South Mountain Mine

Past Producer in Owyhee county in Idaho, United States with commodities Copper, Gold, Lead, Silver, Zinc
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. Nearby scientific data
  10. Ore body information
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Mineral rights holdings
  14. Land status
  15. Ownership information
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10192871
MRDS ID D001443
MAS/MILS ID 0160730005
Record type Site
Current site name South Mountain Mine
Alternate or previous names Texas, Laxey, Exploration Company of California, Sonneman, Golconda
Related records 60000211

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -116.91127, 42.74158 (WGS84)
Elevation 2300
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Owyhee(county)

Idaho(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Cliffs(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Triangle(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Jordan Valley(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Jordan(hydrologic unit)

Middle Snake-Boise(hydrologic accounting unit)

Middle Snake(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Idaho Owyhee

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Boise 008 S 005 W 10 SWSWNE Idaho

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Tertiary
Gold Tertiary
Lead Tertiary
Silver Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Diopside Unknown
Epidote Unknown
Galena Unknown
Garnet Unknown
Hedenbergite Unknown
Ilvaite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown
Sphalerite Unknown

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 60
USGS model code 18c
Deposit model name Skarn Zn-Pb
Mark3 model number 22

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -116.91127, 42.74158

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N45W
    Dip 50W
    Thickness 30M
    Length 1067M
    Width 305M
    Depth to top 3M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 REPLACEMENT
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin CONT METASOMATIC
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 CARBONATE SILIC
    Strike And Dip N45W:50W
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 3
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 830712
  • Area 50HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 50
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1872
Year of first production 1950

Mining district

District name South Mountain District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim
Type of mineral rights Patented

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Bowes, William A.
    ID 1000866
    Interest 100
    Home office Steamboat Springs, Colo.
    Year 1977

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SORENSON RE 1927 ID B M&GEOL PAM22P42

  • Deposit

    PROD: UNKNOWN

  • Deposit

    PIPER & LANEY 1926 ID BUR MINES & GEOL BULL 11

  • Deposit

    LINDGREN 1900 USGS 20TH ANN REPT

  • Deposit

    BENNETT & GALBRAITH 1975 ID BUR MINES & GEOL PAMPH 162 88 P

  • Deposit

    USBM WFOC MIN PROP FILE 235.10 SPOKANE, WASH

  • Deposit

    SHANON 1918 AMER JOUR SCI 4TH SERIES V 45 P 118-125 NO. 266

  • Deposit

    BELL 1907 8TH ANN REPT MIN IND IDAHO FOR 1906, BOISE, IDA

  • Deposit

    BELL 1908 9TH ANN REPT MIN IND IDAHO FOR 1907, BOISE, IDA

  • Deposit

    BELL 1912 13TH ANN REPT MIN IND IDAHO FOR 1911, BOISE, IDA

  • Deposit

    BELL 1913 14TH ANN REPT MIN IND IDAHO FOR 1912, BOISE, IDA

  • Deposit

    BELL 1907 ENG & MIN JOUR V 83 P 283-284

  • Deposit

    MOORE 1910 11TH ANN REPT MIN IND IDAHO FOR 1909, BOISE, IDA

  • Deposit

    32ND ANN. REPT. MIN. IND. IDAHO FOR 1930, P.192.

  • Deposit

    MSHA RPT MAY 1983

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit 8-77 THE REFERENCE POINT IS THE SHAFT ON THE TEXAS CLAIM, SH THE TEXAS MINE ON THE CLIFFS 7.5 MIN QUAD TOPO MAP. THE SHA LOCATED ABOUT 300 METERS NE OF THE SOUTH MTN LOOKOUT. 8-77 VEGETATION IS SPARSE CONSISTING OF JUNIPER, SAGEBRUS & 8-77 ALTHOUGH THE AREA RECEIVES HEAVY WINTER SNOWS IT COULD PROBABLY BE WORKED YEAR-AROUND IF NECESSARY.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 13-MAR-1995 Kauffman, John D. 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 03/19/2024
MSHA mine ID1000866
Mine name (MSHA)South Mountain Mine
Current operatorThunder Mountain Resources, Inc./Owyhee Gold Trust
Current controller (parent)Thunder Mountain Gold Inc
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.