| Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale | CH |
|---|---|
| Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale | C-5 |
| Latitude | 67.559 |
| Longitude | -149.427 |
| Nearby scientific data | Find additional scientific data near this location |
| Location and accuracy | Placer mining took place along the Bettles River from the mouth of Mule Creek to at least a half mile below the mouth of Garnet Creek. The site is plotted about a half mile below the mouth of Garnet Creek where most of the mining apparently took place. It is about 0.6 mile northwest of the center of section 31, T. 32 N., R. 8 W. |
Geologic descriptionMany of the tributaries of the Bettles River north of Bob Johnson Lake (formerly Big Lake) have been placer mined. The Bettles River itself has been mined, especially below the mouth of Garnet Creek (CH071). In 1919, three holes were sunk to bedrock on the Discovery claim about a half mile below the mouth of Garnet Creek. There was considerable drift mining and prospecting in this area by several individuals from 1927 to 1939 (Kurtak and others, 2002). Both the modern channel of the river and benches were mined. Reed (1938) reported that the gravel was 7 to 18 feet deep; the productive gravel was 4.5 feet thick; and the ground was said to have run about $0.50 per square foot of bedrock (at $35 per ounce of gold.) A 2 ounce copper nugget was found in the pay gravel. Kurtak and others (2002) panned the gravel near the mouth of Limestone and Mule Creeks; the gold they recovered was very fine. Dillon (1987) reported active placer claims. There is no record of the amount of gold that was produced along the Bettles River but there was some production from 1919 to 1938, almost all from the mouth of Mule Creek to at least a half mile below the mouth of Garnet Creek. | |
| Geologic map unit | (-149.429750863617, 67.5585933427405) |
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| Mineral deposit model | Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a). |
| Mineral deposit model number | 39a |
| Age of mineralization | Quaternary. |
| Workings or exploration | The Bettles River has been mined, especially below the mouth of Garnet Creek (CH071). In 1919, three holes were sunk to bedrock on the Discovery claim about a half mile below the mouth of Garnet Creek and there was considerable drift mining and prospecting in this area by several individuals from 1927 to 1939 (Kurtak and others, 2002). Both the modern channel of the river and benches were mined. Kurtak and others (2002) panned the gravel near the mouth of Limestone and Mule Creeks as part of their study of the mineral resources of the Koyukuk mining district. Dillon (1987) reported active placer claims in 1985 on the Bettles River near the mouths of Garnet and Mule Creeks. There is no record of the amount of gold gold that was produced along the Bettles River but there was some production from 1919 to 1938, almost all from the mouth of Mule Creek to at least a half mile below the mouth of Garnet Creek. |
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| Indication of production | Yes |
| Reserve estimates | None. |
| Production notes | There is no record of the amount of gold that was produced along the Bettles River but there was some production from 1919 to 1938, almost all from the mouth of Mule Creek to at least a half mile below the mouth of Garnet Creek. |
Additional commentsThis prospect is on Doyon Ltd. selected lands; for more information, contact Doyon Ltd., Fairbanks, Alaska. MAS No. 0020310131 | |
| MRDS Number | 10307337 |
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ReferencesKurtak, J.M., Klieforth, R.F., Clark, J.M., and Maclean, E.A., 2002, Mineral investigations in the Koyukuk mining district, northern Alaska, 2 vols.: Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Technical Report 50, 845 p.
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| Reporters | J.M. Britton (Anchorage, Alaska); D.J. Grybeck (Contractor, U.S. Geological Survey) |
| Last report date | 4/18/2010 |