| Deposit ID | 10014148 |
|---|---|
| MRDS ID | D010797 |
| Record type | District |
| Current site name | Rico District |
| Alternate or previous names | Pioneer District |
| Geographic coordinates: | -108.03065, 37.69279 (WGS84) |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 2690 |
| Relative position | WITHIN 7-MILE-RADIUS CIRCLE CENTERED ON RICO BENCHMARK |
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)
| Country | State | County |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Colorado | Dolores |
| United States | Colorado | Montezuma |
| Meridian | Township | Range | Section | Fraction | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 040N;040N;039N;039N | 010W;011W;011W;010W | Colorado |
| Commodity | Importance |
|---|---|
| Silver | Primary |
| Lead | Primary |
| Zinc Critical | Primary |
| Copper | Primary |
| Gold | Secondary |
| Sulfur-Pyrite | Secondary |
| Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid | Secondary |
| Cadmium | Secondary |
| Aluminum Critical | Tertiary |
| Iron | Tertiary |
| Manganese Critical | Tertiary |
| Materials | Type of material |
|---|---|
| Alunite | Ore |
| Alabandite | Gangue |
| Allanite | Gangue |
| Allophane | Gangue |
| Andalusite | Gangue |
| Aragonite | Gangue |
| Barite | Gangue |
| Calcite | Gangue |
| Celestite | Gangue |
| Chlorite | Gangue |
| Clinozoisite | Gangue |
| Cordierite | Gangue |
| Diaspore | Gangue |
| Dolomite | Gangue |
| Epidote | Gangue |
| Fluorite | Gangue |
| Garnet | Gangue |
| Helvite | Gangue |
| Huebnerite | Gangue |
| Jarosite | Gangue |
| Kaolinite | Gangue |
| Limonite | Gangue |
| Magnetite | Gangue |
| Molybdenite | Gangue |
| Prehnite | Gangue |
| Pyrolusite | Gangue |
| Rhodochrosite | Gangue |
| Rutile | Gangue |
| Sericite | Gangue |
| Serpentine | Gangue |
| Siderite | Gangue |
| Sphene | Gangue |
| Tetradymite | Gangue |
| Topaz | Gangue |
| Tourmaline | Gangue |
| Model code | 72 |
|---|---|
| USGS model code | 19a |
| Deposit model name | Polymetallic replacement |
| Mark3 model number | 47 |
| Host or associated | Associated |
|---|---|
| Rock type | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Monzonite |
| Host or associated | Associated |
|---|---|
| Rock type | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Hornblendite |
| Host or associated | Associated |
|---|---|
| Rock type | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Latite |
| Host or associated | Associated |
|---|---|
| Rock type | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt |
| Host or associated | Associated |
|---|---|
| Rock type | Plutonic Rock > Porphyry > Lamprophyre |
| Host or associated | Associated |
|---|---|
| Rock type | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite |
| (1) | Rico and Hermosa Fms |
|---|
| Type of structure | Local |
|---|---|
| Structure description | Rico Dome, Calico Peak Anticline; Principal Named Faults: Alaskite, Blackhawk, Futurity, Hidden, Honduras, Knob Hill, Last Chance, Nellie Bly, Princeton, Sandstone Mountain, Silver Creek, Smelter, South Park, Spruce Gulch, 210 Drift, Yellow Jacket |
| Development status | Past Producer |
|---|---|
| Commodity type | Both |
| Significant | No |
