McDonald Creek Mine, Nome Mining District, Nome Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
McDonald Creek Mine	Mine
Nome Mining District	Mining District
Nome Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: This alluvial gold placer mine is on McDonald Creek, a west tributary to lower Nome River. Its headwaters are on the older part of the Nome coastal plain where Third Beach (NM258) deposits are present. The map location is the midpoint of placer tailings that are present 4,500 feet upstream of the mouth; it is in the NW1/4 section 27, T. 11 S., R. 33 W., Kateel River Meridian.
Geology: McDonald Creek heads on the Nome coastal plain, and flows across the projected trace of Third Beach (NM258). It has been placer mined for gold downstream from this trace at surface elevations between 50 and 100 feet. In upper McDonald Creek, Third Beach is buried by only a thin deposit of sand and gravel, and the creek cuts through the beach deposit (Metcalfe and Tuck, 1942). The gold in McDonald Creek is entirely derived from reworking of coastal plain deposits, including those of Third Beach. Where upper McDonald Creek cuts Third Beach, its paystreak lay on fine sand (Moffit, 1913, p. 115), possibly itself a beach deposit, as is the case farther east near Hastings Creek.
Workings: Placer mine tailings are locally present along McDonald Creek between surface elevations of 50 to 100 feet.
Age: Quaternary.

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

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	NM271

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References