Ophir Creek Placer

Past Producer in Powell county in Montana, United States with commodity Gold
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 10019346
MRDS ID DC09602
Record type Site
Current site name Ophir Creek Placer

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -112.54312, 46.63184 (WGS84)
Relative position A TRIBUTARY OF CARPENDER CREEK THAT JOINS IT 3MI ABOVE ITS MOUTH

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Powell(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ophir Creek(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Elliston(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Butte(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Clark Fork(hydrologic unit)

Pend Oreille(hydrologic accounting unit)

Kootenai-Pend Oreille-Spokane(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Montana Powell

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 010N;011N;011N 008W;008W;007W 01,12;24,25,36;19 Montana

Comments on the location information

  • LAT LONG FOR MOUTH OF OPHIR CR. PLACER MINING CONTINUES FROM ITS MOUTH UP STREAM TO ABOUT 0.5 MI ABOVE BLACKFOOT CITY. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1958)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Quartz Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Tourmaline Gangue
Garnet Gangue
Magnetite Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Rock unit name RYOLITE, QUARTZ MONZONITE,BUTTE QUARTZ MONZONITE (BOULDER BATHOLITH)

Nearby scientific data

(1) -112.54312, 46.63184

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Boulder Batholith

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1865
Discoverer Dave Johns And His Indian Wife

Comments on exploration

  • MINES: ESMERALDA MCKAY, BUMBLE BEE, VICTORY, COON'S TUNGSTEN, FAIRVIEW, DENVER, OPSATA, BUTTERFLY, AJAX, POTRATZ, CYCLONE, LITTLE DASIY, PRISE, FLAGSTAFF, SNOWSHOE, JACK PINE, CARPENTER CREEK, SNOWSHOE CREEK AND OPHIR CREEK PLACERS. ; ECON.COM: MINES FILLED WITH WATER

Mining district

District name Ophir District

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Comments on the workings information

  • WORKED FOR A LENGTH OF 8 MILES.

Comments on development

  • DAVE JOHNS WIFE FIRST STARTED TO PAN FOR AU, DAVE LATTER JOINING HER. BLACKFOOT CITY LATTER STARTED THERE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MBMG MEM NO 26, P.119, 127-8.

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 842, P. 31.

  • Deposit

    USGS PP 610, P. 168.

  • Production

    MBMG MEM NO 26, P. 128.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MUCH OF THE GRAVEL IN THE BED OF THE CR HAS NEVER BEEN WORKED DUE TO LACK OF GRADE FOR TAILING DISPOSAL ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Deposit PLACER DEPOSITS WERE FOUND IN TERRACE DEPOSITS. THE LIMESTONES HAVE BEEN ALTERED IN VARIOUS DEGREES BY THE BOULDER BATHOLITH. MANY PLACES THE GARNET TACTITES WERE HOSTS FOR THE LODE DEPOSITS. SOME LODES WERE DEPOSITED IN VEINS THAT WERE ON ORE NEAR THE CONTACT OF THE LIMESTONE AND THE QUARTZ MONZONITE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1974 Unknown U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAY-1981 Wise, Kristine K. (Elliott, James E.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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