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Pitkin Iron Mine

Past Producer in Pitkin county in Colorado, United States with commodity Iron
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10264452
MRDS ID D008023
MAS/MILS ID 0080970151
Record type Site
Current site name Pitkin Iron Mine
Alternate or previous names Cooper's Iron Mountain, Taylor's Peak Deposit, Cooper Fork Deposit, Cooper Fork Quarry
Related records 10012411

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -106.78622, 39.00139 (WGS84)
Elevation 3660
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pitkin(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Hayden Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Leadville(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Leadville(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Roaring Fork(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 Pitkin

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Barite Unknown
Calcite Unknown
Chlorite Unknown
Limonite Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Siderite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -106.78622, 39.00139
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 30.5M
    Length 365M
    Width 250M
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 REPLACEMENT
    Shape of Orebody #1 MASSIVE
    Shape of Orebody #2 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin CONT METASOMATIC
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control CONTACT ZONE
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 CARBONATE SILIC
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 810714
  • Area 60HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 60
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1961
Milling method Sizing

Mining district

District name Columbia District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim
Type of mineral rights Patented

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Pitkin Iron Corp.
    ID 500398
    Interest 100
    Home office Illinois
    Year 1993

Production statistics

  • Year 1961
    Description Prod. Figures Are For Lt Ore At 65-67%Fe 23893 Ann. Prod. Ore--Long Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 23515.49mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1962
    Description Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 23515.49mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1963
    Description Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 23515.49mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1964
    Description 23125 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 22759.62mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1965
    Description 102098 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 100484.85mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1966
    Description 151375 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 148983.27mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1967
    Description 227000 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 223413.4mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1968
    Description 192000 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 188966.4mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1969
    Description 225000 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 221445mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1970
    Description 213000 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 209634.6mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1971
    Description 171413 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 168704.67mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1972
    Description 137575 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 135401.31mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1973
    Description 174851 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 172088.35mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1974
    Description 210856 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 207524.47mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1975
    Description Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 23515.49mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1976
    Description Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 23515.49mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1977
    Description 46445 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 45711.16mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Description 62915 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 61920.94mt 66wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Description 86000 Same
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 84641.2mt 66wt-pct

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1964
    Total resources 3556000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 64 wt-pct Iron Major 1964

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 25HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .61
    Percent Waste Rock 16.7
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 0
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Secondary Material Cover HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 57
    Capacity 739
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 0
    Unit Production Cost 8.11
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 110
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, 1960-1979, CONFIDENTIAL MICROFILMED

  • Deposit

    PRODUCTION RECORDS - DATA SUPPLIED BY MINE OPERATOR.

  • Reserve-Resource

    BROWN, W.M., AND REEVES, R.G., 1964, MINERAL RESOURCES OF

  • Reserve-Resource

    COLORADO: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, P. 93-98.

  • Reserve-Resource

    CARR, M.S., AND DUTTON, C.E., 1959, IRON-ORE RESOURCES OF

  • Reserve-Resource

    THE UNITED STATES INCLUDING ALASKA AND PUERTO RICO, 1955:

  • Reserve-Resource

    U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 1082-C, P. 61-134.

  • Reserve-Resource

    HARDER, E.C., 1909, THE TAYLOR PEAK AND WHITEPINE IRON-ORE

  • Reserve-Resource

    DEPOSITS, COLORADO: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 380, P. 188-

  • Reserve-Resource

    194.

  • Deposit

    BERRY, J.W., 1968, THE CLIMATE OF COLORADO, IN CLIMATES OF

  • Deposit

    THE STATES, VOLUME II - WESTERN STATES INCLUDING ALASKA

  • Deposit

    AND HAWAII: NOAA, EDS., PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., WATER

  • Deposit

    INFORMATION CENTER, INC., P. 595-613.

  • Deposit

    BROWN, W.M. AND R.G. REEVES, 1964, MINERAL RESOURCES OF

  • Deposit

    COLORADO, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, PP.93-98.

  • Deposit

    HARDER, E.C., 1908, THE TAYLOR PEAK AND WHITEPINE IRON-ORE

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS, COLORADO, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, BULLETIN 380,

  • Deposit

    CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, PART 1, PP. 188-194.

  • Deposit

    HAYES, C.W., 1909, IRON ORES OF THE UNITED STATES, U.S.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 394, PAPERS ON THE CONSERVA-

  • Deposit

    TION OF MINERAL RESOURCES, P. 70-113.

  • Deposit

    KNOPF, ADOLPH, 1926, RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ASPEN

  • Deposit

    DISTRICT, COLORADO, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 785,

  • Deposit

    CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, PART 1, P.12.

  • Deposit

    LEITH, C.K., 1905, IRON ORES OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

  • Deposit

    AND BRITISH COLUMBIA., U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 28

  • Deposit

    CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, PP. 194-200.

  • Deposit

    STARCH, KARL E., 1978-1979, THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF COLORADO

  • Deposit

    BUREAU OF MINES MINERALS YEARBOOK, PP. 1-17.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE THICKNESS OF THE OREBODY IS KNOWN TO BE AT LEAST 30.5 METERS, BUT IT MAY BE THICKER.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 08-MAR-1995 Rcs, Mbs 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 07/08/1985
MSHA mine ID0500398
Mine name (MSHA)Pitkin Iron Mine
Current operatorMorrison-Knudsen Company Inc
Current controller (parent)Morrison Knudsen Corp (Old)
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

Authoritative Colorado resources

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