| District name | Pioneer (Rico) District |
|---|
| Ownership category | Private |
|---|---|
| Area name | San Juan N. F. |
| Agency | Database name | Acronym | Record ID | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USGS | Mineral Resources Data System | MRDS | D010797 | |
| U.S. Bureau of Mines | Minerals Availability System | MAS | 0080330170 |
MCKNIGHT, 1974, P. 6; HENDERSON, 1926, P. 117; USBM MINERAL YEARBOOKS 1969-1981; COLORADO DIVISION OF MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
| Subject category | Comment text |
|---|---|
| Deposit | REPLACEMENTS; VEINS TIGHT AND BARREN IN SHALE. LATER, EAST-WEST-TRENDING, GREATER DISPLACEMENT CROSS VEINS DISPLACE VERTICAL VEINS, DRAGGING ORE ALONG CROSS VEINS. VERTICAL MINERALIZED VEINS (AND LESS REGULARLY CROSS VEINS) BRANCH UPWARD INTO IRREGULAR FRACTURES AND STRINGERS AND BECOME IMPOVERISHED WITHIN 5 TO 20 FT OF OVERLYING CRUSHED AND MINERALIZED LIMESTONE, BARREN BLACK SHALE, AND DISTURBED GYPSUM BEDS. FOURTH TYPE IS RICH CONTACT OR BLANKET REPLACEMENT IN CRUSHED OR BRECCIATED (POSSIBLY KARSTIFIED) LOWER HERMOSA LIMESTONE ABOVE VERTICAL AND CROSS VEINS ON NEWMAN HILL. OTHER HYPOGENE REPLACEMENT ORE OCCURS IN POROUS, RESIDUAL, SOLUTION BRECCIA OF GYPSUM BED FILLED BY SLUMPED SHALE FROM OVERHEAD. ALTHOUGH CLASSED AS BLANKET VEINS, MOST OAR LINEAR TO TABULAR IN SHAPE, AND INTERSECTING TRENDS AND STOPES OVER VERTICAL AND CROSS VEINS FORMS RHOMBOID PATTERN. OVERLYING IMPERVIOUS SHALE KEPT WATER OUT OF WORKINGS AND INHIBITED ORE OXIDATION. OTHER (FIFTH) TYPES OF REPLACEMENT INCLUDE |
| Deposit | GEOLOGIC SETTING CHARACTERIZED BY MAJOR EAST-WEST-TRENDING, BREACHED, ELLIPTICAL DOME (RICO DOME), WHICH HAS UPLIFTED MISSISSIPPIAN TO CRETACEOUS SEDIMENTARY ROCKS AROUND COMPLEXLY FAULTED CORE CONTAINING HORST OF PRECABRIAN QUARTZITE, GREENSTONE, AND METADIORITE. UPLIFT FORMED BY CRETACEOUS TO EARLY TERTIARY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY LACCOLITHIC SILLS AND DIKES, LATER CRETACEOUS TO TERTIARY AUGITE MONZONITE STOCK ON DOME AXIS, AND PLIOCENE ALASKITE PORPHYRY AND CALICO PEAK PORPHYRY. MAIN TYPE OF ORE DEPOSIT IS MASSIVE SULFIDE REPLACEMENT IN MIDDLE HERMOSA FM LIMESTONE ALONG PORPHYRY INTRUSIONS AND NEAR INTERSECTIONS WITH FAULTS AND FRACTURES, AND CONTROLLED BY DOMINANT TRUNK CHANNEL ALONG NW-TRENDING BLACKHAWK FAULT. DOMINANT SULFIDES INCLUDE PYRITE, SPHALERITE, ARGENTIFEROUS GALENA, ARGENTIFEROUS CU SULFIDES, IN GANGUE OF QUARTZ, FLUORITE, RHODONITE/RHODOCHROSITE, AND MANGANIFEROUS CARBONATES. SPHALERITE AND GALENA USUALLY MASSED AT OUTER PERIPHERY OF PYRITE MASSES; ALSO MASSED AT |
| Deposit | TOP OF PYRITE WHERE COMPLETE THICKNESS OF LIMESTONE NOT REPLACED. CHALCOPYRITE FOUND IN SPHALERITE AND GALENA AND AS SEGREGATIONS IN PYRITE. MINERALIZATION MAY EXTEND IRREGULARLY AS DISSEMINATION (SIXTH MINERALIZATION TYPE) INTO ADJACENT SANDSTONE, SHALE, AND SERICITIZED ARKOSE AND PORPHYRY. SECOND TYPE IS CONTACT-METAMORPHIC MINERALIZATION IN MARBLEIZED OURAY (DEVONIAN) AND LEADVILLE (MISSISSIPPIAN) LIMESTONES, BASAL HERMOSA FM, AND LARSEN (PENNSYLVANIA) QUARTZITE, BASE-METAL SULFIDES OCCUR AS IRREGULAR PODS WITH PYRITE AND QUARTZ SCATTERED THROUGH MASSES OF SPECULARITE, MAGNETITE, AND CHLORITE REPLACING MARBLE AND ASSOCIATED WITH MANGANIFEROUS CALCITE AND SIDERITE GANGUE. THIRD TYPE IS VEINS IN VERTICAL, NE-TRENDING, SMALL-DISPLACEMENT FISSURES IN LOWER HERMOSA FM CONTAINING BASE-METAL AND AG SULFIDES AND PYRITE, WITH SOME FREE AU AND NATIVE AG. VEINS EXPLOITABLE WHERE THEY CROSS SANDSTONE, DISPLACE FOOTWALL SANDSTONE AGAINST HANGING WALL LIMESTONE, OR WIDEN INTO SHALE AND LIMESTONE |
