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^%0h^^ BLM..trary ^

D-553A, Building 50 < ^cf y

Denver Federal Center
P. 0. Box 25047
Denver, CO 80225-0047

NEW YORK BUTTE G-E-M

RESOURCES AREA

(GRA NO. CA-10)

TECHNICAL REPORT

(WSAs CA 010-055 and 010-056)

Contract YA-553-RFP2-1054

Prepared By

Great Basin GEM Joint Venture
251 Ralston Street
Reno, Nevada 89503

For

Bureau of Land Management
Denver Service Center
Building 50, Mailroora
Denver Federal Center
Denver, Colorado 80225

Final Report
April 22, 1983

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

I . INTRODUCTION 3

II. GEOLOGY 10

1 . PHYSIOGRAPHY 10

2. ROCK UNITS 10

3 . STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY AND TECTONICS H

4. PALEONTOLOGY 12

5 . HISTORICAL GEOLOGY 12

III . ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES 14

A. METALLIC MINERAL RESOURCES 14

1 . Known Mineral Deposits 14

2. Known Prospects, Mineral Occurrences and
Mineralized Areas 18

3 . Mining Claims 19

4. Mineral Deposit Types 19

5. Mineral Economics 20

B. NONMETALLIC MINERAL RESOURCES 22

1 . Known Mineral Deposits 22

2. Known Prospects, Mineral Occurrences and
Mineralized Areas 23

3. Mining Claims, Leases and Material Sites 23

4. Mineral Deposit Types 23

5. Mineral Economics 24

Table of Contents cont .

Page

C . ENERGY RESOURCES 2 5

Uranium and Thorium Resources 25

1. Known Mineral Deposits 25

2. Known Prospects, Mineral Occurrences and
Mineralized Areas 25

3 . Mining Claims 25

4. Mineral Deposit Types 26

5 . Mineral Economics 2 6

Oil and Gas Resources 27

Geothermal Resources 27

1 . Known Geothermal Deposits 27

2. Known Prospects, Geothermal Occurrences, and
Geothermal Areas 27

3. Geothermal Leases 28

4. Geothermal Deposit Types 28

5. Geothermal Economics 28

D. OTHER GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES 29

E. STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS AND METALS 29

IV. LAND CLASSIFICATION FOR G-E-M RESOURCES POTENTIAL ... 30

1 . LOCATABLE RESOURCES 31

a . Metallic Minerals 31

b . Uranium and Thorium 33

c. Nonmetallic Minerals 34

•

Table of Contents cont.

% Page

2 . LEASABLE RESOURCES 3 5

a. Oil and Gas 35

b . Geo thermal 35

c. Sodium and Potassium 36

3 . SALEABLE RESOURCES 3 6

V. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL WORK 37

VI . REFERENCES AND SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 38

•

Table of Contents cont.

Page

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1 Index Map of Region 3 showing the

Location of the GRA 5

Figure 2 Topographic map of GRA, scale 1:250,000 6

Figure 3 Geologic map of GRA, scale 1:250,000 7

ATTACHMENTS
(At End of Report)

CLAIM AND LEASE MAPS

Patented/Unpatented

Geothermal

% MINERAL OCCURRENCE AND LAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS (Attached)

Metallic Minerals
Uranium and Thorium
Nonmetallic Minerals
Geothermal

LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE SCHEME

CLASSIFICATION SCHEME

MAJOR STRATIGRAPHIC AND TIME DIVISIONS IN USE BY THE U.S.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The New York Butte GRA covers much of the southern Inyo Mountains,
east of Lone Pine in Inyo County, California. There are two WSAs
in the GRA: CA 010-055 and CA 010-056.

The rocks of the GRA are mostly Paleozoic sediments (200 to 500
million years old) that have been intruded by small quartz
monzonite stocks (about 200 million years old) in the WSAs
although to the north there are large intrusive bodies of similar
composition. All mineralization in the GRA is considered to be
related to these intrusive bodies.

