Round Mountain Placers, Round Mountain, Round Mountain Mining District, Toquima Range, Nye County, Nevada, USAi

Regional Level Types
Round Mountain Placers	Placer
Round Mountain	Mountain
Round Mountain Mining District	Mining District
Toquima Range	Mountain Range
Nye County	County
Nevada	State
USA	Country

Alteration: There has been very little enrichment by oxidation, as the gravels have not been transported much distance.

Commodity: Ore Materials: native gold Gangue Materials: magnetite, scheelite

Deposit: The deposit is a blanket of erosional material derived from primary veins and stringer zones in the Round Mountain lode gold deposit. Gold is distributed throughout the gravels, but the best values were found on bedrock. Gravels are about 30 feet thick on Round Mountain, thickening to more than 200 feet thick in the valley less than a mile west. The gold is coarse and angular. MAIN PLACER PITS FLANK THE ALLUVIAL/RHYOLITE BEDROCK CONTACT AREA ON WEST AND NORTH SIDES OF ROUND MTN, MOSTLY IN SE1/4 SEC. 19, T. 10 N., R. 44 E. FROM 1946 TO 1960 MATERIAL WAS HAULED BY CONVEYORS TO A STATIONARY WASH PLANT IN SE1/4, SEC. 24, T. 10 N., R. 43 E AND THE TAILINGS WERE STACKED INTO TWO LARGE ELONGATE TAILINGS PILES IMMEDIATELY NORTH AND NORTHWEST OF THE PLANT. ONLY THE DUMPS ARE VISIBLE IN 1994. SEE ROUND MOUNTAIN MINE 0320230149 FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON THIS PROPERTY. ALSO SEE MINES & RESPONDENT ID 2600594, MINERAL PROPERTY FILE 30.21. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT INTEREST IN THIS PART OF THE TOQUIMA RANGE ARE ADMINISTERED AS TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST.

Deposit type: Placer Au-PGE

Development: The first placering in the district was done by dry-washing. From 1906 to 1915 all work was done by lessees. In 1907, Round Mountain Hydraulic Company was organized and pumped in water from Jefferson and Shoshone creeks. In 1914, Round Mountain Mining Co constructed a pipeline from Jett Canyon and began hydraulic operations. Placering continued with varying degrees of intensity, until 1940. It was reactivated in 1950 by Round Mountain Gold Dredging Co. which used large-scale dredging and draglines to mine in 1950-1952 and 1958-1959, operating as one of the largest and most productive placer operations in the history of dry placer mining in the southwestern US, producing about 145,000 ounces of gold. Small scale placering resumed from 1960 through 1968, and from 1970 to 1972, Copper Range Exploration Company and Ordrich Gold Reserves Company renewed exploration of both the lode and placer prospects in the district. These have been the state's most productive placer deposits in the 20th century.

Ore(s): The richest gravels are localized just above bedrock.

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Link to USGS MRDS:	10310363

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