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Fourmile Creek District

Past Producer in Moffat county in Colorado, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Thorium, Titanium, Metal, REE, Niobium (Columbium), Iron
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Land status
  15. Production statistics
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10013454
MRDS ID D009749
Record type District
Current site name Fourmile Creek District
Alternate or previous names Fourmile District, Timberlake Creek District

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.68011, 40.85496 (WGS84)
Elevation 1951
Relative position 17 TO 33 MILES N AND NE FROM LAY

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Moffat(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

East Timberlake Creek(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Craig(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Craig(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Little Snake(hydrologic unit)

White-Yampa(hydrologic accounting unit)

White-Yampa(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Bureau of Land Management(Bureau of Land Management CO)

Bureau of Land Management CO BLM(Type of land area)

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Moffat

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 009N;010N;011N;012N 092W;092W;091W;091W Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • AREA NORTH AND NE OF IRON SPRINGS DIVIDE, INCLUDING DRAINAGES OF TIMBERLAKE CR., HOUSEL GULCH, POLE GULCH, DRY GULCH, SCANDINAVIA GULCH, BIGHOLE GULCH, LOWER FOURMILE CR., PART OF LITTLE SNAKE RIVER. ALSO INCLUDES ALL OR PORTIONS OF T10N, R93W, T11N-R92W, T11N-R93W, T11N-R94W, T12N-R92W, T12N-R93W, T12N-R94W. LAT-LONG GIVEN IS FOR GOOLDY PLACER, LARGEST MINE IN DISTRICT. OTHER QUADRANGLES INCLUDE BIGHOLE BUTTE, EAST TIMBERLAKE CREEK, GREAT DIVIDE, THORNBURGH GULCH. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1974)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary
Thorium Tertiary
Titanium, Metal Critical Tertiary
REE Critical Tertiary
Niobium (Columbium) Critical Tertiary
Iron Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • NON-GOLD OCCURRENCES REPORTED ONLY FROM FARNSWORTH MINE BUT PROBABLY OCCUR IN OTHER FOSSIL PLACERS IN BEDROCK. AG REPORTED IN GENERAL DISTRICT PRODUCTION AND FROM SEVERAL SPECIFIC OPERATIONS BUT PROBABLY OCCURRED IN MOST.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Columbite Ore
Euxenite Ore
Ilmenite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Rutile Ore

Analytical data

Result REPORTED AU VALUES (AT OLD PRICE OF $20.65/OZ) RANGED FROM SEVERAL CENTS TO $1.55 PER CU YD, WITH REPORTS OF SMALL ISOLIATED OCCURRENCES YIELDING UP TO $2.70/YD

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 Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Trachyte
    Rock unit name Upper Tertiary Intrusive Rocks (Pliocene And Miocene)
    Rock description Upper Tertiary Intrusive Rocks (Pliocene And Miocene)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Sand and Gravel
    Rock unit name Unconsolidated Deposits--Alluvium;Cathedral Bluffs Member Of Wasatch Formation
    Rock description Unconsolidated Deposits--Alluvium;Cathedral Bluffs Member Of Wasatch Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.68011, 40.85496
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Washakie Basin
Type of structure Local
Structure description Washakie Basin

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1891
Discoverer Hugh Morrison
Year of first production 1892
Year of last production 1940

Mining district

District name Fourmile (Timberlake Creek) District

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Production statistics

  • Year 1912
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.951 Fine
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 27g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION FIGURES FOR 1892-1905 UNAVAILABLE. FIGURES FOR 1906-1910 COMBINED WITH ROUTT COUNTY AND NOT REPORTED HERE. OZ AG NOT REPORTED FOR 1928. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED IN DISTRICT FOR 1919, 1921, 1923, 1930, AND AFTER 1940.

Comments on the workings information

  • TERRACE, STREAM BED, AND MANTLE PLACERS OPERATED BY GROUND SLUICES, DRYLAND WASHING PLANTS, AND DREDGE. IN HIGHER AREAS, BEDROCK PLACERS IN CONGLOMERATE OPERATED BY UNDERGROUND DRIFT MINING

Comments on development

  • ACCORDING TO SNOW (1895), AU WAS FIRST DISCOVERED ON FOURMILE CREEK IN 1891 BY HUGH MORRISON, AN ASPEN PROSPECTOR ON HIS WAY TO UINTA MTNS. MORRISON ALSO PROSPECTED HEADS OF FOUR MILE, WILLOW, AND SLATER CREEKS. SATISFIED WITH AU POTENTIAL, HE AND GEORGE ALBERT RETURNED EARLY NEXT YEAR TO LOCATE CLAIMS ON FOURMILE CREEK, DRY, SCANDINAVIA, AND BIGHOLE GULCHES, AND BEGAN SLUICING OPERATIONS ON FOURMILE CREEK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, J.G. EDWARDS AND F.A. HINMAN FORMED ROCK SPRINGS PLACER COMPANY AND STARTED OPERATIONS ON 700 ACRES OF MESA LAND ABOVE FOURMILE CREEK. NO APPARENT MINING ACTIVITY SINCE MID 1930S. SINCE 1979, SEVERAL COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE APPLIED FOR MINERAL LEASES ON MANY SECTIONS OF STATE-OWNED MINERAL LAND NEXT TO AND AROUND PAST PRODUCING AREAS. EARLY DREDGES IN FOURMILE AND LAY DISTRICTS OPERATED ON COAL DERIVED BOTH LOCALLY AND FROM WYOMING. MARKS (1915) SUGGESTED THAT LARGER SCALE DIVERSION OF WATER TO DISTRICT FOR PLACER MINING COULD ALSO BE USED TO GENERATE
  • ELECTRIITY TO OPERATE MINING MACHINERY WITH EXCESS AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO PUBLIC. BECAUSE SMALL POPULATION IN AREA DID NOT WARRANT OUTLAYS FOR SUCH A SYSTEM, MARKS RECOMMENDED COAL AS FUEL. ALTHO MANY SPRINGS ARE FOUND ON IRON SPRINGS DIVIDE AND ALONG MANY CREEKS IN DISTRICT, WATER WAS HISTORICALLY A SERIOUS LIMITATION ON PLACER DEVELOPMENT. EARLY OPERATORS PUMPED WATER FROM SPRINGS AND SHALLOW ARTESIAN WELLS AND DIVERTED WATER THRU DITCHES AND PIPELINES FROM AS FAR AWAY AS LITTLE SNAKE RIVER AND SLATER CREEK. SOME OPERATORS EVEN HAULED PLACER SAND TO SPRINGS FOR SLUICING AND ROCKING. PARKER (1974) BELIEVED THAT MANY WORKABLE PLACERS YET REMAINED BECAUSE OF PAST UNAVAILABILITY OF WATER.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    PARKER, B.H., JR., 1974, THE PLACERS OF MOFFAT COUNTY, IN GOLD PLACERS OF COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES QUART., V. 69, NO. 4, P. 150-168.

