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Falcon Mine

Past Producer in Dolores county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Gold, 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. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014124
MRDS ID D010767
Record type Site
Current site name Falcon Mine
Alternate or previous names Grand View Group, Patented Claims: Alma Mater No. 2, MS 349, Phoenix, MS 362, Pelican, MS 363, Yellow Jacket, MS 364, Grand View, MS 383, Major, MS 384, Ingersoll, MS 413, Hope, MS 939, Cross, MS 940, Pittsburgh, MS 941, Nora Lilly, MS 1010, Falcon, MS 2151, Dayton, MS 2540, Last Chance, MS 8622, Dayton No. 2, MS 11636, Unpatented Claims: Artie, Amazon, Alma, Ben Harrison, Fate, Frances, America, Flynn, Godet, Lillian, Little, Isabel, Job Cooper, Nutmeg
Related records 10166609

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -108.02315, 37.69612 (WGS84)
Elevation 2797
Relative position 0.48 MILES N 47 E FROM RICO

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Dolores(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Rico(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Dove Creek(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Cortez(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Dolores(hydrologic unit)

Upper Colorado-Dolores(hydrologic accounting unit)

Upper Colorado-Dolores(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)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Dolores

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 040N 011W 25 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). CLAIMS LIE NORTH OF SILVER CREEK ON AND ON SE SIDE OF SW PROJECTION OF TELESCOPE MTN. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR LOWER FALCON TUNNEL FROM MCKNIGHT, 1974, PL. 1 (1930 BASE). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Copper Secondary
Gold Secondary
Manganese Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Tremolite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidation Of Galena To Cerussite

Analytical data

Result ORE GRADES FROM 1920S CONTAINED 3.466 TO 30.53 OZ/TON AG, 2.92 TO 17.53% PB, 4.84 TO 16.42% ZN, 0.249 TO 6.15% CU, 0.0084 TO 0.05 OZ/TO N AU. ORE GRADE FROM 1949 WAS 4 OZ/TON AG, 10% PB, 15.5% ZN, 0.3% CU, TRACE AU.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 72
USGS model code 19a
Deposit model name Polymetallic replacement
Mark3 model number 47

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Latite
    Rock unit name Hornblende Latite Porphyry
    Rock description Hornblende Latite Porphyry
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pennsylvanian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Hermosa Formation;Uncompahgre Quartzite
    Rock description Hermosa Formation;Uncompahgre Quartzite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -108.02315, 37.69612
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin
Type of structure Local
Structure description Rico Dome, Smelter Fault, Last Chance Fault, Yellow Jacket Fault, Nellie Bly Fault

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Chemically Favorable Limestone Near Faults

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1877
Discoverer C.H. Rawles And Others (Alma Mater Claimants)
Year of first production 1880
Year of last production 1949

Mining district

District name Pioneer (Rico) District

Land status

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

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Rico-Argentine Mining Co.
    Home office Salt Lake City, Ut.
    First year 1948

Production statistics

  • Year 1923
    Description Ap_Grade: ^30.53 Oz/Ton Ag, 2.92% Pb, 4.84% Zn, 6.15% Cu, 0.05 Oz/Ton Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Gold Gold 1g/mt
    Minor Copper Copper 6wt-pct
    Major Zinc Zinc 5wt-pct
    Major Ore Lead Lead 3wt-pct
    Major Ore Silver Silver 862g/mt
  • Year 1924
    Description Ap_Grade: ^22.04 Oz/Ton Ag, 17.53% Pb, 6.82% Zn, 1.11% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Copper Copper 1wt-pct
    Major Zinc Zinc 7wt-pct
    Major Ore Lead Lead 18wt-pct
    Major Ore Silver Silver 622g/mt
  • Year 1927
    Description Ap_Grade: ^3.466 Oz/Ton Ag, 11.69% Pb, 16.42% Zn, 0.249% Cu, 0.0084 Oz/Ton Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Gold Gold 0g/mt
    Minor Copper Copper 0wt-pct
    Major Zinc Zinc 16wt-pct
    Major Ore Lead Lead 12wt-pct
    Major Ore Silver Silver 98g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1923. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED IN 1930; NO APPARENT PRODUCTION IN OTHER INTERVENING YEARS BETWEEN 1925 AND 1948 AND AFTER 1949.

