Round Top (NL011) deposits. This lineament is parallel to the Kaltag fault.? the Last Hurrah occurrence is marked by elevated concentrations of lead and zinc along two perpendicular soil lines. Soil-sample assays range up to 525 ppm lead and 903 ppm zinc. This soil anomaly is along an air-photo lineament (fault) that also crosses the Waterpump Creek (NL023) and Illinois Creek (NL023) deposits.
  • Age = The nearby Khotol pluton has been dated by K/Ar and Ar/Ar methods at 108-112 Ma (Flanigan, 1998). Flanigan (1998) links the mineralization at this deposit to magmatic fluids from this pluton. His interpretation is supported by a K/Ar date of about 113 Ma on sericite from a mineralized vein at the Waterpump Creek prospect (Flanigan, 1998).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active

Mining district

District name Kaiyuh

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves = the estimated reserves at the Waterpump Creek prospect are 166,000 metric tons of ore averaging 9.5 ounces of silver per ton, 16.1% lead, and 5.5% zinc (Flanigan, 1998).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The Waterpump Creek prospect was first located by Anaconda Minerals Company in 1980. Since then, the prospect has been trenched, drilled, geologically mapped, and soil and rock sampled.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Gillerman, V.S., Brewer, N.H., Millholland, M.A., and Wyman, W.F., 1986, Oxidized polymetallic gold mineralization, Illinois Creek, Alaska [abs.], in Chater, A.M., ed., Gold '86, an international symposium on the geology of gold deposits; poster paper abstracts: Geological Association of Canada, p. 51-53.

  • Deposit

    Flanigan, B., 1998, Genesis and mineralization of ore deposits in the Illinois Creek region, West Central Alaska: University of Alaska, Fairbanks, M.Sc. thesis, 125 p., 2 plates.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Flanigan, 1998

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Plutonic-related, epigenetic, lode Ag-Pb-Zn; Polymetallic veins? (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 22c)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-AUG-01 Cameron, C.E. Northern Associates Inc.

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

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