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Eagle Mine

Past Producer in Eagle county in Colorado, United States with commodities Zinc, Silver, Copper, Lead, Gold, Manganese
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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. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Mineral rights holdings
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Production statistics
  20. Workings at the site
  21. Links to other databases
  22. Bibliographic references
  23. General comments
  24. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10190716
MRDS ID DC04486
MAS/MILS ID 0080370001
Record type Site
Current site name Eagle Mine
Alternate or previous names New Jersey Zinc Co. Eagle Mine, Gilman Mine, includes the Little Chief, Iron Mask, Belden, and Black Iron mines
Related records 10108315

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -106.39591, 39.52859 (WGS84)
Elevation 2563
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Eagle(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Minturn(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Vail(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Leadville(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Eagle(hydrologic unit)

Colorado Headwaters(hydrologic accounting unit)

Colorado Headwaters(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

White River 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 Colorado Eagle

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 006 S 081 W 13 C Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • At Gilman on the Eagle River, about 2 miles NW of Red Cliff, in secs. 12-13, T 6 S, R 81 W, and secs. 7,18, T 6 S, R 80 W..

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Zinc Critical Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Primary
Lead Primary
Gold Primary
Manganese Critical Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • In terms of total quantity and present (2006) value, zinc is the dominant metal produced.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Dolomite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Siderite Gangue
Barite Gangue
Gold Trace

Alteration

  • (Local) dolomitization and dissolution

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 72
USGS model code 19a
Deposit model name Polymetallic replacement
Mark3 model number 47

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Orthoquartzite
    Rock unit name Sawatch Quartzite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Mixed Clastic/Carbonate Rock
    Rock unit name Peerless Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Orthoquartzite
    Rock unit name Parting Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
    Rock unit name Dyer Dolomite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Middle Ordovician
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
    Rock unit name Leadville Dolomite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Devonian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock
    Rock unit name Belden Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Mississippian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock
    Rock unit name Minturn Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Mississippian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Cross Creek Granite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Mississippian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Harding Sandstone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Gilman Sandstone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pennsylvanian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
    Rock unit name Pando Porphyry
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pennsylvanian

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -106.39591, 39.52859
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description NE flank of Sawatch anticline

Ore body information

  • Strike N45W
    Dip 12E
    Thickness 30M
    Length 1220M
    Width 80M
    Depth to top 460M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 REPLACEMENT
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Shape of Orebody #2 PIPELIKE
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SERICITIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 ADV ARGILLIC
    Strike And Dip N45W:12E
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. .3
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 810909
  • Area 15HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 15
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the ore body information

  • Orebody materials listed include only the principal primary ore and gangue minerals.

Comments on the geologic information

  • The deposits are principally replacement deposits (mantos) of zinc-lead-silver ore and chimney deposits of copper- silver ore in dolomites of Mississippian and Late Devonian age. The host rocks are little deformed or faulted and dip about 12 degrees to the NE, away from the Sawatch anticline.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1879
Mining method Timbered Stopes - Overhand Square-Set
Year of first production 1879
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Gilman (Red Cliff) District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Paramount Communications Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office California
    Year 1994
    Last year 1994

Production statistics

  • Year 1977
    Description 4396 Mt Cu-Ag Ore
  • Year 1977
    Description Zn Ore Production - Aug Dec 1977 56700 Mt Zn Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Zinc Zinc 56700mt
  • Year 1978
    Description Cu-Ag Ore (Mt) 7980 Mt Cu-Ag Ore
  • Year 1979
    Description Cu-Ag Ore (Mt) 9995 Mt Cu-Ag Ore

Comments on the production information

  • Historically, the largest zinc and copper producing mine in Colorado, the Eagle mine was closed in 1981. Cumulative production from the district, most of which came from the Eagle mine or its predecessors, totals nearly 400,000 oz. of gold, 67.6 million oz. of silver, 212 million lb. of copper, 317 million lb. of lead, and 1.868 billion lb. of zinc, from 13.1 million tons of ore. About 200,000 tons of manganiferous iron ore was also produced.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves have been depleted, and the mine has been reclaimed.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 105000M
    Overall depth 128M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OVERHAND SQUARE-SET 10-46A
    Swell Factor .62
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Percent Recovery 80
    Hardness of Rock SOFT NONPLASTIC WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics MULTIPLE SYSTEMS OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. UNSUPPORTING NO FLOW
    Mine Support Chars. TIMBER
    Number of Shafts 1
    Length of Inclines (m) 350
    Slope of Inclines 12
    Number of Inclines 4
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 670
    Number of Adits 1
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    2nd Condition of Workings SEALED
    Capacity 638
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 29.95
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 261
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1980

Comments on other economic factors

  • COPPER-SILVER ORE MINED OUT AS OF DECEMBER 1977.
  • "The Eagle Mine, though never able to dominate zinc production so completely [compared with Climax's domination of molybdenum], remained the largest zinc producer and retained its position as one of the important lead and silver mines. It suffered serious labor troubles in 1952 and again in 1960 but was hurt more by a fluctuating zinc and lead price. After high levels in the early fifties, zinc production leveled off, then picked up again in the sixties, before slumping again late in the decade. San Miguel County, basically the Idarado mining operations, followed Eagle County in production" [of zinc]. (Smith, 1977, p. 150-151)

Comments on development

  • New Jersey Zinc Co. consolidated several mines and properties, including the Little Chief, Iron Mask, Belden, and Black Iron mines, into the Eagle mine by 1918. The Newhouse tunnel, near the railroad, and the Wilkesbarre shaft provide main access to some 20 levels and 65 miles of workings that extend at least 8,500 ft. down dip from the outcrop and 9,000 ft. along strike to develop the ore bodies.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit CERCLA (SUPERFUND) SITE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 02-OCT-96 Hite, Alan G. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Updater 23-MAY-06 Beach, Richard A. Colorado Geological Survey
Editor 05-JAN-12 Wilson, Anna B U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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.