Upper Ophir Creek Mine, Council Mining District, Nome Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Upper Ophir Creek Mine	Mine
Council Mining District	Mining District
Nome Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: This is an area of placer gold mining on upper Ophir Creek (BN099). It is about 1,000 feet of the drainage just below the confluence of Ophir Creek and its northeast headwater tributary, Flat Creek. These workings start about 3.4 miles upstream of the confluence of Ophir Creek (BN099) and Crooked Creek. This is just above the section of Ophir Creek that flows through a narrow canyon-like valley. The north side of this canyon marks the southwest limit of the Late Pleistocene terminal moraine complex of the Pargon River valley. This is locality 78 of Cobb (1972; MF 417; 1975; OFR 75-429).
Geology: The Bendeleben A-4 topographic map shows placer mine workings over about 1,000 feet of the Ophir Creek just downstream from its confluence with Flat Creek. This may be the location referred to by Smith and Eakin (1911) as the bench at the head of the canyon that was being mined in 1903. This area is proximal to the Late Pleistocene terminal moraine complex of the Pargon River valley. The possible influence of outwash waters or sediments from this moraine complex on placer deposits of the Ophir Creek drainage is not known. The Ophir Creek (and Crooked Creek) placers were well developed, rich, and the product of more than one cycle of erosion and placer development. Perhaps drainage from the moraine complex did not flow down Ophir Creek.
Workings: The Bendeleben A-4 quadrangle shows placer mine workings over about 1,000 feet of the Ophir Creek just downstream from its confluence with Flat Creek.
Age: Quaternary

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

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	BN106

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References