Round Mountain Placers

Past Producer in Nye county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver

Sections on this page

Identification information
Geographic coordinates
Site location context
Geographic areas
Public Land Survey System information
Commodities
Materials information
Alteration
Mineral occurrence model information
Host and associated rocks
Nearby scientific data
Ore body information
Controls for ore emplacement
Economic information about the deposit and operations
Mining district
Land status
Ownership information
Workings at the site
Links to other databases
Bibliographic references
General comments
Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID	10310363
MRDS ID	M231739
Record type	Site
Current site name	Round Mountain Placers
Alternate or previous names	Round Mountain Gold Dredging Corp.

Comments on the site identification

This record is an updated version of MRDS record # M231739 including all information from it plus additional information.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates:	-117.08398, 38.70632 (WGS84)
Elevation	1890
Relative position	The Round Mountain Placer Operations were located about 50 miles north of Tonopah on the west flank of the Toquima Range.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nye(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Round Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Ione Valley(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Tonopah(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Northern Big Smoky Valley(hydrologic unit)

Central Nevada Desert Basins(hydrologic accounting unit)

Central Nevada Desert Basins(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Bureau of Land Management(Bureau of Land Management NV)

Bureau of Land Management NV BLM(Type of land area)

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country	State	County
United States	Nevada	Nye

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian	Township	Range	Section	Fraction	State
Mount Diablo	010N	044E	19 30		Nevada

Comments on the location information

The Round Mountain placer operations were located mainly on the south and west sides of Round Mountain with lesser placers on the east side. The major dredging activity of the 1950s was centered about 0.75 mile west of the town of Round Mountain.

Commodities

Commodity	Importance
Gold	Primary
Silver	Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

Ore Materials: native gold
Gangue Materials: magnetite, scheelite

Materials information

Materials	Type of material
Gold	Ore
Magnetite	Ore
Scheelite	Ore

Alteration

(Local) There has been very little enrichment by oxidation, as the gravels have not been transported much distance.

Analytical data

Result	Fineness ranges from 574 to 696

Mineral occurrence model information

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

Host and associated rocks

Host or associated Host

Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel

Stratigraphic age (youngest) Quaternary
Host or associated Host

Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Alluvium

Stratigraphic age (youngest) Quaternary

Nearby scientific data

(1)	-117.08398, 38.70632	ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

General form blanket

Thickness 18.29M

Depth to top 0M

Depth to bottom 18.29M

General form	blanket
Thickness	18.29M
Depth to top	0M
Depth to bottom	18.29M

Controls for ore emplacement

The richest gravels are localized just above bedrock.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type	Placer
Development status	Past Producer
Commodity type	Metallic
Deposit size	Medium
Significant	Yes
Discovery year	1906
Discoverer	Thomas Wilson
Mining method	Alluvial Mining
Year of first production	1906
Year of last production	1970
Production years	almost continuous from 1906 through 1968

Mining district

District name	Round Mountain District

Land status

Ownership category	Private

Ownership information

Type Owner-Operator

Owner Round Mountain Gold Dredging Co. (1950s)

Year 1950
Type Operator

Owner Round Mountain Gold Dredging Corp.

First year 1951

Type	Owner-Operator
Owner	Round Mountain Gold Dredging Co. (1950s)
Year	1950

Type	Operator
Owner	Round Mountain Gold Dredging Corp.
First year	1951

Workings at the site

Type of workings Surface

Overall length 1219.2M

Overall width 548.64M

Type of workings	Surface
Overall length	1219.2M
Overall width	548.64M

Comments on the workings information

Workings consist of the North Pit and the South Pit as well as other pits in vicinity of the main vein and stringer ore zones.

Comments on other economic factors

Total production from the Round Mountain placer operations is estimated at more than 232,000 ounces of gold.

Comments on development

The first placering in the district was done by dry-washing. From 1906 to 1915 all work was done by lessees. In 1907, Round Mountain Hydraulic Company was organized and pumped in water from Jefferson and Shoshone creeks. In 1914, Round Mountain Mining Co constructed a pipeline from Jett Canyon and began hydraulic operations. Placering continued with varying degrees of intensity, until 1940. It was reactivated in 1950 by Round Mountain Gold Dredging Co. which used large-scale dredging and draglines to mine in 1950-1952 and 1958-1959, operating as one of the largest and most productive placer operations in the history of dry placer mining in the southwestern US, producing about 145,000 ounces of gold. Small scale placering resumed from 1960 through 1968, and from 1970 to 1972, Copper Range Exploration Company and Ordrich Gold Reserves Company renewed exploration of both the lode and placer prospects in the district. These have been the state's most productive placer deposits in the 20th century.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency	Database name	Acronym	Record ID	Notes
USGS	Mineral Resources Data System	MRDS	M231739	MRDS dep_id 10044339 merged into this record.
U.S. Bureau of Mines	Minerals Availability System	MAS	0320231099	MRDS dep_id 10295465 merged into this record.
USGS	Mineral Resources Data System	MRDS	W001574	MAS references MRDS

