The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-03-16
VALDEZ PLACERS
RICH IN GOLD

There has been a great increase in
interest in the gold our of the
Conner and Susitna river basins and
the adjacent coast region during the
wear 1910. Many prospectors in the
vicinity of Valdez, Seward and the
head of Cook inlet gave their time to
search for lode deposits, but in the in
terror only placer gold received much
attention. These interior placer dis
tr;ets include the Nizina River, Slate
Creek. Valdez Creek and Yentna River
districts. The Valdez Creek district
has attracted attention recently on ac-
count of the discovery of gold bearing
~gravels that promise an extension Of
the known gold bearing area.
Valdez creek is one of the upper
tributaries of Susitno river, which
flows into Cook inlet says f. H.. Moi
fit, of the United States geological sur
vey. 1t is about fourteen miles long
and lies in the mountain thanking the
Alaska range, flowing into the Susitna
from the east. It's broad valley is
floored with gravels that are largely
the product Of glaciation. All its
ldTRtSt liiDuldIlCS IibC III Luc lIOun-
tains south Of Valdez creek. They in
and Roosevelt creek. Rusty creek and
Lucky gulch are tributaries of White
and Roosevelt creeks, respectively.
The total gold production of the VAL
dez Creek district up to 1901 is approx
imately $3.50 ,000. The most productive
part Of Valdez creek proper is in the
lower two or three miles of it's course,
and includes about one mile of the
stream. In addition to the placers of
the creek, Lucy gluch, which is about
seven miles from the main Valdez
creek camp, produces gold and has
been ~intimated, prospecting on Rusty
creek during a number of years has
given good grounds for believing that
that stream also will become a gold
producing stream. During 1910 most
Of the mining on Valdez creek was
confined to four creek claims and to
the Tammany bench claim.
There is little variation in the char
acter OF the creek gravel. 1t ranges
from three to eight feet in thickness
and consists of slate, schist and gran
lite, together with a small proportion of
light colored ~porphyritic instrusives
and dark basaltic tuffaceous ma
terial. An important characteristic of
the gravel deposits is the great por-
portion of large granite boulders.
Such boulders are difficult to handle in
the cuts and add much to the cost of
mining. The gold of Valdez creek dis
trict, differs considerably in appear
aDce. Part of it is flat and smooth,
but another part is rough and little
worn. Mush "ruby sand' and a little
"black sando is associated with it.
Old Placer Canyon.
The gold producing gravels of the
Tammany bench FIJI an old canyon
formed long before the present canyon
of Valdez creek was cut. This canyon
intersects the present canyon at an an
gle of about As degrees. Its bottom is
sixty feet above the level of the creek
so that the Monaham tunnel is at that
elevation also, thus aifording an ex-
cellent dump for the washed gravel,
and the output of the tunnel alone is
nearly half the total production of the
district.
Lucky gluch is occupied by a small
stream, little more than q mile long,
coming down from one of the noun
tains south of Valdez creek. 1t is a
narrow V-shaped gluch cut in states
that dip to the north at about the same
rate that the stream falls. A notable
feature of Lucky glueh is that a large
portion of its gold is in course nuggets
two of which weighed fifty-two ounces
and thirty-two ounces, respectively.
Owing to its situation on the north
side of the mountain, and to its small
drainage AGRA, the stream derives it's
water largely from melting snow, and
its flow in consequence at times in
adequate for use in mining.