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Copper Cliff Mine

Past Producer in Adams county in Idaho, United States with commodities Copper, Silver, Gold
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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. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Mineral rights holdings
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Production statistics
  20. Reserves and resources
  21. Workings at the site
  22. Links to other databases
  23. Bibliographic references
  24. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10070166
MRDS ID W012887
MAS/MILS ID 0160030012
Record type Site
Current site name Copper Cliff Mine
Alternate or previous names Silver King

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -116.6768, 45.10347 (WGS84)
Elevation 1585
Relative position ABOUT 1.25 MI NNE OF CUPRUM

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Adams(county)

Idaho(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Cuprum(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Riggins(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Grangeville(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Brownlee Reservoir(hydrologic unit)

Middle Snake-Powder(hydrologic accounting unit)

Middle Snake(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Payette 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 Idaho Adams

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Boise 020N 003W 02,03 SWSWNW (02) Idaho

Comments on the location information

  • Original coordinates for line#1 were: lat/long NAD27 45-6-20N 116-40-42W (45.10556 -116.67833); UTM N4994500 E525300 Z11N; PLSS line# 1: Meridian- Boise, TWNSHP 020N, RNG 003W, Sect 02,03, Sect_fract <blank>.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Silver Secondary
Gold Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Malachite Ore
Copper Ore
Hematite Gangue
Ilmenite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Epidote, Chlorite, Sericite, Calcite

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Felsic Metamorphic Rock > Keratophyre
    Rock unit name Copper Cliffs Sequence-Qtz Keratophyre, Keratophyre, Tuff Breccia Agglomerate
    Rock description Copper Cliffs Sequence-Qtz Keratophyre, Keratophyre, Tuff Breccia Agglomerate
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Felsic Metamorphic Rock > Keratophyre
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)

Nearby scientific data

(1) -116.6768, 45.10347
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Ne-Trending Folding

Ore body information

  • General form POD/LENS
    Strike N60E
    Dip 75S
    Thickness 70M
    Length 400M
    Width 100M
    Area 80HA
    Depth to top 1M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Fractures , Contact Of Lower And Upper Keratophyre Flows

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Year of first production 1972
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Seven Devils District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category National Forest
Area name Payette National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Alta Gold Co.
    Interest 100
    Home office Council, Idaho, 83612
    First year 1989
  • Type Operator
    Owner Silver King Mines, Inc.
    Last year 1989

Production statistics

  • Year 1972
    Material CON CU AG
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^40 % Cu, 20 Oz Ag/Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Conc. Silver Silver 565g/mt
    Trace Conc. Copper Copper 40wt-pct
  • Year 1976
    Period 1972-1976
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Ag Silver Silver 43544873.4g
    Major Cu Copper Copper 3100mt

Comments on the production information

  • Items 8 And 9 Production For Sept. 1972 - Nov. 1973 ; Mill Treated 225 - 250 Tons/Day In 1972 , By 1973 Production Up To 800 Tons/Day; Item 17 From 10 Cars Of Ore
  • Mine Was Developed In 1971 With Production Beginning In Late 1971. Production Came From An Underground Operation Until 1974 When Open Pitting Was Begun. Production Is Ongoing. Mine Ceased Operation In 1981. Reserves At The Property Are 200,000 S.T. At Low Grade Ore. The Operators Have No Plans To Re-Open The Mine In The Forseeable Future. The On-Site Concentrator Was Completely Refurbished In 1982, And Will Go On-Stream In July 1984, Processing Ore From The The Bayhorse, Iron Dyke, And Red Lodge Mines.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Demonstrated 136000mt ore
    Total resources 136000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1 wt-pct Copper Major 1989
    Silver Ag 25.7 g/mt Silver Trace 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Measured 1399999mt ore
    Demonstrated 1399999mt ore
    Total resources 1399999mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.73 wt-pct Copper Major 1976
    Silver Ag 15 g/mt Silver Trace 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1973
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.14 wt-pct Copper Major 1973
    Silver Ag 18.917 g/mt Silver Major 1973
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1972
    Measured 6000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 2 wt-pct Copper Major 1972
    Silver Ag 28.235 g/mt Silver Major 1972

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • At Production Rate Of 800 Tons/Day, Item 1 Reserves Good For 8 Years; Item 2 Has Been Mined And Stockpiled
  • Only 200,000 Short Tones Of Low Grade Ore Remain. Silver King Mines, Inc., Communication With Wfoc, May 3, 1984.
  • Grade Calculated On Estimated Mill Recovery Of 80 Percent For Copper And Silver.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 15HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method STRIP-HILLSIDE
    Swell Factor .55
    Percent Waste Rock 60
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 0
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 90
    Capacity 545
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 0
    Unit Production Cost 4.17
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 260
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1977

Comments on the workings information

  • Mine Was Started Underground, Is Now An Open-Pit

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Morganti, J. M., 1972, Geology And Ore Deposits Of The Cuprum Area, Seven Devils Mining District, Hells Canyon, Idaho: Pullman, Wash., Wash. State Univ., M S Thesis, 153 P.

  • Reserve-Resource

    American Mines Handbook 1989, P.127.

  • Deposit

    Idaho Dept. Of Labor And Industrial Services, First Annual Report Addendum, July 1 , 1974 - June 30 , 1975 , 95 P.

  • Deposit

    Long, R.C., 1976 , Geology And Mineral Deposits Of The Red Ledge Mine Area, Adams County, Idaho: Corvallis, Oregon, Oregon State Univ., M.S. Thesis, 115 P.

  • Deposit

    Spokane Chronicle, Jan. 31 , 1973 ; Nov. 9 , 1973

  • Deposit

    Mining Record, Dec. 6 , 1972

  • Deposit

    1975 Compile Idaho Dept. Labor And Ind. Services, First Ann. Rept

  • Deposit

    John Kauffman Mas Deposit Summary Report On Copper Cliff Mine.

  • Deposit

    U.S. Bureau Of Mines Liaison Office Report On Mining Operations, 1972 And 1977.

  • Deposit

    Mesa Report December 1975.

  • Deposit

    Havenstrite, Stuart, Executive Vice President, Silver King Mines, Inc., Personal Communications With Russell G. Raney, Wfoc, May 3, 1984.

  • Deposit

    Mining Record, 3-22-89, P1.

  • Deposit

    The Miner'S News, 6-89, P.6b.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-1976 Miller, Pat J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUL-1977 Siefken, Robert R. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 20-SEP-1996 Gosling U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 10/01/1991
MSHA mine ID1000458
Mine name (MSHA)Copper Cliff Mine
Current operatorAlta Gold Company
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

External references

Maps centered on this site