Comments on the workings information

  • FALCON MINE DEVELOPED BY THREE TUNNELS: UPPER TUNNEL CAVED, EXTENT UNKNOWN; MIDDLE (MAIN) TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY NORTH FOR 325 FT AS CROSSCUT, WITH EASTWARD EXPLORATORY DRIFT; LOWER TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY NORTH FOR 80 FT, WITH 50-FT RAISE TO MIDDLE TUNNEL. HOPE AND CROSS TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY N 80 TO 85 E FOR APPROX 430 FT; AT 250 FT FROM PORTAL, HOPE VEIN DRIFTS DRIVEN GENERALLY NW FOR 130 FT AND GENERALLY SE (HICKS DRIFT) FOR APPROX 575 FT TO GRAND VIEW VEIN; SEVERAL RAISES OFF MAIN HOPE LEVEL AND HICKS DRIFT. GRAND VIEW WORKING INCLUDE VERTICAL SHAFT FROM SURFACE TO LEVEL 3 (APPROX 100 FT), INCLINED SHAFT FROM LEVEL 2 TO LEVEL 4 (EQUIVALENT TO AND CONNECTING WITH PHOENIX OR YELLOW JACKET NO. 1 LEVEL). EXTENSIVE STOPES ABOVE ALL LEVELS NW OF SHAFT.

Comments on development

  • THIS AREA WAS SITE OF SOME OF DISTRICT'S EARLIEST MINES. CLAIMS SURVEYED 1880-1881. ALTHOUGH OXIDIZED ORES EASILY EXPLOITED ON UPPER LEVELS (GRAND VIEW), LOWER LEVELS CONTAINED DIFICULT SPHALERITIC ORES THAT LATER BECAME EXPLOITABLE AFTER PERFECTION OF FLOTATION PROCESS FOR SEPARATING PB AND ZN SULFIDES. MINES IN THIS AREA WERE REVIVED IN 1920S BY FALCON LEAD MINING CO., IDLE THROUGH 1930S, REVIVED AGAIN IN 1940S BY RICO-ARGENTINE MINING CO.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    RANSOME, F.L., 1901, THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 22D ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 375-379.

  • Deposit

    MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 723, P. 91-92.

  • Deposit

    PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS

  • Deposit

    CROSS, WHITMAN, AND RANSOME, F.L., 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE: USGS FOLIO 130.

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 349, 362, 363, 364, 383, 384, 413, 939, 941, 1010, 2151, 2540, 8622, 11636

  • Deposit

    COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

  • Production

    COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SECTION OF SW- AND NE-DIPPING HERMOSA FM LIMESTONE, SANDSTONE, AND SHALE ACROSS AXIS OF RICO DOME INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY AND CUT (SOUTH TO NORTH) BY SMELTER, LAST CHANCE, YELLOW JACKET, AND NELLIE BLY FAULTS. STRUCTURE COMPLICATED BUT GENERALLY ORE DEPOSITS OCCUR AS SULFIDE REPLACEMENTS IN LOWER (FALCON) & MIDDLE (GRAND VIEW, YELLOW JACKET) HERMOSA FM LIMESTONE. IN FALCON MINE, MCKNIGHT NOTED CHLORITE AND TREMOLITE IN GANGUE, SUGGESTING HIGHER FORMATION TEMPERATURE. EXPLORATORY DRIFT FROM MIDDLE (MAIN) TUNNEL CUTS FAULT CONTACT BETWEEN HERMOSA FM AND LARSEN QUARTZITE (PENNSYLVANIAN) AND UNCOMPAHGRE QUARTZITE (PRECAMBRIAN). SOME SULFIDES FOUND IN FRACTURES IN UNCOMPAHGRE QUARTZITE. AT GRAND VIEW, ORES OXIDIZED FROM SURFACE THROUGH LEVEL 4 TO STAR LEVEL (BELOW GRAND VIEW NO. 4 OR PHOENIX NO. 1), LESS THOROUGHLY OXIDIZED BELOW STAR LEVEL.
Deposit Discovery Year: LATE 1870S

Reporter information

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

Beyond USGS

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

External references

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.