Significant resources may be left in the high channels, bench deposits and tributaries (C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc., 1978). These placer workings probably contain some gold that is the downstream concentration from veins in the Bradley Scheelite/Bird Creek prospect (TL038). Also see Peters Creek (TL045); other glaciofluvial deposits in the district are at Windy Creek (TL027);and Nugget Creek (TL035), both tributaries to Cache Creek.
Location: C. C. Hawley and Associates, Inc. (1978, Fig.4.2-B(3)) locate the Bird Creek high channel deposit (St. Louis Channel) on a tributary to Peters Creek in the southeast quarter of Section 26, T. 29 N., R. 9 W., of the Seward Meridian.
Geology: Capps (1912) indicates that the present Bird Creek, which flows into Peters Creek, appears to have captured a drainage which at a previous time may have flowed into the ancestral Cache Creek drainage. This Pleistocene glaciofluvial channel, at its base, is almost 100 feet above and sub-parallel to the Bird Creek and rests on broken, decayed slate overlain by a yellow-stained basal gravel and 50 to 75 feet of glacial mud containing angular boulders (Capps, 1912). The channel is auriferous throughout, but especially in the basal gravel (C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc., 1978; Hawley and Clark, 1973). Concentrates contain pyrite, arsenopyrite, magnetite, scheelite, and a small amount of native copper (Cobb and Reed, 1980). Clark and Hawley (1968) report the fineness of the gold to range between 835 1/2 and 879 1/4, averaging 859. Significant resources may be left in the high channels, bench deposits and tributaries (C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc., 1978). These placer workings probably contain some gold that is the downstream concentration from antimony, tin and bismuth in arsenopyrite-scheelite- gold-quartz veins in the Bradley Scheelite/Bird Creek prospect (TL038). Also see Peters Creek (TL045); other Pleistocene glaciofluvial placer deposits in the district are Windy Creek (TL027) and Nugget Creek (TL035), both tributaries to Cache Creek. C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc. (1978) report that lode deposits also occur in the Colby (TL037) and Nugget Creek (TL035) drainages.
Workings: Workings in 1976 consisted of 3 shallow pits, approximately 500 feet by 250 feet, 400 feet by 300 feet, and 400 feet by 200 feet . The St. Louis Channel was mined in the late 1970's and drilled in 1942 by Calumet and Hecla Copper Mining Co. (C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc., 1978).
Age: Pleistocene.
Production: Values on the pay section are up to $50/yard (C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc., 1978).
Reserves: Significant resources may be left in the high channels, bench deposits and tributaries (C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc., 1978).

Commodities (Major) - Au, Cu, W; (Minor) - Bi, Sb, Sn
Development Status: Yes
Deposit Model: Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a).

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Mineral List

6 valid minerals.