North Star; Mohawk Prospect, Prince William Sound Mining District, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
North Star; Mohawk Prospect	Prospect
Prince William Sound Mining District	Mining District
Valdez-Cordova Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: This prospect is located on the north valley wall of Avery River about one mile from Port Wells. A cabin is located at an elevation of 500 feet, and the workings are at 1,350 and 1,550 feet elevation. The workings are in the SW1/4 section 31, T. 11 N., R. 8 E., of the Seward Meridian. This is location 95 of Condon and Cass (1958), location 82 of Cobb and Richter (1972), location 94 of MacKevett and Holloway (1977), location 147 of Cobb and Tysdal (1980), and location S-141 of Jansons and others (1984). This location is accurate to within a quarter of a mile.
Geology: The host rock at this prospect is sedimentary strata of the Valdez Group of Late Cretaceous age. Bedding or foliation in this area generally strikes N35E and dips 85NW. Several quartz veins are exposed at this prospect. The principal vein is in a well-developed shear zone in slate and sandstone. This vein is 1 to 3 inches thick, strikes N75E, and dips steeply north. The shear zone strikes N65E and dips 70NW (Hoekzema and Sherman 1983). In addition to quartz, the vein contains disseminated grains of galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, pyrite, and gold. The main working located is at 1,390 feet elevation and consists of a 270-foot drift driven on a quartz vein. Four samples were collected by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1980. Three chip samples contained from a trace to 0.06 ounce of gold per ton and from 0.01 to 0.10 ounce of silver per ton. A select grab sample contained 0.24 ounce of gold per ton and 0.27 ounce of silver per ton (Jansons and others, 1984). Jansons and others (1984) reported that small amounts of gold were probably removed from this deposit, but there is no record of any production.
Workings: The prospect was discovered in 1911. By 1912 or 1913, a 53-foot inclined shaft was driven. At the bottom of the shaft, two short drifts, 10 and 15 feet in length, were driven along the vein (Johnson, 1914 [B 592-G, p. 220]). Some time after 1913, a 270-foot adit was driven along the vein. Four samples were collected by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1980. Three chip samples contained from a trace to 0.06 ounce of gold per ton and from 0.01 to 0.10 ounce of silver per ton. A select grab sample contained 0.24 ounces of gold per ton and 0.27 ounces of silver per ton (Jansons and others, 1984).
Age: Cretaceous or younger; the veins are in a shear zone that cuts rocks of the Valdez Group of LateCretaceous age.
Production: According to Jansons and others (1984), small amounts of gold were probably removed from this deposit, but there is no record of any production.

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - Pb, Zn
Development Status: Undetermined.
Deposit Model: Low-sulfide Au-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)

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Link to USGS - Alaska:	SR098

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References