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Schwartzwalder Mine

Past Producer in Jefferson county in Colorado, United States with commodities Uranium, Molybdenum, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Bismuth
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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. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Mineral rights holdings
  18. Land status
  19. Ownership information
  20. Production statistics
  21. Workings at the site
  22. Links to other databases
  23. Bibliographic references
  24. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10107507
MRDS ID D008019
MAS/MILS ID 0080590002
Record type Site
Current site name Schwartzwalder Mine
Alternate or previous names Ralston Creek Mine
Related records 10263998

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -105.2811, 39.84467 (WGS84)
Elevation 2057
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position 7 MILES N25W FROM GOLDEN. Coordinates are for the lowest of the 4 adits shown on Ralston Buttes 24k topo in S2 SE4 of Sec. 25.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Jefferson(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ralston Buttes(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Denver West(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Denver(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Clear(hydrologic unit)

South Platte(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Platte(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Jefferson

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 002S 071W 25 SE Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • SE/4-sec 25-T2S-R71W, about 7 miles northwest of Golden.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Uranium Primary
Molybdenum Secondary
Copper Tertiary
Lead Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Bismuth Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Coffinite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pitchblende Ore
Uraninite Ore
Ankerite Gangue
Bornite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chalcopyrite Gangue
Galena Gangue
Jordisite Gangue
Marcasite Gangue
Niccolite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Sphalerite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Chloritic And Potassic, Silicic; Replacement By Ankerite

Analytical data

Result COLO. DIV. MINES REPORTS BEFORE 1964 CITE ORE GRADE OF 0.8 TO 1 % U3O8. \nDOWNS AND BIRD (1965) CITE ORE GRADE SLIGHTLY ABOVE 0.78% U3O8. YOUNG (1977) REPORTS TENOR OF ORE DELIVERED TO MILL AS 0.6% U3O8. \nNELSON-MOORE AND OTHERS (1978) REPORT 1978 ORE GRADE OF 0.35% U3O8. \nTRACE AMOUNTS OF AG, NI, V, CO.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 192
USGS model code Unassigned
Deposit model name Uranium provinces of North America (definition, distribution, models)

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
    Rock unit name Idaho Springs Formation
    Rock description Idaho Springs Formation

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -105.2811, 39.84467
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Front Range Uplift, Colorado Mineral Belt, Idaho Springs-Ralston Shear Zone
Type of structure Local
Structure description Rogers Fault Zone, Illinois Fault System

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR TO LENTICULAR
    Strike N15W
    Dip 75 SW
    Thickness 12.19M
    Length 259.08M
    Width 173.74M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Breccia Reef, Branching Of Hanging Wall Fissures, Changes In Fissure Dip

Comments on the geologic information

  • Rocky Mountain and Intermontane Basins Uranium province of Finch (USGS Bull. 2141). Vein deposits in Proterozoic metamorphic rocks.
  • Orebody information copied from deleted record 10263998. (ABWilson was unable to determine exactly what this refers to):
    Area: 2 HA Length: 152 M Width: 9.2 M
    Depth to Top: 0 M Depth to Bottom: Thickness: 9.2 M
    Strike: N00S Dip: 55E Plunge:
    MAS Matrix:
    Type of Orebody #1 : FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 : IRREGULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 : SHEAR ZONE
    Shape of Orebody #2 : MASSIVE
    Type of Orebody #3 : BRECCIA FILL
    Primary mode of Origin : HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control : FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control : LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. : MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 : PROPYLITIC
    Strike And Dip : N00S:55E
    Minimum Depth to Top : 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 10
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) : 2
    Date of Last Modification : 800319
  • From deleted record 10263998:
    ROCK DESCRIPTION RECORD ROCK TYPE 1 IS GARNETIFEROUS BIOTITE ROCK TYPE 2 IS PHYLLITIC SCHIST OR QUARTZ BIOTITE SCHIST ROCK TYPE 3 IS QUARTZ MUSCOVITE SCHI ROCK TYPE 4 IS CHLORITE SCHIST THE MINE HAS PRODUCED AS FOLLOWS - 1953-1958, AVERAGED 60 TO 0.8% U OX, 1960-1964, AV 75 TONS/YR, 0.5% U OX, 250 DAYS DUCTION/YEAR, 1966-1974, AV 300 TONS/YR, 0.5% U OX, 270 D PRODUCTION/YEAR. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN DMEA REPORT, D NO. 4311, DATED 1956 - INCLUDED IN THE DMEA REPORT ARE GE SECTION MINE AND LOCATION MAPS. THE DMEA REPORT APPROVED F EXPLORATION ASSISTANCE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1949
Discoverer Fred Schwartzwalder
Year of first production 1953
Year of last production 2000

