Alder Creek Mine, Eagle Mining District, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Alder Creek Mine	Mine
Eagle Mining District	Mining District
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Alder Creek is a 6-mile-long south tributary of the Seventymile River. The coordinates correspond to placer workings shown along Alder Creek on the U.S. Geological Survey topographic map of the Eagle D-3 quadrangle (1956). The workings are located about 1 mile upstream of the mouth of the creek, in section 30, T. 2 N., R. 27 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The location is accurate. Alder Creek is locality 17 (locality 18 on the map) of Cobb (1972 [MF-393]), locality 1 of Eberlein and others (1977), and locality 3 of Burleigh and Lear (1994).
Geology: The rocks along Alder Creek vary widely and consist of Paleozoic gneiss, amphibolite, quartzite, argillite, schist, greenschist, and greenstone and Cretaceous to Pliocene sedimentary rocks. Igneous rocks include granitic to ultramafic plutons and Tertiary felsic volcanic rocks (Foster, 1976). Several strands of the Tintina Fault cross Alder Creek, and there are extensive Quaternary terrace deposits near its mouth. The Alder Creek Lode (EA013), Kill Zone 2 (EA016) prospects and Kill Zone 3 anomaly are epithermal gold deposits located just upstream from the Alder Creek placer mine. There has been placer gold production on the Seventymile River (see EA025) downstream of Alder Creek as well. Auriferous gravels in Alder Creek lie within or near the creek's main channel, where the gravels are 4 feet thick; nuggets valued at as much as $19 (gold at $20.67 per ounce) were found (Ellsworth and Parker, 1911). Nine assays of placer gold from Alder Creek averaged 841 parts of gold and 153 parts of silver per thousand (Mertie, 1942). Mining on Alder Creek is reported in most years from 1910 to 1940. A small hydraulic plant was installed on Alder Creek in 1916 and operated until about 1928 (Brooks, 1918; Mertie, 1938). In the 1960's, mining in the Seventymile area was restricted to a small operation on Alder Creek (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]).
Workings: Mining on Alder Creek is reported in most years from 1910 to 1940. A small hydraulic plant was installed on Alder Creek in 1916 and operated until about 1928 (Brooks, 1918; Mertie, 1938). In the 1960's, mining in the Seventymile area was restricted to a small operation on Alder Creek (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]).
Age: Quaternary.
Production: Nuggets valued at as much as $19 (goldat $20.67 per ounce) were found (Ellsworth and Parker, 1911). Nine assays of placer gold from Alder Creek averaged 841 parts of gold and 153 parts of silver per thousand (Mertie, 1942).

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

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	EA011

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References