Metals have been mined in Colorado since the 1800s. Metals are economic minerals that are used for a wide variety of products and are also valued as collectible specimens. The early history of Colorado parallels the history of metal mining in the U.S. and is directly tied to the first significant documented discovery of gold in the summer of 1858. A party of prospectors discovered placer gold in stream gravel at what is now downtown Denver, near the confluence of the Cherry Creek and South Platte Rivers (Auraria). This discovery led to the first Colorado gold rush. Pike’s Peak or Bust was emblazoned on many of the ox-drawn wagons carrying optimistic prospectors across the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Many of the historical metal mining districts in Colorado were created during the initial gold rush of 1858-61 which lead to the discovery of other metals. For example, as summarized from RS-42 Geology and Mineral Resources of Lake County, Colorado, when the gold rush expanded throughout Colorado, mining in the Leadville District began with the discovery of placer gold in California Gulch in the early 1860s. The peak of placer mining lasted from about 1860 to 1863 and declined through 1875. During the mining of placer gold, heavy blue-black sands, recognized by some as lead carbonate, caused issues with the placer mining. Some of this lead carbonate contained silver however, the economics of the day made it difficult to ship this ore to far away smelters unless it contained an abundance of silver. As other deposits in the area were discovered around 1876, some with much higher concentrations of silver, closer new smelters including the lead-silver smelter at Georgetown were being constructed. In 1877, the ore deposits at Fryer Hill near Leadville were discovered, and the silver boom, considered one of the largest in the state, was on. Within two years, the population in Leadville went from 200 people in 1877 to a population of more than 15,000. In 1880, annual production increased to over 10 million ounces of silver and 66 million pounds of lead.
The Leadville, Colorado smelter of the American Smelting and Refining Company, December, 1942. Photo credit: Andreas Feininger.
At various times throughout its history, Colorado has been the leading U.S. producer of gold, silver, molybdenum, lead, zinc, uranium, and tungsten. Other metals that have been mined in Colorado include copper, tin, vanadium, iron, beryllium, lithium, thorium, tantalum, and manganese. Many of the ore bodies that were initially mined for one commodity included other valuable base metals. As reported in RS-42, Leadville is one of the great metal producing districts of the world and contains six types of mineral deposit systems. Through 1999, Leadville produced ~28.9 million tons of ore containing 3.3 million ounces of gold, 265 million ounces of silver, 2,354 pounds of lead, 1,936 million pounds of zinc, and 110 million pounds of copper.
Currently, as of 2020, metals mined in Colorado include gold, molybdenum, and silver. Molybdenum is primarily used to produce engineering steels (e.g. superalloys, nickel alloys, and tool steels), stainless steel, molybdenum metal and other alloys, catalysts, pigments, corrosion inhibitors, smoke suppressants, lubricants, and chemicals. In Colorado, molybdenum is mined at the Climax and Henderson mines. A majority of the 2018 primary molybdenum production in the U.S. was from these two Colorado mines that produced approximately 35 million pounds combined. In the U.S., Colorado ranked second in molybdenum production following that recovered as a byproduct of copper mining at several Arizona mines.
The largest producer of gold in Colorado is the Cripple Creek and Victor (CC&V) open pit mine located in Teller County. In 2018, Colorado was the third state in the U.S. for gold production with 360,000 ounces produced from CC&V. Smaller amounts of placer gold is recovered from sand and gravel aggregate operations along some rivers and streams including the South Platte, Arkansas, and Colorado Rivers, as well as Clear Creek. Additionally, a few small lode gold mines operated by private individuals or small groups likely produce small tonnages of high-grade gold and silver ore.
Currently, the majority of metals mined in Colorado include gold, molybdenum, and minor amounts of silver that are recovered during gold mining. Colorado has historically produced gold, silver, molybdenum, zinc, copper, lead, and other metals. Some of these metals are discussed below. Metal occurrences and historic metal mines are common in Colorado. The CGS publication MS-28 Location Map and Descriptions of Metal Occurrences in Colorado with Notes on Economic Potential provides descriptions of metal occurrences and a map showing the general location of these deposits in Colorado. More about historic metal mining by mining district is reported in ON-007-08 Historic Metal Mining Districts of Colorado that includes a data download and an online map. These publications give a summary of the historic mining activities as well as a list of references about the geology of each district or area.
