Myrtle Creek Mine (ARDF - WI150), Koyukuk Mining District, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Myrtle Creek Mine (ARDF - WI150)	Mine
Koyukuk Mining District	Mining District
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Myrtle Creek is a south-flowing tributary to Slate Creek. Only about the lower 1.5 mile of the creek is in the Wiseman quadrangle; the remaining portion is in the Chandalar quadrangle to the east. The mouth of Myrtle Creek is approximately 5 miles southeast of Coldfoot. Myrtle Creek reportedly has been placer mined for approximately six miles above its mouth. For this record, the location is plotted on Myrtle Creek about 0.5 mile upstream from its mouth. The location is accurate within one-half mile.
Geology: Gold was discovered in 1899 on Myrtle Creek about 2 1/2 miles above its mouth (Maddren, 1913). The most productive ground was 2 to 3 miles above the mouth (in the Chandalar quadrangle). The gold occurs in gravels in the modern channel and in bench gravels along the lower 2 to 3 miles of the creek. According to Maddren (1913), the width of the gravels in the modern channel is 100 to 300 feet . Reed (1938), however, puts the width at 30-150 feet. The gold was distributed throughout the modern stream gravels. The gravels averaged 2 to 4 feet thick but may be as much as 7 feet thick. Maddren (1913) described the gold as 'shot' or 'wheat' (sized) gold, although he speculated that much of the fine gold was not being recovered at the time. The gold was coarse, clean, and somewhat flattened (like melon seeds) and included occasional nuggets up to about 1 ounce. Smith (1942) reports recovery of a 23-ounce nugget. The gold generally is concentrated on schist bedrock and in crevices in the bedrock as much as 3 feet below the gravel/bedrock contact. Reed (1938) reports active mining in 1937 both on the modern channel and on benches. In at least two locations, Reed described the gold as both fine and flaky and coarse and well-worn. At one of these locations, a bench about 2 3/4 miles from the mouth, Reed noted that the fine and flaky gold was present throughout the gravel; coarser, worn gold (with occasional small nuggets) was on or in the top 3 feet of, bedrock. The gravel consist mainly of slabby schist with varying numbers of greenstone boulders. The bedrock is graphitic to siliceous and slate, that is cut by at least one greenstone dike ( Reed, 1938). Mining began on Myrtle Creek in 1899 (Schrader, 1900). Mining in the early days was by open cut and later by drifting, principally on the benches. Hydraulicking was begun in 1909. Nearly all evidence of the early mining had disappeared by 1937 (Reed, 1938). Mining using a dragline and bulldozers began in 1940 and continued at least into the early 1950's (Heiner and Wolff, (1968); Cobb, 1973 [B1374]). The gravels are thawed near the modern channel but frozen near the benches. Gold from three locations along the creek was 886 fine at one location and 914 fine at the other two (Reed, 1938). There was exploration activity in 1984 (Eakins and others, 1985) and development activity as late as 1992 (Swainbank and others, 1993). Myrtle Creek (in both the Wiseman and Chandalar quadrangles) has been one of the largest placer gold producers in the Koyukuk district. The following values reflect gold prices at the time of the early reports. The total production is not known but production through 1910 was estimated by Maddren (1913) to be $182,000 (about 9,000 ounces). Reed (1938) reported that at least $20,000 was mined in the early days (1900-1910?) from a short section above Kelly's Pup in one summer. Values reported by Reed (1938) ranged from $0.35 to $1.20 per square foot of bedrock. The most productive part of the stream was reported by Maddren (1913) to be at the mountain front, 2 to 3 miles above the mouth of Myrtle Creek. While the creek has been worked from the mouth up to claim No. 20 Above, the claims along the creek above No. 15 were not profitable. Mining continued sporadically from 1899 until at least 1998 (Kurtak and others, 2002). The most recent production was in 1995 (Bundtzen and others, 1996).
Workings: Mining began on Myrtle Creek in 1899 (Schrader, 1900). Mining in the early days was by open cut and later by drifting, principally on the benches. Hydraulicking was begun in 1909. Nearly all evidence of the early mining had disappeared by 1937 (Reed, 1938). Mining using a dragline and bulldozers began in 1940 and continued at least into the early 1950's (Heiner and Wolff, (1968); Cobb, 1973 [B1374]). The gravels are thawed near the modern channel but frozen near the benches. Gold from three locations along the creek was 886 fine at one location and 914 fine at the other two (Reed, 1938). There was exploration activity in 1984 (Eakins and others, 1985) and development activity as late as 1992 (Swainbank and others, 1993).
Age: Quaternary.
Production: Myrtle Creek (in both the Wiseman and Chandalar quadrangles) has been one of the largest placer gold producers in the Koyukuk district. The following values reflect gold prices at the time of the early reports. The total production is not known but production through 1910 was estimated by Maddren (1913) to be $182,000 (about 9,000 ounces). Reed (1938) reported that at least $20,000 was mined in the early days (1900-1910?) from a short section above Kelly's Pup in one summer. Values reported by Reed (1938) ranged from $0.35 to $1.20 per square foot of bedrock. The most productive part of the stream was reported by Maddren (1913) to be at the mountain front, 2 to 3 miles above the mouth of Myrtle Creek. While the creek has been worked from the mouth up to claim No. 20 Above, the claims along the creek above No. 15 were not profitable. Mining continued sporadically from 1899 until at least 1998 (Kurtak and others, 2002). The most recent production was in 1995 (Bundtzen and others, 1996).

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

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Link to USGS - Alaska:	WI150

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