| Deposit | (A) MAGNETITE IN LIMESTONE NEAR EXPECTATION MTN, AND (B) ALUNITE REPLACEMENT FORMED BY NEAR-SURFACE SOLFATARIC ALTERATION OF CALICO PEAK PORPHYRY. SEVENTH TYPE IS AU PLACER FORMED IN QUATERNARY ALLUVIUM AND TERRACE GRAVEL ALONG DOLORES RIVER FROM BURNETT CREEK TO TENDERFOOT CREEK. ORES IN DISTRICT CHARACTERIZED BY VERY LIMITED VERTICAL RANGE, CONTROLLED PARTLY BY BOUNDING OF HERMOSA LIMESTONE OVER DOMED AREA; VEINS BECOME BARREN OF SULFIDES AT MAXIMUM OF ABOUT 150 FT BELOW BLANKET ORES. NEAR-SURFACE OXIDATION ON DOLORES MTN EXTENDS 30 TO 40 FT BELOW BLANKET AND POSSIBLY TO 200 FT, NORTH OF SILVER CREEK. ALTERATION FACILITATED BY DECOMPOSITION OF MANGANIFEROUS CARBONATE GANGUE. REPLACEMENT PYRITE OXIDIZED TO AURIFEROUS LIMONITE. SOME DOWNWARD ENRICHMENT OF AG AS ARGENTITE AND PEARCEITE. PARAGENESIS RELATED TO MONZONITE STOCK INDEFINITE, MCKNIGHT (1974) GIVES GENERALIZED SEQUENCE FOR SOME ORE AND GANGUE: (1) QUARTZ, RHODONITE, RHODOCHROSITE; (2) PYRITE; (3) SPHALERITE; (4) GALENA, |
| Deposit | TETRAHDERITE-TENNANTITE; (5) CHALCOPYRITE, COSALITE; (6) DOLOMITE, CALCITE; (7) FLUORITE; (8) AG SULFIDES; (10) PYRITE, QUARTZ. NAESER AND OTHERS' (1979) AGE DATES SHOW LATE CRETACEOUS TO EARLY TERTIARY EMPLACEMENT OF HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY AND MONZONITE, BUT DISCORDANT AGES INDICATE LATE TERTIARY THERMAL RESETTING OF APATITES, POSSIBLY CAUSED BY BURIED INTRUSION ON EAST SIDE OF RICO AND PROBABLY RELATED TO CALICO PEAK STOCK AND ALASKITE PORPHYRY (BOTH DATED AS PLIOCENE). AS ORE VEINS CUT BOTH HORNBLEND LATITE PORPHYRY AND ALASKITE PORPHYRY, AT LEAST SOME MINERALIZATION AND ALTERATION IS LATE TERTIARY (PLIOCENE); GENERAL TERTIARY AGE ASSIGNED TO ALL DEPOSITS EXCEPT LATTER. SUPERPOSITION OF KNOWN AND POSTULATED INTRUSIVE CENTERS SUGGESTS POSSIBLE PORPHYRY-TYPE MINERALIZATION AT DEPTH. |
| Deposit | DISTRICT KNOWN BY POPULAR NAME OF "RICO" BUT BLM CLAIM RECORDS ASSIGN DISTRICT NAME OF "PIONEER" NAMED AFTER FIRST LOCATED CLAIM. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: (11) BASTIN, E.S., 1922, SOLVER ENRICHMENT IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 735-D. P. 110-129; (12) COLLINS, G.E., 19318 LOCALIZATION OF ORE BODIES AT RICO AND RED MOUNTAIN, COLORADO, AS CONDITIONED BY GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE AND HISTORY: COLORADO SCI. SOC. PROC., V. 12, NO. 12, P. 407-424; (13) FARISH, J.B., 1892, ON THE ORE DEPOSITS OF NEWMAN HILL, RICO, COLORADO; COLORADO SCI. SOC. PROC., V. 4, P. 151-164; (14) HARRER, C.M., AND TESCH, W.J., JR., 1959, RECONNAISSANCE OF IRON OCCURRENCES IN COLORADO: USBM IC-7918, P. 27; (15) HENDERSON, C.W., 1926, MINING IN COLORADO, A HISTORY OF DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT, AND PRODUCTION: USGS PROF. PAPER 138, P. 114-117; (16) HEYL, A.V., 1964, OXIDIZED ZONC DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES, PART 3--COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1135-C,P. 85-86; (17) MARRS, G.O., 1925, REPORT ON THE GOLD ANCHOR GROUP OF |