The principal mining district within the GRA, Cerro Gordo, is just
east of the south end of WSA CA 010-055; it produced silver, lead
and zinc, mostly in the late 1800s. The Bonham talc deposits,
which were highly productive in the past, also lie just east of
WSA CA 010-055. Along the west boundary of WSA CA 010-055,
outside it, substantial production of limestone and dolomite has
been made in the past; none of the quarries are operating
presently. The Burgess mine in WSA CA 010-056 has produced an
unknown amount of gold, and the Monte Carlo mine in the same WSA
has produced some silver and lead. Several smaller mines in both
WSAs have probably had limited production, mostly of silver and
lead. Silver and lead are both strategic metals.

During a two-day field verification, by helicopter, most of the
mines and prospects in the WSAs were examined and sampled; assay
data from the samples is not yet available.

Three patented claims may be within WSA CA 010-055; they plot
about on the WSA boundary. The southern half of WSA CA 010-055 is
apparently almost completely covered with unpatented claims.
There are many unpatented claims in WSA CA 010-056, mostly near
the west edge but some scattered within the main body of the WSA,
and a few in the vicinity of the Burgess mine. There are no oil
and gas or sodium and potassium leases in the WSAs. There are
geothermal leases a short distance west of the WSAs but none
within them. There are no known material sites in the WSAs.

WSA CA 010-055 has two very small areas classified as highly
favorable for metallic minerals with moderate confidence, and two
larger areas classified as having low favorability for metals with
low confidence; most of the WSA is classified as having no known
favorability for metallic minerals with a low level of confidence.
Virtually all of the WSA has moderate favorability for uranium
with a moderate level of confidence; it has very low favorability
for thorium with a low level of confidence. About one-fourth of
the WSA has moderate favorability for lime or cement production,
with a moderate level of confidence, while the remainder has low
favorability for nonmetallic minerals with a low level of
confidence. There is no known favorability for oil and gas, coal,
oil shale, tar sands or sodium and potassium. The west edge of

the WSA has high favorability with high confidence for geothermal
resources, while the remainder of the WSA has low favorability
with a low level of confidence.

WSA CA 010-056 has two areas of several square miles with high
favorability for metallic minerals and high to moderate
confidence, and another very small area with high favorability and
moderate confidence. Another area of several square miles has
moderate favorability for metals with high confidence. Three
areas totalling about one-third of the WSA have low favorability
for metals, with low levels of confidence, while the remainder of
the WSA, nearly two-thirds of it, has very low favorability for
metals with low levels of confidence. Most of the WSA has
moderate favorability for uranium, with a moderate level of
confidence, but parts of the western edge have low favorability
with low confidence. It has very low favorability for thorium,
with low confidence. Two small areas have high to moderate
favorability for beryl, with moderate confidence, and the
southwestern edge has moderate favorability for lime or cement
with moderate confidence. The remainder of the WSA has low
favorability for nonmetallic minerals, with a low level of
confidence. There is no known favorability for oil and gas, coal,
oil shale, tar sands, or sodium and potassium. Parts of the
western edge of the WSA have moderate favorability for geothermal
resources with moderate confidence, while the remainder has low
favorability with a low level of confidence.

The principal recommendations for further work are that an effort
should be made to acquire existing but unpublished geological
mapping in the New York Butte quadrangle, and that the quadrangle
be mapped to present-day U. S. Geological Survey standards,
including alteration.

