Mineral resources of the Camp Creek and Cottonwood Creek Wilderness Study Areas, Malheur County, Oregon

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Keith, William J. Turner, Robert E. L. Griscom, Andrew Benham, John R. Miller, Michael S.
Copyright Year	1989
Abstract	The Camp Creek (OR-003-031) and Cottonwood Creek (OR-003-032) Wilderness Study Areas are located in the Owyhee region of Malheur County, southeastern Oregon. At the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, approximately 20,310 acres of the Camp Creek (OR-003-031) and 7,700 acres of the Cottonwood Creek (OR-003-032) Wilderness Study Areas were studied. In this report, the areas studied are referred to as "the wilderness study areas," or simply "the study areas." Geological, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral surveys were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1986 to assess the identified mineral resources (known) and mineral resource potential (undiscovered) of the study areas. There are no claims or mines, current or historical, in the study areas. However, two small pits of unknown origin were found on the extreme north boundary of the Camp Creek study area. Resources of diatomite, pozzolan (siliceous material used in cement), sand and gravel, and building stone were identified, and volumes were estimated. Calcite, perlite, and metal (antimony, arsenic, barium, gold, molybdenum, and tungsten) occurrences were observed in the study areas but are too small and low grade to constitute resources. In addition, these studies indicate areas of moderate mineral resource potential for epithermal-vein-type gold and (or) silver and low mineral resource potential for diatomite in the eastern part of both study areas and moderate mineral resource potential for hot-spring-type gold throughout both study areas. There is also low mineral resource potential throughout both study areas for zeolites, building stone, and pozzolan. Both study areas have low potential for hightemperature (194 to 302 °F) geothermal resources and for oil and gas resources. Character and Setting The Camp Creek and Cottonwood Creek Wilderness Study Areas (fig. 1) are in the rugged uplands of southeastern Oregon about 50 mi west of Boise, Idaho. The topography is typical of a deeply dissected plateau and reflects the High Lava Plains physiographic subprovince in which the study areas are located. Relief in the areas is moderate, with elevations ranging from 3,360 ft at the Stringer shearing plant to about 5,320 ft southeast of Monument Peak (fig. 2). The study areas contain a nearly horizontal sequence of lava flows, pyroclastic deposits, and associated sedimentary rocks of Miocene and Pliocene age (see geologic time chart in "Appendixes"). The rocks are cut by high-angle normal faults. Identified Resources Approximately 10 million tons of inferred marginal reserves of cake diatomite exist in and near the Camp Creek study area. It is estimated that inferred marginal reserves of pozzolan consist of more than 40 million tons in the inferred reserve base1 in the Camp Creek study area and more than 10 million tons in the inferred reserve base in the Cottonwood Creek study area. Inferred marginal Manuscript approved for publication, May 10, 1989. 'The in-place part of an identified resource from which inferred reserves are estimated. Quantitative estimates are based largely on knowledge of the geologic character of a deposit for which there may be no samples or measurements. The estimates are based on an assumed continuity beyond the reserve base, for which there is geologic evidence (U.S. Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey, 1980). Camp Creek and Cottonwood Creek Wilderness Study Areas, Oregon Cl 118° 00' 44° 00' 117° 45' 1170 30'
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
DOI	10.3133/b1741C
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/1741c/report.pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://doi.org/10.3133/b1741C
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article