Barney Creek Mines, Eagle Mining District, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Barney Creek Mines	Group of Mines
Eagle Mining District	Mining District
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Barney Creek is a small tributary on the north side of the Seventymile River. Barney Creek was mined for about one-half mile upstream from the mouth. The coordinates are the approximate midpoint of this section of the creek, in section 24, T. 2 N., R. 28 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The location is accurate. Barney Creek is locality 20 of Cobb (1972 [MF-393]), locality 3 of Eberlein and others (1977), and locality 5 of Burleigh and Lear (1994).
Geology: The rocks in the vicinity of Barney Creek are Upper Cretaceous to Pliocene tightly folded conglomerate and plant fossil-bearing shales (Prindle, 1905; Foster, 1976). The gold in the stream and bench placers on Barney Creek was probably reconcentrated from these rocks (Mertie, 1938). Gravel in Barney Creek are 1.5 to 3 feet thick; the gravel is composed of conglomerate pebbles, cobbles, and boulders of quartzite as much as 3 feet in diameter. Gold occurs as thin plates as much as one-quarter of an inch in diameter (Prindle, 1905). Gravel benches as much as 50 feet high are present at the mouth of Barney Creek and between the forks of the creek located about one-half mile upstream from the mouth. These benches were covered with about 3 feet of gravel and 3 feet of sand and muck. The gravel at the forks contained large quartzite boulders that carried gold (Prindle, 1905). Placer gold from Barney Creek has 875 parts of gold and 122 parts of silver per thousand (Mertie, 1942). There has been placer gold production on the Seventymile River (see EA025) downstream of Barney Creek. Barney Creek was first prospected in 1895 and was said to be a good producer in 1896 (Prindle, 1905). There are reports of mining on Barney Creek for most years from 1908 to 1940. A new hydraulic plant was completed on Barney Creek in 1930 but accomplished only a small amount of mining by the end of the season (Smith, 1933 [B 836-A]). Work on Barney Creek in the years just prior to 1936 was confined to a bench on the west side of the creek (Mertie, 1938).
Workings: Barney Creek was first prospected in 1895 and was said to be a good producer in 1896 (Prindle, 1905). There are reports of mining on Barney Creek for most years from 1908 to 1940. A new hydraulic plant was completed on Barney Creek in 1930 but accomplished only a small amount of mining by the end of the season (Smith, 1933 [B 836-A]). Work on Barney Creek in the years just prior to 1936 was confined to a bench on the west side of the creek (Mertie, 1938).
Age: Quaternary.
Production: Placer gold from Barney Creek has 875 parts of gold and 122 parts of silver per thousand (Mertie, 1942).

Commodities (Major) - Au
Development Status: Yes; small
Deposit Model: Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a).

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	EA019

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References