| Deposit | MINES, PIONEER MINING DISTRICT, DOLORES COUNTY, COLORADO: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 8 P.; (18) MUILENBURG, G.A., 1919, MANGANESE DEPOSITS OF COLORADO: CGS BULL. 15, P. 48-49; (19) NAESER, C.W., AND OTHERS, 1980, PLIOCENE INTRUSIVE ROCKS AND MINERALIZATION NEAR RICO, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 75, NO. 1, P. 122-127; (20) PARKER, B.H., JR., 1968, PLACER GOLD IN SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO, IN SHOMAKER, JOHN, ED., GUIDEBOOK OF SAN JUAN-SAN MIGUEL-LA PLATA REGION, NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO: NEW MEXICO GEOL. SOC. 19TH FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 178-179; (21) PARKER, B.H. JR., 1974, GOLD PLACERS OF COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL MINES QUART., V. 69, NO. 4, P. 190-194; (22) PRATT, W.P., 1968, SUMMARY OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE RICO REGION, COLORADO, IN SHOMAKER, JOHN, ED., GUIDEBOOK OF SAN JUAN-SAN MIGUEL-LA PLATA REGION, NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO: NEW MEXICO GEOL. SOC. 19TH FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 83-87; (23) PRATT, W.P., 1976, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE HERMOSA PEAK QUADRANGLE, DOLORES, SAN JUAN, LA PLATA, |
| Deposit | AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, CPLORADO: USGS OF 76-314; (24) RICKARD, T.A., 1896, THE ENTERPRISE MINE, RICO, COLORADO: AIME TRANS., V. 26, P. 906-980; (25) RICKARD, T.A., 1898, VEIN STRUCTURES IN THE ENTERPRISE MINE, RICO, COLORADO SCI. SOC. PROC., V. 5, P. 123-130; (26) RITTER, E.A., 1913, THE RICO MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: MINING WORLD, V. 38, P. 895-898; (27) SERNA-ISAZA, M.J., 1971, GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF CALICO PEAK, DOLORES COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES THESIS T-1338. INDIVIDUAL RECORDS PREPARED FOR PRINCIPAL MINES AND TYPES OF MINERALIZATION AND UNUSUAL MINERALOGIES: (1) MASSIVE SULFIDE REPLACEMENT (BLANKET VEIN) , FISSURE VEIN, SINGLY OR IN COMBINATION (A. B. G., ARGONAUT, AZTEC, CZLIFORNIA, C. H. C., N.A. COWDREY, ENTERPRISE, EXPECTATION, FALCON, FOREST-PAYROLL, GOLD ANCHOR, IRON CLAD, IRON, JOHNNY BULL, JONES, LEXINGTON, LILLIE D., LOGAN, NEWMAN, PRO PATRIA, PUZZLE, RESOLUTE, RICO-ARGENTINE, RICO-ASPEN, ST. LOUIS, SAMBO, SILVER SWAN, SOUTH PARK, UNCLE REMUS, |
| Deposit | UNION-CARBONATE, WELLINGTON, YELLOW JACKET); (2) CONTACT METAMORPHIC (ATLANTIC CABLE, MONTEZUMA, SHAMROCK); (3) OTHER REPLACEMENTS (EAGLE PROSPECT, MAGNET PROSPECT, CALICO PEAK ALUNITE; (4) PLACER (DOLORES RIVER PLACERS). ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT |
| Type | Date | Name | Affiliation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reporter | 01-SEP-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. |
Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.
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