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Puzzle Mine

Past Producer in Dolores county in Colorado, United States with commodity Silver
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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. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014136
MRDS ID D010782
Record type Site
Current site name Puzzle Mine
Alternate or previous names Patented Claims: Puzzle, MS 374, John B., MS 679, Stephen B., MS 680, Minnie May, MS 1465, Unpatented Claims: May Lode, Gulch Lode, Black Diamond Nos. 1-2
Related records 10117802, 10190197

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -108.04898, 37.71445 (WGS84)
Elevation 2903
Relative position 1.85 MILES N 34 W 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 22,23 E2 (22); W2 (23) Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON SOUTH SIDE OF HORSE CREEK 1.1 MILES ABOVE DOLORES FIVER CONFLUENCE. ELEV AND LAT-LONT GIVEN ARE FROM PRATT AND OTHERS (1969). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Argentite Ore
Bromyrite Ore
Silver Ore
Allophane Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidation Of Ag Sulfide

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) Pennsylvanian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pennsylvanian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Hermosa Formation
    Rock description Hermosa Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -108.04898, 37.71445
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin
Type of structure Local
Structure description Rico Dome

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Chemical Favorability Of Limestone For Replacement

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Year of last production 1900

Mining district

District name Pioneer (Rico) District

Land status

Ownership category Private
Area name San Juan N. F.

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Mcintyre Mining Co.
    Home office Denver, Co.
    First year 1921

Comments on the workings information

  • 40-FT SHAFT; HESS AND GARREN TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH FOR UNKNOWN DISTANCE, WITH 20-FT WINZE AT ABOUT 100 FT FROM PORTAL; PUZZLE EXTENSION INCLINE DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH FOR UNKNOWN DISTANCE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    RANSOME, F.L., 1901, THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 22D ANN, REPT., PT. 2, P. 352-354.

  • Deposit

    PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 374, 679, 680, 1465

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit LIMESTONE, SANDSTONE, AND SHALE OF PROBABLE MIDDLE HERMOSA FM INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY SILLS. WORKINGS PASS THROUGH STREAM ALLUVIUM AND LANDSLIDE DEBRIS INTO PROBALBE DISLOCATED BLOCKS OF COUNTRY ROCKS. DEPOSIT BELIEVED TO BE IRREGULAR REPLACEMENT IN FOSSILIFEROUS LIMESTONE, GREATLY FRACTURED AND ELEVATED TOWARD SOUTH BY SUCCESSIVE SMALL-DISPLACEMENT STEP FAULTS. HESS AND GARREN TUNNEL ENCOUNTERED CRUSHED SHALE- AND GOUGE-FILLED BEDDING FAULT ABOVE MASSIVE, NORTH-DIPPING LIMESTONE. ORE BELIEVED TO BE ARGENTITE PARTLY OXIDIZED TO NATIVE AG AND EMBOLITE. ALLOPHANE OCCURENCE IN PUZZLE EXTENSION SUGGESTS ALTERATION OF UNKNOWN BRECCIATED MATERIAL.

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.