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Mastadon Mine

Occurrence in La Plata county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Gold, Lead
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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. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014085
MRDS ID D010709
Record type Site
Current site name Mastadon Mine
Alternate or previous names Patented Claims: Golden Cross No. 1, MS 14152, Golden Needle, MS 14152, Air Line, MS 14152, Golden Slipper No. 1, MS 14152, Golden Slipper No. 2, MS 14152, Patented Claims: Golden Cross No. 1, MS 14152a, Golden Needle, MS 14152a, Air Line, MS 14152a, Golden Slipper No. 1, MS 14152a, Golden Slipper No. 2, MS 14152a, Golden Cross Mill Site, MS 14152b, Green River, MS 15230, Grand View, MS 15230, Tip Top, MS 15230, American, MS 15231, Sideline, MS 15231, Washington, MS 15231, Crown, MS 15231

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.68453, 37.62029 (WGS84)
Elevation 2618
Relative position 13 MILES S 6 W FROM SILVERTON

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

La Plata(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Mountain View Crest(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Silverton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Animas(hydrologic unit)

Upper San Juan(hydrologic accounting unit)

San Juan(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

San Juan National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Weminuche Wilderness(Wilderness)

Wilderness FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado La Plata

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 039N;039N 007W;008W 30 W2 OF W2 (30); SE (25); N2 (36) Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ALONG LOWER NEEDLE CREEK AND UNNAMED TRIBUTARY APPROX ONE MILE SE OF CONFLUENCE WITH ANIMAS RIVER. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR LOWER ADIT ON NEEDLE CREEK. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Gold Secondary
Lead Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chlorite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Analytical data

Result SCOTT'S (1983) FIRE ASSAYS OF SAMPLES FROM SHAFT, PROSPECTS, AND THREE TUNNELS: 0.3 OZ/TON AG FROM SHAFT DUMP, 0.3 OZ/TON AG FROM DUMP OF LOWER PROSPECT PIT, 0.2 TO 0.4 OZ/TON AG FROM CHIP SAMPLES OF VEIN MATERIAL IN LOWER TUNNEL, 0.2 TO 0.4 OZ/TON AG FROM CHIP SAMPLES OF GOLDEN CROSS VEIN IN MIDDLE TUNNEL, 0.5 OZ/TON AG FROM CHIP SAMPLES FROM GOLDEN SLIPPER VEIN SECOND TUNNEL, 0.2 TO 0.3 OZ/TON AG FROM CHIP SAMPLES OF GOLDEN CROSS VEIN IN UPPER TUNNEL, 0.3 TO 0.4 OZ/TON AG FROM CHIP SAMPLES OF GOLDEN SLIPPER VEIN IN UPPER TUNNEL, DUMP SAMPLE FROM UPPER TUNNEL CONTAINED 0.3 OZ/TON AG, 0.026 OZ/TON AU.

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 Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method Rb-Sr
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method U-Pb (zircon)
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1460
    Dating method K-Ar
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 9
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 10.1
    Type of media Zircon
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 9
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 10.1
    Type of media Zircon
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Eolus Granite;Intrusive Bodies And Related Rocks (Younger And Older Bodies Of Chicago Basin Stock)
    Rock description Eolus Granite;Intrusive Bodies And Related Rocks (Younger And Older Bodies Of Chicago Basin Stock)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method Rb-Sr
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 10.1
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1466
    Dating method U-Pb (zircon)
    Type of media Zircon
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
    Chronological age 1460
    Dating method K-Ar
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 9
    Type of media Zircon
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
    Rock unit name Irving Formation
    Rock description Irving Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.68453, 37.62029
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, San Juan Basin, San Juan Volcanic Field
Type of structure Local
Structure description Needle Mtns Uplift, Eolus Batholith, Chicago Basin Stock, Trimble Stock

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1900
Discoverer Mastodon Group Of Gold And Silver Mines Co. (Claimant)

Mining district

District name Needle Mountain (Tacoma, Florida, Vallecito) District

Land status

Ownership category National Forest
Area name San Juan N. F.

Comments on the workings information

  • SURFACE PROSPECTS; LOWER TUNNEL (ELEV 8590) DRIVEN GENERALLY S 40 W FOR 260 FT TO CAVED AREA. MIDDLE ADIT (ELEV 8760) LOCATED 550 FT SW OF LOWER ADIT AND IS DRIVEN GENERALLY S 22 E FOR 160 FT, THENCE S 5 E FOR 250 FT TO FACE, AT WHICH 25 FT OF DRIFT DEVELOPED AT WNW TO ESE; AT 225 FT FROM PORTAL, 140-FT NE DRIFT AND 130-FT SW DRIFT DRIVEN ON VEIN. UPPER ADIT (ELEV 9040) LOCATED 1100 FT SW OF LOWER PORTAL IS DRIVEN S 5 E FOR 120 FT TO FACE (VEIN), AT WHICH 50-FT WSW AND 85-FT ENE DRIFTS DRIVEN. ONE SHAFT OF UNKNOWN DEPTH LIES 250 FT WSW OF LOWER PORTAL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.

  • Deposit

    SCHMITT, L.J., AND RAYMOND, W.H., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS DISTRICT, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1434, 40 P.

  • Deposit

    STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F.

  • Deposit

    SCOTT, D.C., 1983, MINERAL INVESTIGATION OF THE WEST NEEDLE WILDERNESS STUDY AREA AND THE BLM WEST NEEDLE CONTIGUOUS WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, LA PLATA AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES, COLORADO: USBM MLA 35-83, P. 6, 26-35

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 14152, 15230, 15231

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINE DEVELOPED ON TWO PRINCIPAL VEINS. GOLDEN CROSS VEIN TRENDS N 69 E, 86 NW IN UPPER TUNNEL AND IRREGULARLY N 45 TO 70 E, 65 NW AND 81 TO 85 SE IN PRINCIPAL DRIFT OF MIDDLE TUNNEL. GOLDEN SLIPPER VEIN TRENDS N 75 E, VERTICAL IN PRINCIPAL DRIFT OF UPPER TUNNEL. LIMONITE-STAINED CLAY GOUGE CONTAINS PYRITE, CALCITE, AND CHLORITE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-1983 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey

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.