Washington Creek Mine, Koyukuk Mining District, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Washington Creek Mine	Mine
Koyukuk Mining District	Mining District
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Washington Creek, an eastern tributary to Glacier River, originates on the south flank of Dusty Mountain. It flows flows southwest and then west to join Glacier River about 5 miles west-southwest of Vermont Dome. About 2.5 miles west-southwest of Vermont Dome, Washington Creek is joined by an unnamed, northwesterly flowing tributary that heads against the divide at the heads of Acme Creek and Montana Gulch. The center of this placer is near the mouth of this southeast, headwater tributary to Washington Creek; it is in the SW1/4 section 7, T. 31 N., R. 12 W., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The placers extend for about a mile upstream and a mile downstream. The location is accurate.
Geology: Maddren (1913) reports that gold was discovered on Washington Creek in August, 1902, and that production between 1902 and 1909 was about $5,000 (approximately 260 ounces). Maddren reports that while some coarse, smooth gold was found in the gravels of Washington Creek, the amount of gold was insufficient to encourage serious mining. Reed (1938) reports some mining in the present stream bed from 1900 to 1910, but notes that the amount of gold recovered was not sufficient to warrant continued work. Heavy equipment for mining was being moved to Washington Creek from Mascot Creek in 1982 or 1983 (Bliss and others, 1988). Shafts were sunk by early miners to prospect for high channels along the lower creek but the results are not known. Brosge and Reiser (1972) collected a stream-sediment sample from Washington Creek that contains 700 to 3000 ppm antimony. Kurtak and others (1999) collected several panned-concentrate samples from Washington Creek that contain traces of pyrite and magnetite, but no visible gold. The rocks in the area are black siltstone and phyllite (Dillon and others, 1986).
Workings: The modern stream bed was mined by hand methods, including open cuts and booming and shoveling (Reed, 1938). High channels were explored by prospect shafts and were possibly drift mined.
Age: Quaternary.
Production: Maddren (1913) reports that gold was discovered on Washington Creek in August, 1902, and that production between 1902 and 1909 was about $5,000 (approximately 260 ounces).

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

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	WI029

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References