Mining district

District name Ralston Buttes

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Cotter Corporation (a General Atomics affiliate)
    Home office Denver, Colorado
    Year 2010
    First year 1965
  • Type Operator
    Owner Cotter Corp. (Subsidiary Of Commonwealth Edison Corp.)
    Home office Colorado
    First year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Commonwealth Edison Corp.
    Home office New York
    First year 1981

Comments on the ownership information

  • Cotter Corp and Commonwealth Edison Corp. had a Company ID of 500791 in the merged and deleted record 10107507. As of July, 2010, Cotter Corporation is a General Atomics (GA) affiliate headquartered in Denver, Colorado (www.cotterusa.com).

Production statistics

  • Year 1960
    Period 1953 through 1960
    Ore mined 76432.97mt
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1967
    Period through 1966
    Ore mined 135098.18mt
    Accuracy Accurate

Comments on the production information

  • Since 1960, the mine has continued to be one of the major producers of uranium ore from vein deposits in the U.S. Cumulative production through 1960 yielded 1,188,078 pounds of U3O8; through 1966, 2,166,772 pounds of U3O8 (USGS Prof. Paper 520). As of June 1978, total production is reported to be about 10,500,000 pounds of U3O8, and average grade of ore being mined in 1978 is about 0.35% U3O8 (CGS Bull.40). Total production from the Schwartzwalder has been approximately 17 million pounds U3O8 (6,500 mtU)(info from Cotter web site, accessed 12/02/2005).
  • Total production from the Schwartzwalder has been approximately 17 million pounds U3O8 (6,500 mtU), with additional resources of 16 million pounds U3O8 (6,150 mtU) identified. Based on long-term forecasts for a weak uranium market, the decision has been made to place the mine on temporary standby and begin reclamation of the property. (Cotter web site, accessed 12/02/2005).

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Total production from the Schwartzwalder has been approximately 17 million pounds U3O8 (6,500 mtU), with additional resources of 16 million pounds U3O8 (6,150 mtU) identified. (info from Cotter web site, accessed 12/02/2005).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 457.2M
  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 8110M
    Overall depth 244M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OTHER SHRINKAGE METHODS
    Swell Factor .81
    Percent Waste Rock 30
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING WHEN DRY
    Mine Support Chars. CHEMICAL COATING
    Number of Shafts 3
    Length of Inclines (m) 91.5
    Slope of Inclines 30
    Number of Inclines 4
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 107
    Number of Adits 4
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 254
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 260
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1975

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-NOV-81 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAY-93 Spanski, Gregory T. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-DEC-05 Beach, Richard A. Colorado Geological Survey
Reporter 13-MAY-85 Minecom U.S. Bureau of Mines MAS 0080590002= newMRDS 10263998
Editor 08-JUL-10 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey MAS 0080590002= newMRDS 10263998, merged and deleted.

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 12/01/2007
MSHA mine ID0500791
Mine name (MSHA)SCHWARTZWALDER
Current operatorCotter Corp
Current controller (parent)General Atomics Uranium Resources
Mine typeUnderground (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

Authoritative Colorado resources

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