Gold
Gold deposit locations and types in Colorado are widespread and diverse. The CGS publication RS-28 Gold Occurrences of Colorado provides a database of gold occurrences, a map showing the locations, and a geologic summary of each deposit type in Colorado. Also, the CGS RockTalk: Gold in Colorado provides an excellent summary of gold in Colorado. The largest gold mining area in the state in terms of production is the Cripple Creek mining district located in Teller County. This area is still being mined today with 2019 gold production from the Cripple Creek and Victor Mine (CC&V) at ~322,000 ounces. Historically producing gold districts in Colorado that once produced over ~1 million troy ounces of gold include the Cripple Creek district in Teller County, Central City district in Gilpin County, Telluride district in San Miguel County, Leadville district in Lake County, Sneffels district in Ouray County, Silverton district in San Juan County, and Breckenridge district in Summit County. Other important mining districts in the state that historically produced over ~500,000 troy ounces of gold include the Idaho Springs district in Clear Creek county, Summitville district in Rio Grande County, and Empire district in Clear Creek County. The Gilman district in Eagle County also produced ~400,000 troy ounces of gold primarily as a byproduct of zinc mining.
Molybdenum
Molybdenum is found in many areas of the state, occurring as the sulfide mineral, molybdenite. As discussed in MS-28 Location Map and Descriptions of Metal Occurrences in Colorado, molybdenite was recognized as an ore of molybdenum early on in the state’s mining history but the commodity did not become important until World War I. At that time, in 1917, the world-class Climax deposit located on Fremont Pass, Lake and Summit counties, was brought on line. Climax is one of the largest, if not the largest, known deposits of primary molybdenum ore in the world. At its height of production during World War II, Climax supplied 80 percent of the world’s demand for this steel hardening alloy metal. The CGS RockTalk: Molybdenum in Colorado provides an excellent summary about the history and geology of molybdenum in Colorado.
Today, the Climax and Henderson mine in Colorado are primarily molybdenum mines. In 2019, the Climax and Henderson mines produced 12 and 17 million pounds of molybdenum, respectively. These deposits are complex and are known as Climax-type porphyry molybdenum deposits. Climax-type porphyry deposits are only currently known in western North America. Of the thirteen known deposits of this type, six occur in Colorado and are known as the Climax, Henderson, Mt. Emmons, Silver Creek, Urad, and Redwell Basin deposits. Other metals may be associated with these deposits. Fox example, the Climax Mine historically produced tungsten as a byproduct of molybdenum mining and was the leading tungsten producer in the U.S. for several years.
Silver, Lead, Zinc, and Copper
Several mining districts in Colorado produced gold and silver as well as the base metals (common metals not considered precious) lead, zinc, and copper. Currently, silver is produced as a byproduct of gold mining at CC&V. Some of the larger mining districts associated with silver and base metals, as well as gold, include Leadville, Gilman, Kokomo, and Aspen. Total production from these four districts is estimated as follows: ~502 million ounces of silver, ~1.8 million short tons of zinc, ~1.7 million short tons of lead, ~160,000 short tons of copper, and ~3.6 million ounces of gold. About half of the gold and silver production was from Leadville with most of the gold being produced from the placer deposits in California Gulch (Thompson, 2017).
Through 1999, the Leadville district in Lake County has produced ~28.9 million tons of ore with about 3.3 million ounces of gold, 265 million ounces of silver, 1.18 million short tons of lead, 968,000 short tons of zinc, and 55,000 short tons of copper. The Gilman district, which includes the historic Eagle Mine in Eagle County, produced several metals. Between 1880 and 1972, over 99% of Eagle County production came from the Gilman district including: ~858,000 short tons of zinc, ~148,000 short tons of lead, ~105,000 short tons of copper, ~66 million ounces of silver, and ~393,000 ounces of gold. Up until about 1952, the Aspen district produced about 111 million ounces of silver, 294,000 short tons of lead, and 11,000 short tons of zinc.