I. INTRODUCTION

The New York Butte G-E-M Resources Area (GRA No. CA-10) covers
approximately 157,000 acres (637 sq km) and includes the following
Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs):

WSA Name WSA Number

Cerro Gordo 010-055

Southern Inyo 010-056

The GRA is located in California in the Bureau of Land
Management's (BLM) Bishop Resource Area, Bakersfield district.
Figure 1 is an index map showing the location of the GRA. The
area encompassed by the GRA is near 36°40' north latitude, 118
west longitude and includes the following townships:

T 13 S, R 36,37 E T 15 S, R 36-38 E

T 14 S, R 36,37 E T 16 S, R 37-39 E

The areas of the WSAs are on the following U. S. Geological Survey
topographic maps :

15-minute:

Lone Pine New York Butte

Independence

The nearest town is Lone Pine which is located west of the GRA on
U. S. Highway 395. Access to the area is via U. S. Highway 395 to
the west and State Highways 190 and 136 to the southwest of the
GRA. Access within the area is on Highway 190 adjacent to the
Southern Pacific Railroad and Swansea Road and Cerro Gordo Road at
the south end, both of which provide access to the southern part
of the GRA. Most of the GRA is not accessible to vehicles.

Figure 2 outlines the boundaries of the GRA and the WSAs on a
topographic base at a scale of 1:250,000.

Figure 3 is a geologic map of the GRA and vicinity, also at
1:250,000. At the end of the report, following the Land
Classification Maps, is a geologic time scale showing the various
geologic eras, periods and epochs by name as they are used in the
text, with the corresponding age in years. This is so that the
reader who is not familiar with geologic time subdivisions will
have a comprehensive reference for the geochronology of events.

This GRA Report is one of fifty-five reports on the Geology-

A Emergy-Minerals potential of Wilderness Study Areas in the Basin

and Range Province, prepared for the Bureau of Land Management by
the Great Basin GEM Joint Venture.

The principals of the Venture are Arthur Baker III, G. Martin
Booth III, and Dennis P. Bryan. The study is principally a
literature search supplemented by information provided by claim
owners, other individuals with knowledge of some areas, and both
specific and general experience of the authors. Brief field
verification work was conducted on approximately 25 percent of the
WSAs covered by the study.

The WSAs in this GRA were field checked.

One original copy of background data specifically applicable to
this GEM Resource Area Report has been provided to the BLM as the
GRA File. In the GRA File are items such as letters from or notes
on telephone conversations with claim owners in the GRA or the
WSA, plots of areas of Land Classification for Mineral Resources
on maps at larger scale than those that accompany this report if
such were made, original compilations of mining claim
distribution, any copies of journal articles or other documents
that were acquired during the research, and other notes as are
deemed applicable by the authors.

^ As a part of the contract that resulted in this report, a

background document was also written: Geological Environments of
Energy and Mineral Resources. A copy of this document is included
with the GRA File to this GRA report. There are some geological
environments that are known to be favorable for certain kidns of
mineral deposits, while other environments are known to be much
less favorable. In many instances conclusions as to the
favorability of areas for the accumulation of mineral resources,
drawn in these GRA Reports, have been influenced by the geology of
the areas, regardless of whether occurrences of valuable minerals
are known to be present. This document is provided to give the
reader some understanding of at least the most important aspects
of goelogical environments that were in the minds of the authors
when they wrote these reports.

Figure 1. GRA Index Map of Region 3 1:3,168,000,

Fresno and Death Valley Sheets

New York Butte GRA CA-10
Figure 2

Fresno Sheet, Mathews and Burnett (1965);
Death Valley Sheet, Streitz and Stinson (1974)

New York Butte GRA CA-10
Figure 3

EXPLANATION

SEDIMENTARY AND METASEDIMENTARY ROCKS
I Qs Dune sand

IGNEOUS AND META-IGNEOUS ROCKS

Alluvium

Stream channel
deposits

Fan deposits

• Ow

Recent volcanic: Orv' — rhyolite;
Crv° — andesite; Grvb —basalt:
Orv» —pyroclastic rocks

Ot Basin deposits

Qsr Salt deposits

Quaternary lake deposits
Glacial deposits

Quaternary nonmarine
terrace deposits

Pleistocene marine and
marine terrace deposits

I Oc Pleistocene nonmarine

•Qov

qp Plio-Pleistocene nonmarine

Pleistocene volcanic: Opv —rhyolite:
Qpv" -andesite; Cpv- —basalt;
Opv" —pyroclastic rocks