  • Deposit

    TWETO, OGDEN, 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE CRAIG 1X2 QUADRANGLE, NORTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-972

  • Deposit

    SNOW, E.P., 1895, THE FOURMILE PLACER FIELDS OF (MOFFAT COUNTY), COLORADO AND WYOMING: ENG. MINING JOUR., V. 60, P. 102-105

  • Deposit

    HOOVER, HERBERT C., 1897, GEOLOGY OF THE FOUR-MILE PLACER MINING DISTRICT (MOFFAT COUNTY), COLORADO: ENG. MINING JOUR., V. 63, P. 510

  • Deposit

    MARKS, J.H., 1915, PRELIMINARY REPORT, THE TIMBERLAKE OR FOURMILE PLACER DISTRICT, MOFFAT COUNTY: COLORADO STATE PLAN. COMM. UNPUB. REPT., 9 P.

  • Deposit

    GALE, H.S., 1908, GOLD PLACER DEPOSITS NEAR LAY, ROUTT COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 340, P. 84-95.

  • Production

    1932-40 FROM VANDERWILT, J.W., 1947, MINERAL RESOURCES OF COLORADO, P. 146; 1911-1931 FROM MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE U.S.

  • Deposit

    Dunn, L.G., 2003, Colorado Mining Districts--A Reference: Golden, Colo., Colorado School of Mines Library, p. 220-221.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SOURCEOF AU IN EOCENE FOSSIL PLACERS FIRST THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN IN ELKHEAD MTNS, BUT INTRUSIVES THERE POSTDATE WASATCH AND GREEN RIVER FORMATIONS AND FOURMILE DISTRICT SEPARATED FROM MTNS BY COMPARATIVELY BARREN FOURMILE AND FORTIFICATION CREEKS. MORE LIKELY SOURCE OF AU IS FROM PARK RANGE ON BASIS OF PEBBLE LITHOLOGIES IN EOCENE CONGLOMERATE. GENETICALLY SIMILAR DEPOSITS AT IRON SPRINGS AND ALONG LAY CREEK ON SOUTH SIDE OF IRON SPRINGS DIVIDE ARE ASSIGNED TO LAY DISTRICT.
Deposit IN FOURMILE DISTRICT, 14 RECORDS COMPLETED FOR BLUE GRAVEL CREEK, FARNSWORTH, GOAT, GOOLDY, LAW, ROCK SPRINGS PLACER CO., TIMBERLAKE MINING AND DEVELOPMENT CO., UTAH MINING CO., WEST SIDE MINING ASSOCIATION PROPERTIES AND FOR UNNAMED PLACER PROPERTIES. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT
Deposit DISTRICT IS UNDERLAIN BY EOCENE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS DIPPING GENTLY WESTWARD INTO BASIN. QUATERNARY STREAM BED AND TERRACE ALLUVIUM ALONG CREEKS THAT DRAIN IRON SPRINGS DIVIDE. FARNSWORTH'S ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION STATED THAT THE HIGHER PAYING ZONES IN AREA LIE IN SLIGHTLY CONSOLIDATED GRAVELS BENEATH IRON OXIDE-CEMENTED CONGLOMERATE AND ABOVE LAYER OF "BLUE CLAY," (NOW INTERPRETED AS EOCENE BEDROCK). AU CONCENTRATIONS IN TERRACE AND MANTLE DEPOSITS APPEAR LIMITED TO LEVEL BELOW THE PROMINENT CONGLOMERATE OR "CAP ROCK," WHICH WAS INTERPRETED BY PARKER (1974) AND THEOBALD AS A DELTAIC FAN IN EITHER TIPTON TONGUE OF GREEN RIVER FM (EOCENE) OR CATHEDRAL BLUFFS MEMBER OF WASATCH FM (EOCENE). MODERN PLACERS THUS DERIVED FROM EOCENE FOSSIL BEACH AND ALLUVIAL PLACERS AND PROBABLY BEGAN FORMING IN LATE PLIOCENE OR PLEISTOCENE TIME. AGE OF MINERALIZATION CITED FOR PARTICULAR DEPOSIT DEPENDS ON UNIT WORKED--EOCENE FOR BEDROCK OPERATIONS OR QUATERNARY FOR TERRACE, STREAM BED, AND MANTLE OPERATIONS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1982 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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Authoritative Colorado resources

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