Other Metals
Other minerals that have been mined in the past or show some promise in Colorado include barite, beryllium, bismuth, lithium, manganese, niobium-tantalum, REEs, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, and vanadium. Some of these materials were produced in greater quantities in Colorado than others including uranium, vanadium, and tungsten. For example, the Uravan mineral belt located in western Colorado has produced large quantities of uranium and vanadium. This area accounted for about 77% of the total uranium production in the state. The Uravan mineral belt produced almost 14 million tons of ore averaging 0.24 percent triuranium octoxide (U3O8) and over 356 million pounds of vanadium oxide. The Schwartzwalder Mine located in Jefferson County was largest single uranium mine in Colorado and produced 10.5 million pounds of U3O8 by 1978.
In the past, Boulder County produced tungsten from areas near Nederland and Ward. The Boulder County mining district produced small quantities up until the late 1950s with most of the ore from the district being produced from the early 1900s to 1918 followed by declining production thru the 1950s. Tungsten was last produced in 1986 as a byproduct of molybdenum mining at the Climax Mine in Lake County.
Our historic RockTalk publications provide comprehensive overviews of the mining history and geology of gold, molybdenum, and uranium deposits in Colorado.
Cappa, James A., H. Thomas Hemborg, and Rachel Coursey. “OF-01-06 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Grand and Summit Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, January 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-grand-summit-cslb.
Cappa, James A., H. Thomas Hemborg, John W. Keller, and Rachel Coursey. “OF-00-19 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Boulder, Jefferson, Clear Creek, and Gilpin Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2000. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-boulder-jefferson-clear-creek-gilpin-cslb.
Cappa, James A., and John W. Keller. “OF-00-08 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Teller County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2000. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-teller-cslb.
Cappa, James A., Nicole V. Koenig, and Rachel Coursey. “OF-01-15 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Jackson County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, July 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-jackson-cslb.
Cappa, James A., Nicole V. Koenig, and Rachel E. Garrison. “OF-01-21 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Larimer County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, December 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-larimer-cslb.
Cappa, James A., and Harry TerBest. “OF-02-23 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Weld County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, December 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-weld-cslb.
Cappa, James A., Harry TerBest, and Nicole V. Koenig. “OF-03-11 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Adams, Arapahoe, and Denver Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, April 2003. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-adams-arapahoe-denver-cslb.
Cappa, James A., Beth Widmann, Christopher J. Carroll, John W. Keller, and Genevieve Young. “IS-69 Colorado Mineral and Mineral Fuel Activity, 2003.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Information Series. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2003. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/colorado-minerals-fuel-activity-2003.
Cappa, James A., Genevieve Young, John W. Keller, Christopher J. Carroll, and Beth Widmann. “IS-70 Colorado Mineral and Mineral Fuel Activity, 2004.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Information Series. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2005. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/colorado-minerals-fuel-activity-2004.
Carroll, Christopher J., James A. Cappa, John W. Keller, Beth Widmann, L. L. Wray, and Thomas J. Hyde. “IS-63 Colorado Mineral and Mineral Fuel Activity, 2001.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Information Series. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/colorado-minerals-fuel-activity-2001.
Colorado Geological Survey. “OF-73-01 Geology and Mineral Resources of LAVCOG Planning District 6: Surficial Deposits; Groundwater Resources; Oil & Gas Fields and Major Geologic Features; and Mineral Resources.” Mineral Resources. Open File Reports. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Department of Natural Resources, 1973. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/geology-mineral-resources-planning-district-6.
Colorado Geological Survey. “RockTalk V04N2, April 2001 – Mining and the Environment.” RockTalk, April 2001.
———. “RockTalk V04N3, July 2001 – Molybdenum in Colorado.” RockTalk, July 2001.
———. “RockTalk V05N3, July 2002 – Industrial Minerals in Colorado.” RockTalk, July 2002.
———. “RockTalk V06N2, April 2003 – Gold in Colorado.” RockTalk, April 2003.
———. “RockTalk V09N2, Fall 2006 – Uranium – It’s Hot!!” RockTalk, Fall 2006.
Hemborg, H. Thomas, and John W. Keller. “OF-00-14 Preliminary Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of the 68 Tracts of State Trust Land Nominated by the Public for Inclusion in the Stewardship Trust (Round 2).” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, May 2000. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-68-tracts-cslb.
