Latitude: 65°19'48"N
Longitude: 146°28'22"W
Location: The location is the approximate center of discontinuous placer workings that extend from Silver Creek to Polar Creek; from the mouth of Bear Creek upstream for about 1,500 ft; and for about a mile between Bear Creek and Ruby Creek. Sourdough Creek is a tributary of the Chatanika River. The creek can be accessed from the Steese Highway at mile marker 66.
Geology: Bedrock in the area is schist,and, near the mouth of the creek a granitic pluton (Wedow and others, 1954, p. 8). A sample of granite talus contained stibnite and scheelite (Nelson and others, 1954). Joesting (1942) reported stibnite in placer concentrates and scarce cassiterite in placers. Placer gold was mined from 1932 to 1940 and intermittently from 1946 to 1959. Gravel is ten to eleven feet thick. Prospecting and maintenance work occurred in 1966. The creek has largely been mined out by surface workings (Eberlein and others, 1977, p. 24). Total production is not known, but about 2850 oz gold was reportedly produced from 1937 to 1941. A few blocks of unmined ground remain mid-valley but the creek has been largely mined. Two hundred ounces of gold was produced from one 300 ft by 150 ft cut on the Discovery Claim (Eberlein and others, 1977, p. 24).
Workings: Placer gold was mined from 1932 to 1940 and intermittently from 1946 to 1959. Prospecting and maintenance work occurred in 1966. The creek has largely been mined out by surface workings (Eberlein and others, 1977, p. 24).
Production: Total production is not known, but about 2850 oz gold was reportedly produced from 1937 to 1941. A few blocks of unmined ground remain mid-valley but the creek has been largely mined. Two hundred ounces of gold was produced from one 300 ft by 150 ft cut on the Discovery Claim (Eberlein and others, 1977, p. 24).
Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - Sb, Sn, W
Development Status: Yes; small
Deposit Model: Placer gold deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
References
Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-391, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p. Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-633, 72 p. Eberlein, G. D., Chapman, R. M., Foster, H. L., and Gassaway, J. S., 1977, Map and table describing known metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits in central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 77-168D, 132 p. Joesting, H.R., 1942, Strategic mineral occurences in interior Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 1, 46 p. Lampright, R.L., 1996, Gold placer deposits near Fairbanks Alaska--An inventory of the gold placer mines, prospects, and deposits located within the Big Delta Charley River, Circle, Eagle, Fairbanks, and Livengood quadrangles: Nederland, Colorado, Iron Fire Publications, Anchorage, Alaska, 135 p. Menzie, W.D., Foster, H.L., Tripp, R.B., and Yeend, W.E., 1983, Mineral resource assessment of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 83-170-B, 61 p., 1 sheet, 1:250,000. Nelson, A.E., West, W.S., and Matsko, J.J., (1952) 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in eastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 348, 21 p. Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-91. Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94. Smith, P.S., 1936, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-91. Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95. Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113. Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113. Smith, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106. Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102. Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., Killeen, P. L., and others, 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in eastern interior Alaska, 1946: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 331, 36 p.
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