Quaternary and/or Pliocene
cinder cones

| Pc I Undivided PI

locene nonmarine

Puc Upper Pliocene nonmarine

Pu Upper Pliocene marine

Pliocene volcanic: pv' -rhyolite;
Pv° — andesite; p D —basalt;
Pvo —pyroclastic rocks

Middle and/or lower Pliocene
nonmarine

Middle and/or lower Pliocene marine

x
<

Mc Undivided Miocene nonmarine

Muc I Upper Miocene nonmarine

Mu Upper Miocene marine

"T-" — 1 Miocene volcanic: Mv' —rhyolite;

Mv v. ° -andesite; Mv"— basalt;

' '■"• -j Mv" —pyroclastic rocks

Mmc Middle Miocene nonmarine

Mm Middle Miocene marine

Lower Miocene marine
Oligocene nonmarine
Oligocene marine

. . • • ; . ] Olit;ocene volcanic: 0v' — rhyolite;
■ Bv . 1 Ov" —andesite : OvB —basalt;
— ' • * *l ©v0 — pyroclastic rocks

Ec I Eocene nonmarine

I I

Eocene marine

Eocene volcanic: Ev' —rhyolite;
Ev° -andesite: Ev" -basalt;
Ev°— pyroclastic rockf

Epc Paleocene nonmarine

E>>

Paleocene marine

E? Paleocene marine

Cenozoic nonmarme

I Tc Tertiary nonmarme

. Tertiary lake deposits

Tm ; Tertiary marine

EXPLANATION CONT.

Cenozoic volcanic: qt.' -rhyolite;
QTv°— andesite: otv'' —basalt;
0TVD — pyroclastic rocks

Tertiary cranitic- rocks

Tertiary intrusive (hypabyssali
rocks: Ti' -rhyolite; T.a -andesite;
T.° -basalt

Tertiary volcanic: TV —rhyolite;
Tv° —andesite; Tv6 —basalt;
Tv° —pyroclastic rocks

oJ <

[

Undivided Cretaceous marine

Upper Cretaceous
marine

Lower Cretaceous
marine

Knoxville Formation

Upper Jurassic
marine

Middle and/or Lower
Jurassic marine

Triassic marine

Pre-Cretaceous metamorphic
rocks (Is =• limestone or dolomite)

Pre-Cretaceous metasedimentary
rocks

I Paleozoic marine
ls I (Is = limestone or dolomite

pSs

Permian marine

Undivided Carboniferous marine

Pennsylvanian marine

Mississippian marine

Devonian marine

Silurian marine

Pre-Silurian meta-
sedimentary rocks

Ordovician marine

Cambrian marine

Cambrian - Precambrian marine

Undivided Precambrian
metamorphic rocks
cCg = gneiss, oCs = schist

Later Precambrian sedimentary
and metamorphic rocks

Earlier Precambrian metamorphic
roci;s -

Jfc*.

Franciscan volcanic and
metavolcamc rocks

Mesozoic uranitic rocks: 9' -granite
and adamellitt,:9,'-(£ranotlioritt';
v ' -tonalite and dioritc

Mesozoic basic intrusive
rocks

Mesozoic ultrabasic
intrusive rocks

Jura-Trias metavolcanic rocks

Pre-Cretaceous metavolcanic
rocks

qr-m I Pre-Cenozoic granitic and
I metamorphic rocks

Paleozoic metavolcanic rocks

Permian metavolcanic rocks

Carboniferous metavolcanic rocks

Devonian metavolcanic rocks

Devonian and pre- Devonian?
j metavolcanic rocks

Pre-Silurian
metamorphic
rocks

Pre-Silurian
metavolcanic
rocks

EcC, I Precambrian igneous and
I metamorphic rock complex

If'Wsi -i Undivided
&V--; >...,'■ I granitic

Precambrian
rocks

pCjn Prccainhnaii anon hosiw

II. GEOLOGY

The New York Butte GRA encompasses the southern Inyo Mountains
from Kearsage south to Keeler. The western escarpment of the Inyo
Mountains forms the eastern boundary of the downdropped Owens
Valley graben.

