Tolstoi Creek

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Links to other databases
  12. Bibliographic references
  13. General comments
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308026
Record type Site
Current site name Tolstoi Creek

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -157.11541, 63.36783 (WGS84)
Relative position Tolstoi Creek is a north-flowing tributary to the Dishna River. Gold-bearing tributaries of Tolstoi Creek in the Ophir quadrangle include Madison Creek (OP009), Esperanto Creek (OP008), Eldorado Creek (OP007), Boob Creek (OP013) and Iron Creek (OP011). The exact locations of mining and prospecting along Tolstoi Creek are not known; the coordinates are an arbitrary point on the creek approximately midway between the junctions of Madison and Mastodon creeks. References to mining and prospecting along Tolstoi Creek may apply to tributaries of Tolstoi Creek rather than Tolstoi Creek. The location is accurate within 50(?) miles.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Yukon-Koyukuk(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ophir B-3(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Ophir SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Ophir C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Innoko National Wildlife Refuge(National Wildlife Refuge)

National Wildlife Refuge FWS(Type of land area)

FWS(Federal land areas administered by FWS)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Nearby scientific data

(1) -157.11541, 63.36783

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The rocks in the vicinity of Tolstoi Creek are volcanic, but Madison Creek, a tributary of Tolstoi Creek, drains a large Cretaceous or Tertiary monzonite intrusive body (Chapman and others, 1985). The monzonite is heavily weathered and contains feldspar phenocrysts (Mertie, 1936; S. Dashevsky, unpublished data, 2000). A placer gold strike on Tolstoi Creek during the winter of 1915 - 1916 was reported by Mertie and Harrington (1916). This reference may instead apply to tributaries of Tolstoi Creek. In 1989, the Tolstoi Mining Co. sampled Tolstoi Creek for placer platinum (Bundtzen and others, 1990). Also see OP007, 008-011, and 013.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active

Mining district

District name Innoko

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = A placer gold strike on Tolstoi Creek during the winter of 1915 - 1916 was reported by Mertie and Harrington (1916). This reference may instead apply to tributaries of Tolstoi Creek. In 1989, the Tolstoi Mining Co. sampled Tolstoi Creek for placer platinum (Bundtzen and others, 1990). Also see OP007, OP008 - OP011, and OP013.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Mertie, J.B., Jr., and Harrington, G.L., 1916, Mineral resources of the Ruby-Kuskokwim region, in Brooks, A.H., and others, Mineral Resources of Alaska, Report on Progress of Investigations in 1915: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 642, p. 223-266.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction material) in the Iditarod and Ophir quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-576, 101 p.

  • Deposit

    Chapman, R.M., Patton, W.W., and Moll, E.J., 1985, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Ophir quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-203, 1 sheet, 1:250,000 scale.

  • Deposit

    Bundtzen, T.K., Green, C.B., Deagen, J., and Daniels, C.L., 1987, Alaska's mineral industry, 1986: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Special Report 40, 68 p.

  • Deposit

    Bundtzen, T.K., Swainbank, R.C., Deagen, J.R. and Moore, J.L., 1990, Alaska's mineral industry 1989: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 44, 100 p.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Mertie and Harrington, 1916

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-AUG-01 Cameron, C.E. Northern Associates Inc.

Beyond USGS

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

Authoritative Alaska resources

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