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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Columbia District

Producer in Pitkin county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc, Iron, Copper, Gold, Molybdenum, Antimony, Titanium, Metal, Manganese
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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. Alteration
  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. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10013710
MRDS ID D010146
Record type District
Current site name Columbia District

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -106.8509, 39.05916 (WGS84)
Elevation 3048
Relative position 7 TO 13.5 MILES S 0 TO 26 W FROM ASPEN

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pitkin(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Hayden Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Leadville(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Leadville(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Roaring Fork(hydrologic unit)

Colorado Headwaters(hydrologic accounting unit)

Colorado Headwaters(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

White River National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness(Wilderness)

Wilderness FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Pitkin
United States Colorado Gunnison

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 011S;012S;011S;012S 085W;085W;084W;084W Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • CLAIMS LIE ALONG CONUNDRUM, CATARACT, SANDY, PINE, AND CASTLE PEAKS AND ON DIVIDE CONNECTING HAYDEN PEAK, CATHEDRAL PEAK, AND CASTLE CREEK. LAT-LONG GIVEN IS TOP OF HAYDEN PEAK. CLAIMS ALSO EXTEND ONTO MAROON BELLS AND PEARL PASS QUADS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1980)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Iron Primary
Copper Secondary
Gold Secondary
Molybdenum Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary
Titanium, Metal Critical Tertiary
Manganese Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES SHOW TRACE AMOUNTS OF BI, CO, CR, NI, SR, V, Y

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Limonite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Goethite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Sericitization, Albitization, Fe Oxidation

Analytical data

Result BRYANT'S (1971) SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF PYRITIZED GRANODIORITE SHOW FOLLOWING RANGES: 1 TO 7% FE, 0.5 TO 1.5% MG, 1 TO 3% CA, 2 TO 3% NA, 3 TO 5% K, UP TO 1.5 PPM AG, 2000 PPM BA, 20 TO 150 PPM CU, UP TO 150 PPM MO, UP TO 50 PPM PB, UP TO 1000 PPM SR, UP TO 0.3 PPM AU. PYRITIZED PARTLY ALTERED GRANODIORITE SHOWS HIGHER CU (ANOMALY UP TO 5000 PPM), HIGHER MO (ANOMALY UP TO 2000 PPM), LOWER PB, HIGHEST VALUES FOR VEINS IN GRANODIORITE SHOW 1500 TO 3000 PPM AG, 5000 TO 7000 PPM CU, UP TO 300 PPM MO, 1000 TO 2000 PPM PB, 5000 TO 7000 PPM SB, 5000 TO 7000 PPM ZN WITH HIGH AS (UP TO 1500 PPM).

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock unit name Granodiorite;Porphyritic Granodiorite
    Rock description Granodiorite;Porphyritic Granodiorite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Hornfels
    Rock unit name Maroon Formation;Belden Formation
    Rock description Maroon Formation;Belden Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -106.8509, 39.05916
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Piceance Basin, Elk Uplift
Type of structure Local
Structure description White Rock Pluton, Elk Range Thrust Fault

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1880
Year of first production 1881

Mining district

District name Columbia District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Comments on the workings information

  • SURFACE PROSPECTS, ADITS, AND TUNNELS, SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND WORKINGS AT MONTEZUMA MINE. SURFACE WORKINGS AT PITKIN IRON MINE

Comments on development

  • EARLIEST REPORTED DISCOVERY AND CLAIMS IN 1880. MAJOR DISCOVERY AT MONTEZUMA SITE IN 1881 WITH PRODUCTION DISCONTINUOUSLY THRU 1916. HIGHER ZN AND POOR TRANSPORTATION FORCED TEMPORARY CLOSURE. OTHER BASE AND PRECIOUS METAL PROPERTIES PROSPECTED BUT NO CONFIRMED PRODUCTION DUE TO OVERALL LOW GRADE OF DISSEMINATED CU-MO. TRIAL SHIPMENTS OF IRON ORE FROM PITKIN IRON MINE BEFORE 1885 BUT BULK OF PRODUCTION CAME AFTER 1960; PITKIN IRON IS ONLY ACTIVE PROPERTY.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MOST WIDESPREAD DEPOSITS ARE PYRITIZED ROCK CONTAINING DISSEMINATED CU AND MO IN AND AROUND PORTIONS OF WHITE ROCK GRANODIORITE PLUTON. PYRITIZATION EXTENDS INTO LOCALLY METAMORPHOSED CLASTICS (HORNFELS) AND LIMESTONES OF MAROON, GOTHIC, AND BELDEN FORMATIONS. CHALCOPYRITE AND MOLYBDENITE MEGASCOPICALLY RARE WITH MO MOST CONSPICUOUS IN MOLY-QUARTZ-PYRITE VEINS AND VEINLETS. LARGER VEINS AND SHEAR ZONES (SUCH AS AT MONTEZUMA MINE) SHOW AG-PB-ZN WITH SOME CU AND RARE AU. EMPLACEMENT OF PARTLY DISCORDANT WHITE ROCK PLUTON AND ASSOCIATED DIKES AND SILLS SHOWS CONTACT METAMORPHIC HALOES UP TO SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET THICK. LATER INTRUSION OF PORPHYRITIC GRANODIORITE DIKES FOLLOWED BY HYDROTHERMAL ACTIVITY AND PYRITIZATION. ALTERATION TYPES: 1) ALBITIZATION WITH QUARTZ AND MINOR SERICITE IN CATARACT CREEK AREA, AND 2) SILICIFICATION AND SERICITIZATION IN EAST MAROON CREEK AREA. PYRITIZATION OF GRANODIORITE AND HORNFELS ACCOMPANIED BY LOCAL CU AND MO ENRICHMENT. CU MORE ABUNDANT IN PARTLY
Deposit ALTERED ROCKS. MO MORE ABUNDANT IN HIGHLY ALTERED ROCKS BUT DOES NOT APPEAR ECONOMIC DUE TO LACK OF DIFFERENTIATION OF GRANODIORITE STOCK AND LACK OF PERVASIVE ALTERATION CHARACTERISTIC OF CLIMAX-TYPE M
Deposit ALTHOUGH EXTENSIVE CLAIMS WERE STAKED AND DEVELOPED IN DISTRICT, ONLY TWO PROPERTIES APPARENTLY PRODUCED, MONTEZUMA MINE AND PITKIN IRON MINE, AND CONSEQUENTLY THESE ARE ONLY TWO DETAILED RECORDS INCLUDED FOR DISTRICT THIRD RECORD ADDED FOR ECLIPSE MINE, BUT PRODUCTION UNKNOWN. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-83 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey
Editor 16-NOV-11 Wilson, Anna B U.S. Geological Survey Changed record type from site to district.

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

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