Tamarack Creek; Willow Gulch Mine, Ruby Mining District, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Tamarack Creek; Willow Gulch Mine	Mine
Ruby Mining District	Mining District
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Tamarack Creek is a north-flowing tributary of the Sulatna River and is approximately 5 miles long. Coordinates are given for the approximate center of placer ground, corresponding to location 29 of Cobb (1972 [MF405]). This lies in section 1, T. 16 S., R. 17 E., Kateel River Meridian. The location is accurate within a quarter mile.
Geology: The bedrock underlying Tamarack creek is pyritiferous slate-phyllite (Eberlein and others, 1977). The head of the creek flows within a quarter mile of a Tertiary volcanic body (Puchner and others, 1998). The gravels in the creek are mostly greenstone (Eberlein and others, 1977). Gold was discovered in Tamarack Creek in 1912, and mineable ground was found in 1913 (Eakin, 1914 [B592-J]). Small-scale mining began in 1913. Mining was nearly continuous from 1913 to the 1920's, and from 1933 to 1940 (Eberlein and others, 1977). The pay streak in Tamarack Creek extended for 3 miles (Eberlein and others, 1977). The ground was about 60 feet deep (Mertie and Harrington, 1916). The gold was found in the upper part of weathered bedrock and lower 3 feet of gravel. Willow Creek, a tributary of Tamarack Creek that is not named on the A-5 quadrangle, was also mined and is included in this description of Tamarack Creek (Brooks, 1915). The gold was rounded and shotty, and most pieces were worth from 10 cents to $2 (gold at $20.67 per ounce) (Mertie and Harrington, 1916). Assays show the gold ran 871 parts gold per thousand and 124 parts silver per thousand (Mertie, 1936). Cassiterite was also found with the gold (Chapin, 1919). During the early 1980's, Resource Associates of Alaska drilled along Tamarack Creek about 1 mile upstream from the location of previously worked placer ground (Jim Johnson, oral communication, 2000). A sub-economic pay streak as much as 1,000 feet wide was found.
Workings: Gold was discovered in Tamarack Creek in 1912, and mineable ground was found in 1913 (Eakin, 1914 [B592-J]). Small-scale mining began in 1913. Mining was nearly continuous from 1913 to the 1920's, and from 1933 to 1940 (Eberlein and others, 1977). During the early 1980's, Resource Associates of Alaska drilled along Tamarack Creek about 1 mile upstream from the previously worked placer ground (Jim Johnson, oral communication, 2000). A sub-economic pay streak as much as 1,000 feet wide was found.
Age: Quaternary.

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

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Link to USGS - Alaska:	RB061

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References