La Cholla placers, La Cholla Mining District, Dome Rock Mountains, La Paz County, Arizona, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| La Cholla placers | Group of Placers |
| La Cholla Mining District | Mining District |
| Dome Rock Mountains | Mountain Range |
| La Paz County | County |
| Arizona | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
33° 37' 8'' North , 114° 17' 39'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Group of Placers
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| La Paz Valley | 699 (2011) | 6.7km |
| Quartzsite | 3,626 (2017) | 7.8km |
| Ehrenberg | 1,470 (2011) | 21.4km |
| Blythe | 19,208 (2017) | 28.0km |
| Brenda | 676 (2011) | 33.0km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Quartzsite Roadrunners Gem & Mineral Club | Quartzsite, Arizona | 8km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Chappo placers; Arizona Drift Mine
The placer deposits at La Cholla were known to Europeans by at least the early 1800s, well before the “official” discovery in 1862. Many sources refer to “old Spanish diggings” that were encountered by the prospectors in the 1860s. Later work suggests that these placer diggings in La Cholla, and shallow prospect shafts in the nearby Plomosa District, were excavated by French fur trappers who were overwintering in the warmer climate of Arizona. A summary of the evidence provided includes stories by native peoples of revenge killings between themselves and Europeans in the 1830s to 1840s and artefacts from France such as coins, a sword, and a mirror.
A small former surface and underground Au-Ag placer mining area some 4 or 5 miles (ca. 8 km) long and of irregular width, located in T.3N., R.20W., eastern foot of the Dome Rock Mountains, 5 miles (ca. 8 km) W of Quartzsite. Owned at times, or in part, by Grossman; Helcion Mines, Inc.; La Posa Development Co.; and, McMillan & Hendrix.
Mineralization is fine to moderately coarse-grained gold, alloyed with silver, in unsorted aggregate of subangular to slightly rounded fragments of slate, schist, and quartzite, more or less firmly cemented with calcium carbonate or siliceous cement, resting on a gently East-sloping pediment cut on tilted slate or schist. The best gold values are along channels at bedrock. The gold is particularly concentrated in the vicinity of reefs and undulations on the bedrock surface, or where boulders are present and is derived from numerous, irregular, small, auriferous quartz veins and stringers in Mesozoic metamorphics. Some gold is erratically distributed throughout the gravels. Black sand is abundant only in the shallower diggings.
Workings are mostly dry placer operations on bench gravels, and shallow underground workings from shafts with drifts on old channels on bedrock. Total estimated production from 1860 to recent times (circa 1978) would amount to some 9,500 oz. gold with 900 oz. silver, but accurate production figures are lacking.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsMineral List
5 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Carnotite Formula: K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O References: |
| ⓘ Cerussite Formula: PbCO3 References: |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS References: |
| ⓘ Galena var. Silver-bearing Galena Formula: PbS with Ag References: |
| ⓘ Native Gold Formula: Au Description: As fine to moderately coarse (pinpoint-sized to 1/8 inch diameter, or more) placer gold, alloyed with silver. References: |
| ⓘ Uraninite Formula: UO2 References: |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Native Gold | 1.AA.05 | Au |
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | var. Silver-bearing Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS with Ag |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Uraninite | 4.DL.05 | UO2 |
| ⓘ | Carnotite | 4.HB.05 | K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Cerussite | 5.AB.15 | PbCO3 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Carnotite | K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Carnotite | K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O |
| O | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Uraninite | UO2 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Galena var. Silver-bearing Galena | PbS with Ag |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Carnotite | K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O |
| V | Vanadium | |
| V | ⓘ Carnotite | K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O |
| Ag | Silver | |
| Ag | ⓘ Galena var. Silver-bearing Galena | PbS with Ag |
| Au | Gold | |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold | Au |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena var. Silver-bearing Galena | PbS with Ag |
| U | Uranium | |
| U | ⓘ Carnotite | K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O |
| U | ⓘ Uraninite | UO2 |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10102574 |
|---|---|
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10258967 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
- Sonoran DesertDesert
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mojave DomainDomain
- Southern Basin and RangeWide Rift
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