Location: The early reports for the Ophir Creek area identify Dutch Creek as an east tributary to Ophir Creek; its mouth is about 5 miles upstream of the confluence of Ophir Creek and the Niukluk River (Collier and others, 1908). However, the modern topographic map of the area (Solomon D-4 quadrangle) identifies this creek as Snowball Creek and Dutch Creek as its east headwater tributary. Originally Snowball Creek (SO143) was the west headwater tributary of Dutch Creek. Dutch Creek is locality 120 of Cobb (1972, MF 445; 1978, OF 78-181).
Geology: Placer mining, mostly between 1900 and 1918, took place on lower Dutch Creek (now shown as Snowball Creek on the Solomon D-4 quadrangle) near its confluence with Ophir Creek (Smith and Eakin, 1911). These were various small-scale hydraulic and open-cut operations. Gold was reported from the active drainage and from benches. Bedrock in the area is part of lower Paleozoic metasedimentary assemblage (Till and others, 1986).
Workings: Small-scale hydraulic and open-cut operations took place along lower reaches of the creek near its confluence with Ophir Creek prior to 1918.
Age: Quaternary.

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

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.

ⓘ Tungsten

Mineral List

ⓘ Native Gold

ⓘ Scheelite

2 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Native Gold

Formula: Au

References:

(2008) Alaska Resource Data File (ARDF) Open-File Report 2008-1225. US Geological Survey

ⓘ Scheelite

Formula: Ca(WO₄)

References:

(2008) Alaska Resource Data File (ARDF) Open-File Report 2008-1225. US Geological Survey

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘ	Native Gold	1.AA.05	Au
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘ	Scheelite	7.GA.05	Ca(WO₄)

List of minerals for each chemical element

O	Oxygen
O	ⓘ Scheelite	Ca(WO₄)
Ca	Calcium
Ca	ⓘ Scheelite	Ca(WO₄)
W	Tungsten
W	ⓘ Scheelite	Ca(WO₄)
Au	Gold
Au	ⓘ Native Gold	Au

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	SO142

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent

North America PlateTectonic Plate

Brooks-Seward DomainDomain
Nome ComplexAccretionary Complex

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Solomon quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-445, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. Cobb, E.H., 1975, Tungsten occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Investigations Resource Map MR-66, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. Cobb, E.H., 1978, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Solomon quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-181, 185 p. Collier, A.J., Hess, F.L., Smith, P.S., and Brooks, A.H., 1908, The gold placers of parts of Seward Peninsula, Alaska, including the Nome, Council, Kougarok, Port Clarence, and Goodhope precincts: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 328, 343 p. Smith, P.S., and Eakin, H.M., 1911, A geologic reconnaissance in southeastern Seward Peninsula, and the Norton Bay-Nulato region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 449, 146 p. Till, A.B., Dumoulin, J.A., Gamble, B. ., Kaufman, D.S., and Carroll, P.I., 1986, Preliminary geologic map and fossil data, Soloman, Bendeleben, and southern Kotzebue quadrangles, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 86-276, 10 p., 3 plates, scale 1:250,000.

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