Mineral resources of the Gold Creek and Sperry Creek Wilderness Study Areas, Malheur County, Oregon

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Evans, James George Frisken, James G. Griscom, Andrew Sawatzky, Don L. Miller, M. Sammye
Copyright Year	1990
Abstract	At the request of the U.S.Bureau of Land Management, the Gold Creek (OR-003-033) and Sperry Creek (OR-003035) Wilderness Study Areas, comprising approximately 15,780 and 5,600 acres, respectively, were evaluated for mineral resources and mineral resource potential. Throughout this report, "wilderness study area" and "study area" refer to the combined 21,380 acres for which mineral surveys were requested. The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted geologic, geochemical, and geophysical surveys to assess the identified mineral resources (known) and mineral resource potential (unknown) of the study area. Field work for this report was carried out in 1987, 1988, and 1989. The study area contains more than 100,000 short tons (st) of diatomite, 80,000 st of building and decorative stone, and large amounts of basalt suitable for crushed aggregate or the production of basalt fiber. The study area also contains 865,000 yd3 of sand and gravel resources. In addition, fanglomerate, possibly suited for sand and gravel, covers 3,100 acres. Gold, optical calcite, zeolite, and perlite have been found locally in small uneconomic amounts. A geothermal energy occurrence is present. Part of the Gold Creek Wilderness Study Area has high mineral resource potential for gold, and a very small part of that has low resource potential for geothermal energy resources. The northern part of the Gold Creek Wilderness Study Area and the eastern part of the Sperry Creek Wilderness Study Area have moderate mineral resource potential for gold, silver, and mercury. The entire study area has low potential for oil and gas energy resources. Manuscript approved for publication, August 20, 1990 Character and Setting The Gold Creek and Sperry Creek Wilderness Study Areas (fig. 1) are located about 33 mi southwest of Vale, Oreg. The study area is part of the Owyhee Plateau south of the Malheur River and consists of several deep canyons cut into a broad plateau of flat uplands, low hills, and mesas. These canyons are incised as deeply as 1,400 ft into the plateau. The Malheur River, along the north side of the study area has cut down about 2,400 ft through the plateau. The study area is underlain by Miocene or older, Miocene, Pliocene, and Quaternary sedimentary, volcanic, and pyroclastic rocks and deposits (fig. 2; see "Appendixes" for geologic time chart). Numerous steep faults cut the study area. Identified Resources More than 100,000 short tons (st), of marginally economic diatomite resources were identified inside the east boundary of the study area, and at least 2,000,000 st were identified outside the eastern boundary. The study area contains 80,000 st of marginally economic building and decorative stone and large amounts of basalt suitable for crushed aggregate or production of basalt fiber. Subeconomic resources of sand and gravel total 865,000 yd', and an additional 3,100 acres within the study area are underlain by fanglomerate that may be suitable for sand and gravel production. Gold, optical calcite, zeolite, and perlite are present in the study area in small uneconomical amounts. A geothermal energy occurrence, possibly suitable for domestic space heating, is present along the north boundary of the study area. Mineral Resources of the Gold Creek and Sperry Creek Wilderness Study Areas, Malheur County, Oregon E1 Mineral Resource Potential Part of the north-central Gold Creek Wilderness Study Area has high mineral resource potential for gold, and a· small part of that area along the north boundary has low resource potential for geothermal energy. A large part of the northern Gold Creek Wilderness Study Area and the eastern part of the Sperry Creek Wilderness Study Area have moderate resource potential for gold, silver, and mercury. The entire study area has low potential for oil and gas energy resources.
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
DOI	10.3133/b1741E
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/1741e/report.pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://doi.org/10.3133/b1741E
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article