The study area contains a transitional facies of thick sequences
of Paleozoic sediments of the eastern carbonate assemblage and the
western clastic assemblage, with Triassic marine sediments
overlying them unconformably . These sediments have been folded
and intruded by Cretaceous quartz monzonite stocks and plutons.
Faults associated with the adjustment of the sediments to the
intrusions have been noted.

All known metalliferous ore deposits in the study area are
genetically and spacially related to the Cretaceous intrusions.

Basin and Range faulting during the Pliocene is responsible for
the present topography. These normal faults trend predominantly
to the northwest and parallel the Owens Valley "Earthquake" fault.

1. PHYSIOGRAPHY

The New York Butte GRA encompasses the southern Inyo Mountains
between the towns of Independence and Keeler, Inyo County,
California. The Range trends northwest and lies between Owens
Valley on the west and Saline Valley to the east.

The northern portion of the study area is predominantly
Jurassic-Cretaceous quartz monzonite of the Paiute Monument
and the Pat Keyes intrusive bodies. A thin fringe of
Paleozoic sediments is present along the range front in the
north and comprise most of the total area in the southern
portion of the GRA (Ross, 1967).

Elevations along the crest of the range locally reach +11,000
feet and drainages predominantly run perpendicular to the
northwest trend of the range.

Faulting in the area generally parallels the northwest trend
of the Basin and Range type escarpment along the range front.

2. ROCK UNITS

The oldest rocks in the study area are Ordovician sediments of
the Pogonip Group, overlain by Ordovician Eureka Quartzite.
Above these are Silurian Devonian Hidden Valley and Ely
Springs Dolomites, with Devonian Lost Burro Formation above
them.

The Mississippian Rest Spring shale (Ross, 1967), also called
the Chainman shale in some publications (Merriam, 1963), was
deposited conformably above the Lost Burro. Next were
deposited limestones and shales of the Pennsylvanian Keeler
Canyon Formation, overlain by shales and limestones of the
Permian Owens Valley Formation which locally has a
disconformity near the top.

After a period of erosion that produced an unconformity,
unnamed Triassic marine sediments, mostly limestone, were
deposited upon the older sediments. An unnamed Triassic
volcanic sequence was deposited above the sediments, its lower
part sedimentary rocks of volcanic origin and its upper part
similar material but with andesite flows and breccias.

A very large pluton, known as the Hunter Mountain quartz
monzonite in the northern part of the GRA, was intruded in
Late Triassic-Jurassic. Smaller masses of granitic rocks were
intruded in the central part of the GRA, probably during the
Jurassic or Cretaceous. All of the known metallic
mineralization in the GRA is apparently related to this epoch
of intrusions.

3. STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY AND TECTONICS

The oldest observable structures in the study area are broad
folds formed by compressional forces during the Jurassic.
These folds trend northwest and parallel the predominant fault
trend. The predominant fold is a large syncline traceable
from Waucoba Mountain to the southern end of the range. This
syncline has been greatly faulted during two widely separated
geologic periods, and disrupted by the intrusive bodies.
Thrust faulting along the west front of the Inyos presumably
was an effect of this folding.

There are two major faults in the GRA, both trending
northwest. One is near the west edge of the mountains, and
for its entire 14-mile mapped length has dropped Permian Owens
Valley Formation on the west side against Triassic volcanic
rocks on the east side. The other is about five miles farther
northeast, and in part offsets the Hunter Mountain pluton
(Ross, 1967). Both of these faults, although roughly parallel
to Basin and Range faulting, evidently had at least initial
movement during or soon after the time of Cretaceous
intrusions, since the western fault has been at least partly
responsible for the localization of mineralization at a couple
of places (field verification observation by A. Baker III).
North and northeast-striking faults in the Cerro Gordo
district in the south part of the GRA are thought to be of
similar early origin (Merriam, 1963). Frontal faults of the
Basin and Range type, none of which are shown on available
maps and perhaps are not seen because of alluvial cover,
undoubtedly outline the Inyo Mountains; most of the movement

on these presumably took place in the Pliocene and more
recently.

