Gold Run Mine, Port Clarence Mining District, Nome Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Gold Run Mine	Mine
Port Clarence Mining District	Mining District
Nome Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Gold Run is a major south tributary to the Bluestone River and the location of the most extensive placer mining operations in the Teller A-3 quadrangle. Gold Run Creek and North Fork Bluestone River come together to form the north-flowing Bluestone River at a surface elevation of 190 feet. Sainsbury and others (1969) mapped the location of placer mining operations to include the first half mile of the Bluestone River below the mouth of Gold Run and over 4 miles of the main drainage of Gold Run upstream from its mouth. These operations were at surface elevations between about 190 and 345 feet. This is locality 81 of Cobb and Sainsbury (1972). Cobb (1975) summarized relevant references under the name 'Gold Run'.
Geology: Bedrock in this drainage and its headwater tributaries is dominately a chlorite-bearing schist and amphibolite assemblage (Sainsbury, 1972). The lower 1.25 miles of the stream drains across a metapelitic schist assemblage. Both of these assemblages have local metamorphosed mafic intrusive bodies and both are of unknown but probable Paleozoic age. Sainsbury and others (1969) mapped the location of placer mining operations to include the first half mile of the Bluestone River below the mouth of Gold Run and over 4 miles of the main drainage of Gold Run upstream from its mouth. These operations, which involved extensive dredging, were at surface elevations between about 190 and 345 feet. Mining took place at various times between 1900 and 1946 but much of the dredging was between 1935 and 1940 (Cobb, 1975). Gold is present on benches, old channels, and the present drainage. Some pay, particularly near the mouth of Alder Creek, was very rich containing $50 (1908) per cubic yard (Collier and others, 1908). The pay was in the lower gravels on bedrock and included some bedrock. A yellow clay was present at the base of the pay in some places. The gravels are at least in part coarse and locally include large greenstone boulders. Granitic boulders, exotic to the area, are present in some gravels. Some of the gold is coarse with a nugget as large as 22.25 ounces having been recovered (Smith, 1938). Anderson (1947) reported that scheelite was present in heavy mineral concentrates and Sainsbury and others (1969) reported that cinnabar and platinum-group metals were also present.
Workings: Sainsbury and others (1969) mapped the location of placer mining operations to include the first half mile of the Bluestone River below the mouth of Gold Run and over 4 miles of the main drainage of Gold Run upstream from its mouth. These operations, which involved extensive dredging, were at surface elevations between about 190 and 345 feet along the main drainage. Various open-cut and hydraulicking methods have also been used. A prospect shaft at the pass between Gold Run and McAdam Creek encountered bedrock at 115 feet and some coarse gold.
Age: Quaternary
Production: Yes, considerable from 1900 to at least 1946
Reserves: Not defined; a prospect shaft at the pass between Gold Run and McAdam Creek encountered bedrock at 115 feet and some coarse gold. This is an area mapped as being mantled by moraine by Sainsbury (1972).

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - Hg, platinum-group metals, W
Development Status: Yes
Deposit Model: Alluvial Au placer (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

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Link to USGS - Alaska:	TE094

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References