Solomon River Mine (lower), Nome Mining District, Nome Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Solomon River Mine (lower)	Mine
Nome Mining District	Mining District
Nome Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Solomon River is a major drainage that flows south to its mouth on Norton Sound at Solomon. The lower part of Solomon River has been extensively dredged for a distance of 4 miles starting 2 miles above Solomon. This dredged area is between elevations of 25 and 75 feet. This is locality 101 of Cobb (1972, MF 445; 1978, OF 78-181).
Geology: Placer gold was discovered in 1899 and mining started in 1900 when about $10,000 (or 485 fine ounces) were produced (Brooks and others, 1901). Most of the active flood along this part of the river has been extensively worked by dredges starting as early as 1903 (Collier and others, 1908). Stream gravels are generally 3 to 9.5 feet thick with a maximum thickness of 30 feet, and the pay streak was several hundred to over 1,000 feet wide. Locally preserved benches had 8 to 12 feet of gravel with pay thicknesses of 1 to 4 feet over clay layers and bedrock. Gravels were well rounded and generally less than 6 to 8 inches in diameter. A dredge concentrate from about a mile below the mouth of Shovel Creek contained 22 ounces of gold and 9.1 pounds of scheelite per cubic yard (Coats, 1944). Other minerals in dredge concentrates include magnetite, ilmenite, and garnet (Smith, 1910). Dredges operated on various parts of the lower Solomon River up to as recently as 1963. Lu and others (1968) compiled reported production and determined that more than about $2,500,000 dollars, or 125,000 ounces at $20 per ounce, had been produced from the general Solomon River area. This is a minimum estimate of production. Bedrock here is part of a lower Paleozoic metasedimentary assemblage that includes a distinctive black, very fine-grained, graphitic schist (Sainsbury and others, 1972, OFR 511; Till and others, 1986).
Workings: Most of the active flood along this part of the river has been extensively worked by dredges starting as early as 1903 (Collier and others, 1908).
Age: Quaternary; the location and elevation (25 to 75 feet) of this area indicate it was affected by Quaternary sea level fluctuations.
Production: Placer gold was discovered in 1899 and mining started in 1900 when about $10,000 (or 485 fine ounces) were produced (Brooks and others, 1901). Lu and others (1968) compiled reported production and determined that more than about $2,500,000 dollars, or 125,000 ounces at $20 per ounce, had been produced from the greater Solomon River area. This is a minimum estimate of production.

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - W
Development Status: Yes; medium
Deposit Model: Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a); possibly reworked coastal plai

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	SO015

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References