Hemborg, H. Thomas, Harry Terbest, L. Alex Scarbrough, Jr., and Rachel Coursey. “OF-00-07 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Kit Carson County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, June 2000. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-kit-carson-cslb.
Hemborg, H. Thomas, Harry Terbest, L. Alex Scarbrough, Jr., Laura Wray, and Rachel Coursey. “OF-01-07 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Cheyenne County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, May 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-cheyenne-cslb.
Hudson, Travis, Frederick D. Fox, and Geoffrey S. Plumlee. MI-68 Metal Mining and the Environment. AGI Environmental Awareness Series 3. Alexandria, VA: American Geological Institute, 1999.
Kappele, William A, and W. R. C. Shedenhelm. MI-52 Rockhounding Colorado. Helena, MT: Falcon Pub., 1999.
Keller, John W., James A. Cappa, Christopher J. Carroll, and Phyllis K. Scott. “IS-67 Colorado Mineral and Mineral Fuel Activity, 2002.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Information Series. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/colorado-minerals-fuel-activity-2002.
Keller, John W., and H. Thomas Hemborg. “OF-00-11 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Saguache County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2000. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-saguache-cslb.
Keller, John W., H. Thomas Hemborg, and James A. Cappa. “OF-00-06 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Chaffee, Gunnison, Lake, and Pitkin Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, March 2000. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-chaffee-gunnison-lake-pitkin-cslb.
Keller, John W., Randal C. Phillips, and Karen S. Morgan. “IS-62 Digital Inventory of Industrial Mineral Mines and Mine Permit Locations in Colorado.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Information Series. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/inventory-industrial-mineral-mine-permit-colorado.
Keller, John W., and Harry Terbest. “OF-01-10 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Custer and Huerfano Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, September 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-huerfano-custer-cslb.
Keller, John W., and Harry Terbest. “OF-02-22 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Pueblo County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, August 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-pueblo-cslb.
———. “OF-03-07 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of El Paso County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, February 2003. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-el-paso-cslb.
———. “OF-03-10 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Douglas and Elbert Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2003. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-douglas-elbert-cslb.
Keller, John W., Harry Terbest, H. Thomas Hemborg, and Melissa Crane. “OF-00-05 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Fremont County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, January 2000. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-fremont-cslb.
Keller, John W., and Laura Wray. “OF-00-15 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Alamosa, Conejos, and Rio Grande Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, December 2000. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-alamosa-conejos-rio-grande-cslb.
Koenig, Nicole V. “OF-02-09 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Morgan County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-morgan-cslb.
———. “OF-02-10 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Logan County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, April 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-logan-cslb.
Koenig, Nicole V., L. Alex Scarbrough, Jr., Harry Terbest, and Rachel E. Garrison. “OF-01-19 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Prowers County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, October 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-prowers-cslb.
———. “OF-02-11 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Bent County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, March 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-bent-cslb.
Koenig, Nicole V., Harry Terbest, and L. Alex Scarbrough, Jr. “OF-03-05 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Crowley and Otero Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, February 2003. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-crowley-otero-cslb.
Lynch, Dan R., and Bob Lynch. MI-93 Colorado Rocks and Minerals: A Field Guide to the Centennial State. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications, 2010.
May, David J., and James A. Cappa. “OF-02-14 Evaluation of Mineral Fuel Potential of Washington County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-washington-cslb.
Myers, D. A., J. A. Sharps, D. Keith Murray, D. C. Jones, and Richard H. Pearl. “MI-13 Energy Resources Map of Colorado.” Energy Resources. Miscellaneous Investigations. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Department of Natural Resources and the US Geological Survey, 1977. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/energy-resources-colorado.
Patton, Horace B., Charles E. Smith, G. Montague Butler, and Arthur J. Hoskin. “Bulletin 02 – Geology of the Grayback Mining District, Costilla County, Colorado.” Geology and Mineral Resources. Bulletin. Boulder, CO: Colorado State Geological Survey, 1910. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/geology-grayback-mining-costilla.
Streufert, Randall K., Wynn Eakins, and H. Thomas Hemborg. “RS-37 Geology and Mineral Resources of Gunnison County.” Geology and Mineral Resources. Resource Series. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 1999. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/geology-mineral-resources-gunnison-colorado.
Voynick, Stephen M. MI-45 Colorado Rockhounding: A Guide to Minerals, Gemstones, and Fossils. Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1994.
