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Center Creek and Flat, Saturday and Wonder Creeks

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Gold, Tungsten
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10009554
MRDS ID D002597
Record type Site
Current site name Center Creek and Flat, Saturday and Wonder Creeks

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -165.39855, 64.53317 (WGS84)
Relative position 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]).
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Gold Primary
Tungsten Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Magnetite Ore
Scheelite Ore
Garnet Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Nearby scientific data

(1) -165.39855, 64.53317
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • 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.
  • Age = Quaternary.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Nome

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / 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.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS D002597
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF NM294

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    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.

  • Deposit

    Moffit, F.H., 1913, Geology of the Nome and Grand Central quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 533, 140 p.

  • Deposit

    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.

  • Deposit

    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.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Collier and others, 1908

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Shallow alluvial placer gold deposits developed in coastal plain gravels. Deep deposits were subsequently developed in the same area.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-JUL-00 Hawley, C.C. Hawley Resource Group
Reporter 10-JUL-00 Travis L. Hudson Hawley Resource Group