Close to the western edge of the New York Butte GRA is the
"Earthquake" strike-slip fault in the middle of Owens valley
which parallels the range front. Displacement on this fault
caused the disastrous earthquake of 1867.

4 . PALEONTOLOGY

Paleozoic marine sediments, in places abundantly fossiliferous
occur within the New York Butte GRA. A general northeast
strike is determined by regional synclinal structure, with
Triassic and Jurassic rocks along the fold axis.

Ordovician rocks equivalent to the Palmetto and Pogonip, in
part, are exposed on the western margin of the GRA, but no
fossil localities are known to be recorded from them.
Elsewhere, however, these units are known to contain rich
faunas of both the "shelly facies" (brachiopods, trilobites,
corals) and graptolites, in the argillaceous shales.

Devonian rocks, mostly carbonates and carbonaceous shales,
contain abundant fossils near the top of the section, becoming
rare in the more clastic underlying units. These units are
exposed north of Cerro Gordo and at the eastern boundary of
WSA CA-010-055 in Sections 1, 2, and 12, T 16 S, R 38 E, and
parts of Sections 26, 27, 34, and 35, T 15 S, R 38 E. The
Devonian fauna is characterized by brachiopods (dominated by
Atrypa and Stropheodonta) , corals (Favosites), and occasional
trilobites .

Pennsylvanian (CP) and Permian (Pm) rocks, mostly carbonates,
are widely distributed and commonly fossiliferous. Brachiopod
and coral faunas from Mississippian carbonate units (CM) have
been reported from T 16 S, R 38 E (University California
Museum Paleontology) , but more precise locality data are not
known. The Late Paleozoic Pennsylvanian and Permian faunas
are dominated by fusulinids and brachiopods, usually exclusive
of each other. Fusulinids, mostly Fusulina sp.
(Pennsylvanian) occur in Section 2, T 17 S, R 38 E.
Brachiopod index fossils are mostly Productids . Silurian
carbonates, including massive dolomitic limestones, are
sparsely fossiliferous.

HISTORICAL GEOLOGY

Precambrian and early Paleozoic sedimentation is not recorded
in the GRA, although from regional mapping it must have taken
place here. The oldest rocks exposed are Ordovician
sediments, and sedimentation continued with one minor
interruption through the Permian. Uplift caused an
unconformity between the younger Paleozoic rocks and Triassic

marine sediments deposited upon them. Triassic volcanic
clastic sediments and flows were deposited conformably over
the marine sediments.

A period of compressive regional folding occurred during the
late Jurassic and was followed by a period of intrusive
activity related to the Sierra Nevada batholith during the
Jurassic-Cretaceous. Faulting related to the displacement of
the sediments by the intrusives occurred at this time, and
mineralization in the areas is considered to be related to the
intrusions .

Basin and Range faulting during the Pliocene produced the
present topography.

III. ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Note: Field verification in the New York Butte GRA was made on
October 16-17, 1982 by Arthur Baker III, one of the authors of
this report, and Richard W. Teixeira, Geology, Bishop Resources
Area, BLM, by helicopter. The field verification work was
entirely directed toward metallic mineral resources, and largely
aimed toward confirming the existence and mineralization of known
prospects and determining if there are prospects in the WSA that
do not appear on maps . ( In general there are not prospects that
do not appear on maps, except for several in Sec. 13, T 14 S, R 36
E projected, which had earlier been found by BLM personnel.)

Twelve samples were collected and submitted to BLM for analysis.
A list of the samples, with descriptive locations and descriptions
of the material sampled, is in the GRA file, as are copies of the
New York Butte and Lone Pine 15-minute topographic quadrangle maps
on which are plotted the locations of the samples, and also a copy
of the fire assay and spectrographic analysis reports by
Metallurgical Laboratories, Inc. of San Francisco. Most of the
area examined has not been surveyed for the land grid, so for
locations townships, ranges and sections have been projected in
from adjacent surveyed areas simply by extending the land grid
lines shown on the topographic quadrangles.

