Dolly Varden Mine

Past Producer in Hinsdale county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Copper, Zinc, Antimony
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. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014714
MRDS ID D011605
Record type Site
Current site name Dolly Varden Mine
Alternate or previous names Varden Belle Mine, Patented Claim: Dolly Varden, MS 172
Related records 10215225

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.53675, 37.98694 (WGS84)
Elevation 3719
Relative position 12.3 MILES S 76 W FROM LAKE CITY

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Hinsdale(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Handies Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Silverton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Gunnison(hydrologic unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic accounting unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Hinsdale

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 043N 006W 16 NW Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • MINE LIES ON SE SLOPE OF DOLLY VARDEN MOUNTAIN 0.75 MILE NNE OF ROSE CABIN. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Lead Secondary
Copper Secondary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Pyrargyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stephanite Ore
Quartz Gangue

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Rock unit name Porphyritic Andesite Of Pyroxene Andesite Member Of Silverton Volcanics;Fish Canyon Tuff;Rhyolite Of Volcanics Of Uncompahgre Peak;Intrusive Rocks--Rhyolite
    Rock description Porphyritic Andesite Of Pyroxene Andesite Member Of Silverton Volcanics;Fish Canyon Tuff;Rhyolite Of Volcanics Of Uncompahgre Peak;Intrusive Rocks--Rhyolite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Rock unit name Tuffaceous Sandstone Of Henson Member Of Silverton Volcanics
    Rock description Tuffaceous Sandstone Of Henson Member Of Silverton Volcanics

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.53675, 37.98694

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Volcanic Field, San Juan Depression
Type of structure Local
Structure description San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1877
Discoverer Peter Houghton (Claimant)
Year of first production 1878
Year of last production 1919

Mining district

District name Galena (Henson Creek) District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Coeur D'Alene Mining Co.
    Home office New Haven, Ct.
    First year 1925

Comments on the workings information

  • CROSSCUT TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY NW FOR 804 FT TO VEIN; 116-FT DRIFT DRIVEN AT 550 FT FROM PORTAL; 83-FT DRIFT DRIVEN NE ON VEIN AT 712 FT FROM PORTAL, WITH 121-FT RAISE. RANSOME (1901) MENTIONS OLD SHAFT (DEPTH UNKNOWN).

Comments on development

  • DEVELOPMENT WORK REPORTED IN 1907. PROBABLE SMALL PRODUCTION REPORTED IN 1913, 1917, AND 1919.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINE LIES TOWARD NW RIM OF SAN JUAN-UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA IN LATER INFILLE SEQUENCE VOLCANIC AND SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. HILL JUST NNE OF MINE COMPOSED OF RHYOLITE PLUG (MIOCENE) RELATED TO LAKE CITY CALDERA FORMATION. GENERAL PARAGENESIS IDENTIFIED BY BROWN (1926): SPHALERITE, GALENA AND CHALCOPYRITE, PYRARGYRITE (SUPERGENE). RELATION OF CHALCOCITE IS UNCLEAR. PYRARGYRITE OCCURS AS VEINLETS IN SPHALERITE AND REPLACES GALENA IN IRREGULAR AREAS ALONG CONTACTS. RANSOME (1901) DESCRIBES VEIN AS SHEETED ZONE. CROSS AND OTHERS (1905) SHOW VEIN TRENDING N 5 W, DIPPING NE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1984 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Authoritative Colorado resources

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