Wallace, C.A., John W. Keller, James P. McCalpin, Paul J. Bartos, E. E. Route, Natalie N. Jones, Francisco Gutierrez, Cindy L. Williams, and Matthew L. Morgan. “OF-02-07 Geologic Map of the Breckenridge Quadrangle, Summit and Park Counties, Colorado.” Geologic, 1:24,000. Open File Reports. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2003. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/geologic-map-breckenridge-quadrangle-summit-park-colorado.
Widmann, Beth L., Matthew L. Morgan, Paul J. Bartos, Kenneth C. Shaver, Francisco Gutiérrez, and Andrew Lockman. “OF-02-03 Geologic Map of the Keystone Quadrangle, Summit County, Colorado.” Geologic, 1:24,000. Open File Reports. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/geologic-map-keystone-quadrangle-summit-colorado.
Widmann, Beth L., L. Alex Scarbrough, Jr., Sean P. Gaffney, Harry Terbest, and James A. Cappa. “OF-03-12 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Baca County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, March 2003. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-baca-cslb.
Widmann, Beth L., and Harry Terbest. “OF-02-18 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Delta, Mesa, Ouray, Rio Blanco, and San Miguel Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, July 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-rio-blanco-delta-mesa-san-miguel-ouray-cslb.
———. “OF-02-19 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Eagle and Routt Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, October 2002. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-routt-eagle-cslb.
———. “OF-03-01 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Lincoln County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, May 2003. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-lincoln-cslb.
———. “OF-03-03 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Las Animas County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, January 2003. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-las-animas-cslb.
Widmann, Beth L., Laura Wray, and Rachel E. Garrison. “OF-01-18 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Montezuma and Dolores Counties State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, August 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-montezuma-dolores-cslb.
Wray, L. L., Christopher J. Carroll, John W. Keller, and James A. Cappa. “IS-59 Colorado Mineral and Mineral Fuel Activity, 2000.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Information Series. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/colorado-minerals-fuel-activity-2000.
Wray, Laura, John W. Keller, Harry TerBest, L. Alex Scarbrough, Jr., and Rachel Coursey. “OF-01-09 Evaluation of Mineral and Mineral Fuel Potential of Kiowa County State Mineral Lands Administered by the Colorado State Land Board.” Mineral and Mineral Fuel. Open File Report. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, April 2001. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/evaluation-mineral-fuel-potential-kiowa-cslb.
RS-28 Gold Occurrences of Colorado — Provides a listing of gold occurrences in the state, a location map, and a geologic summary of the types of gold deposits.
U.S. Geological Survey — For more on Climax-type porphyry molybdenum deposits see Open-File Report 2009-1215. Also, more information on mineral deposit models is included here. Also, the USMIN project includes many publications with GIS downloads showing the locations and characteristics of select metal deposits in the U.S. including Colorado. The CGS reviews and comments on some of these publications prior to their release. The main publications can be found here.
Russell L. and Lyn Wood Mining History Archive (at the Arthur Lakes Library, Colorado School of Mines) — established in 1995 through the generous donations of former Mines Board of Trustees member Russell L. Wood and his wife Lyn, the archive supports research on the history of mining, with emphasis on Colorado and the US West.
Colorado is home to several world-class molybdenum deposits including the alkaline felsic intrusive deposits of the Climax Mine—once the largest moly mine in the world—in Lake County, Colorado, July 2010. Photo credit: Vince Matthews for the CGS.
Surface operations at the Climax molybdenum mine, Lake County, Colorado, 2009. Photo credit: Vince Matthews for the CGS.
Theresa Mine headframe and ore bin, Cripple Creek, Colorado, August 2011. Photo credit: Vince Matthews for the CGS.
Placer gold mining dredge on the South Platte River near Fairplay, Colorado, November 1939. Photo credit: Jay Higgins.
Shaft house and works, Wolftone (zinc) mine, Leadville, Lake County, Colorado, 1908. Photo credit: J.D. Irving.
Gold; 9.5 cm tall, from the Little Jonny (Ibex) Mine, Leadville, Lake County, Colorado, USA, in the National Mining Hall of Fame Museum collection. Photo credit: Mark Mauthner.