In general, the analyses confirmed the presence of low gold
values, low to high silver values, low copper values, and low to
high lead values in samples that by visual examination were
expected to have at least some base metal values and probably
silver values. The spectrographic analyses provide little
information about the three altered zones sampled.

A. METALLIC MINERAL RESOURCES

1. Known Mineral Deposits

There is one major mining district in the GRA: the Cerro
Gordo district, which is east of the south end of WSA CA
010-055, outside the WSA. This district, which operated
in the late 1800s and again in the early 1900s is
estimated to have produced $17 million (Goodwin, 1957) in
silver, gold, lead and zinc from replacement orebodies in
carbonate rocks (Merriam, 1963).

The Burgess Mine, a gold producer (Norman and Stewart,
1951), is in WSA CA 010-056, near the middle of its east
edge. It is at the contact of Triassic marine sediments
with Triassic volcanic sediments in an area with numerous
granitic, felsitic and andesitic dikes trending
southeasterly from the southeast edge of the intrusive
body that underlies New York Butte. The hornfelsed
clastic sediments are, at least in part, heavily iron-

stained as though they were shattered and filmed with
pyrite that is oxidized at the surface. Although the
Burgess mine produced from a gold-bearing quartz vein,
there are numerous places where the sediments have been
replaced by pods of sulfides (mostly pyrite?) and a little
magnetite. Old diggings and newer bulldozer cuts of
unknown content and geology are scattered over an area of
more than one square mile. The Burgess mine and its
environs are essentially a small mining district of
unknown production and, as far as published information is
concerned, unknown geology or potential. Its isolation on
top of the Inyo Range and being reachable only by two
extremely rough roads, has no doubt impeded serious
exploration of it. Two samples, #4 and #5, were taken
here during field verification; sample descriptions are in
the GRA file, with the descriptions of other samples taken
that are mentioned below. Sample #4 was essentially
barren. Sample #5, of quartz vein material with traces of
copper stain, assigned 0.004 oz Au/ton, 9.87 oz Ag/ton and
4% Pb.

Along the west front of the Inyos are numerous mines,
outside the WSAs being considered here. Some of these are
small replacement lead-silver deposits such as the
Pennsylvania near Swansea (A. Baker III, personal
communication) . Others are small silver-lead veins with
quartz. There seem to be few, if any, gold mines or
prospects here (Goodwin, 1957, Plate 1). There are also
several limestone and dolomite quarries, none of which are
known to be active at present.

Within the WSAs there are more than a dozen old mines and
prospects, excluding those in the Burgess "district".
Most of these were examined (by landing from helicopter)
in the field verification made on October 16 and 17, 1982.
They are as follows (both mines — that clearly had
production — and prospects will be described here, for
simplicity) .

WSA CA 010-055

Unnamed prospect in Sec. 17, T 16 S, R 38 E projected,
shown as prospect symbol on New York Butte topographic
quad. (Lost Frenchman? MILS location in Sec. 16, lead-
silver-copper). It was not found despite intensive
helicopter search in the immediate area.

Flagstaff Mine, in Sec. 7, T 16 S, R 38 E projected,
(Merriam, 1963, Plate 2), is not shown on the New York
Butte topographic quadrangle. The workings are adjacent
to the Swansea road. Several adits on the north and south
sides of a draw are on a vein striking due north to north
60 west, nearly vertical and about parallel to schistosity
of the Owens Valley formation which here is phyllite with

thin limestones. Sample #2 is of a six inch quartz vein
in the north adit portal (see GRA file). It assayed 0.025
oz Au/ton, 1.24 oz Ag/ton, 0.6% Pb. One hundred feet or
less east of the vein is the major northwest fault. East
of this for a 150-foot width the Triassic volcanic
sediments are intensely sheared and iron-stained, with a
few stringers up to 2 inches wide of copper oxides mostly
crosswise to the shearing. The length of this zone is at
least 500 feet. Sample #3 is a chip sample across this
zone in the draw bottom, avoiding visible copper. The
spectrographic analysis of the sample provides no useful
information. From the helicopter several adits were
visible in a draw about one-quarter mile north, also very
close to Swansea road, which were not examined.