Bibliographic references

Deposit

Kleinhampl, F. J. and Ziony, J. I., 1988, Geology and Mineral Deposits of Northern Nye County: NBMG Bull. 99A and 99bB.
Deposit

Kral,V E., 1951, NBMG Bull. 50.
Deposit

Vanderburg,W. O.,1936, NBMG Bull. 27, p.133-146
Deposit

USGS Bull. 1356, p. 64-68.
Deposit

Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., and Ludington, S.D., 1998, Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States; Part A, Database description and analysis; part B, Digital database: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206, 33 p., one 3.5 inch diskette.
Deposit

PACKARD, G.A., ENGINEERING & MINING JOURNAL, JANUARY 19, 1907, P. 150-151.

General comments

Subject category	Comment text
Deposit	The deposit is a blanket of erosional material derived from primary veins and stringer zones in the Round Mountain lode gold deposit. Gold is distributed throughout the gravels, but the best values were found on bedrock. Gravels are about 30 feet thick on Round Mountain, thickening to more than 200 feet thick in the valley less than a mile west. The gold is coarse and angular.
Deposit	MAIN PLACER PITS FLANK THE ALLUVIAL/RHYOLITE BEDROCK CONTACT AREA ON WEST AND NORTH SIDES OF ROUND MTN, MOSTLY IN SE1/4 SEC. 19, T. 10 N., R. 44 E. FROM 1946 TO 1960 MATERIAL WAS HAULED BY CONVEYORS TO A STATIONARY WASH PLANT IN SE1/4, SEC. 24, T. 10 N., R. 43 E AND THE TAILINGS WERE STACKED INTO TWO LARGE ELONGATE TAILINGS PILES IMMEDIATELY NORTH AND NORTHWEST OF THE PLANT. ONLY THE DUMPS ARE VISIBLE IN 1994. SEE ROUND MOUNTAIN MINE 0320230149 FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON THIS PROPERTY. ALSO SEE MINES & RESPONDENT ID 2600594, MINERAL PROPERTY FILE 30.21. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT INTEREST IN THIS PART OF THE TOQUIMA RANGE ARE ADMINISTERED AS TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST.

Subject category

Comment text

Deposit

The deposit is a blanket of erosional material derived from primary veins and stringer zones in the Round Mountain lode gold deposit. Gold is distributed throughout the gravels, but the best values were found on bedrock. Gravels are about 30 feet thick on Round Mountain, thickening to more than 200 feet thick in the valley less than a mile west. The gold is coarse and angular.

Deposit

MAIN PLACER PITS FLANK THE ALLUVIAL/RHYOLITE BEDROCK CONTACT AREA ON WEST AND NORTH SIDES OF ROUND MTN, MOSTLY IN SE1/4 SEC. 19, T. 10 N., R. 44 E. FROM 1946 TO 1960 MATERIAL WAS HAULED BY CONVEYORS TO A STATIONARY WASH PLANT IN SE1/4, SEC. 24, T. 10 N., R. 43 E AND THE TAILINGS WERE STACKED INTO TWO LARGE ELONGATE TAILINGS PILES IMMEDIATELY NORTH AND NORTHWEST OF THE PLANT. ONLY THE DUMPS ARE VISIBLE IN 1994. SEE ROUND MOUNTAIN MINE 0320230149 FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON THIS PROPERTY. ALSO SEE MINES & RESPONDENT ID 2600594, MINERAL PROPERTY FILE 30.21. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT INTEREST IN THIS PART OF THE TOQUIMA RANGE ARE ADMINISTERED AS TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST.

Reporter information

Type	Date	Name	Affiliation	Comment
Reporter	01-JAN-1981	Wong, George (Roberts, Ralph)	U.S. Geological Survey
Updater	01-MAY-1982	La Pointe, D.D. (Tingley, J.V.)	Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Reporter	12-AUG-1996	Schmauch, Steven W.	U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter	01-FEB-2005	LaPointe, D.D.	Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Editor	01-SEP-2007	Schruben, Paul G.	U.S. Geological Survey	Converted from S&A FileMaker format to Oracle. Edit checks on rocks, units, and ages with Geolex search, and other fields.

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Nevada resources

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