Center Creek and Flat, Saturday and Wonder Creeks (ARDF #NM294) Ag, Au

Center Creek and Flat, Saturday and Wonder Creeks

Occurrence, Inactive

Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities	Ag; Au
Other commodities	W
Ore minerals	gold; magnetite; scheelite
Gangue minerals	garnet; quartz

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale	NM
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale	C-1
Latitude	64.5338
Longitude	-165.3954
Nearby scientific data	Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy	Locations on Center Creek are confused because Flat Creek and Saturday Creek were in the upper part of Center Creek and Wonder Creek was the middle part of Center Creek. The creek segments and tributaries are now difficult to locate because of extensive mining (NM251). (These drainages probably were extensions of that paralleling the northeast runway of the Nome airport.) This site is probably within one-half mile of the location for Little Creek (NM251). These deposits were included in locality 138 of Cobb (1972 [MF 463], 1978 [OFR 78-93]).

Geologic setting

Geologic description The upper parts of Center Creek, sometimes called Saturday and Wonder Creek, were developed first as shallow placer deposits in the coastal plain. The situation is as explained by Collier and others (1908, p. 168): 'Saturday Creek is the name given to the upper part of Center Creek which flows into Snake River about a mile above Nome, and Wonder Creek is the middle part of the same stream. This diversity of names is due to the fact that under the local rules . . . one claim was allowed to one man on a creek. This rule was often circumvented by changing the name of the creek at each tributary and locating a claim with each change of the name.' Saturday Creek was located and mined in about 1900. The deposit was shallow, with a 3-foot pay section underneath 2 or 3 feet of muck. Gold was bright, commonly had quartz attached, and was fairly coarse. One nugget of about 0.75 ounce was found. Concentrates contained garnet, magnetite, and some scheelite. Moffit (1913, p. 118-119) included Saturday, Wonder, and Flat Creeks as shallow coastal plain tributaries to Center Creek.
Geologic map unit	(-165.397996479028, 64.5330336418015)
Mineral deposit model	Shallow alluvial placer gold deposits developed in coastal plain gravels. Deep deposits were subsequently developed in the same area.
Age of mineralization	Quaternary.

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration	Shallow deposits were found on segments or tributaries of Center Creek in about 1900. These deposits were exploited quickly. The area was extensively mined and surface drainage changed after discovery of Third Beach near Little Creek.
Indication of production	None

References

MRDS Number	D002597
References Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Nome quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-463, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000. Cobb, E.H., 1978, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Nome quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File report 78-93, 213 p. Collier, A.J., Hess, F.L., Smith, P.S., and Brooks, A.H., 1908, The gold placers of parts of Seward Peninsula, Alaska, including the Nome, Council, Kougarok, Port Clarence, and Goodhope precincts: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 328, 343 p.; Moffit, F.H., 1913, Geology of the Nome and Grand Central quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 533, 140 p.
Reporters	C.C. Hawley and Travis L. Hudson
Last report date	7/10/2000