WSA CA 010-056

Unnamed prospect in Sec. 28, T 15 S, R 37 E projected, a
pair of adit symbols on the New York Butte topographic
quadrangle map. These were not examined on the ground
because it was too long a walk for the time available from
the nearest helicopter landing site. From the air, the
adit dumps are small and white. This may be the Big Horn
uranium prospect listed as in Sec. 29 in MILS.

Unnamed prospect symbol, Sees. 22, 23, T 15 S, R 37 E
projected, New York Butte quad, essentially at the west
edge of the Burgess district. A 50 foot inclined shaft is
on two intersecting quartz veins six inches wide,
apparently not more than 20 feet long with attitude about
N 70 W, 60 N. Sample #12 is a grab of dump high-grade:
sugary quartz with some vugs, rare pyrite cubes, and
nothing else visible. It assayed 0.06 oz/ton Au, 0.02
oz/ton Ag, 0.015 % Pb. This may be the Nellie H gold-
copper prospect listed in MILS as in Sec. 15, or the
franklin D. Roosevelt lead prospect in Sec. 15.

Unnamed prospect, Sec. 21, T 15 S, R 37 E, projected, adit
symbol labelled "tunnel" on New York Butte quad. The
country rock is phyllite with limestone beds, sheeted
about N 60 W, 80° NE. Pockety quartz veins up to three
feet wide strike N 20-40° W, and are about vertical, with
pockets of limonite also about vertical and not more than
10 feet long. Near this point are a couple of shafts less
than 100 feet deep and a 100-foot adit around the ridge to
the east. Sample #1 is of high-grade on the dump of the
ridge-top shaft: quartz with a little galena and traces of
copper stain. It assayed 0.004 oz/ton Au, 2.54 oz/ton Ag,
0.04% Cu, and 0.60% Pb.

Unnamed prospect in Sec. 7, T 15 S, R 37 E projected, adit
symbols labelled "tunnels" on New York Butte quadrangle.
There is a 10-foot to 50-foot wide zone of intensely
sheared rock, partly conglomerate, a quarter of a mile

long striking N 80 W, with some iron staining. In the
zone are occasional irregular quartz veins up to one foot
wide, apparently not more than 25 feet long, mostly cross-
wise to shearing of the zone. The quartz has small spots
and clots of limonite that appears to be derived from
siderite, with no visible copper or lead. Sample #11 is
chips from a pile of quartz on the dump of the upper, 10-
foot adit. It assayed 0.008 oz/ton Au, 0.28 oz/ton Ag,
0.06% Cu, 0.40% Pb, 0.35% Zn.

Duarte mine, Sec. 1, T 15 S, R 37 E projected, New York
Butte quadrangle. The adit shown on the quadrangle was
not accessible in the time available, so a 15-foot adit
about 300 yards east of Duarte in same zone N 70° W, 35-
45 ° NE was examined. The zone is 20 to 50 feet wide,
intensely sheared, of lightly iron stained hornfels and
perhaps partly rhyolitic dike with rare spots of copper
stain. There are occasional lenses of vuggy quartz up to
one inch wide and about one foot long. The hornfels in
this area has somewhat more visible epidote than
elsewhere, and some float fragments have knots of
garnetite an inch or two in diameter, not seen elsewhere.
A few float fragments of magnetite, up to fist-size, were
also seen. Sample #10 is a 10-foot chip through part of
the shear zone in the west wall of the adit. The
spectrographic analysis of the sample shows relatively
higher values in base and precious metals than do the
analyses of other altered material (Samples Nos. 3 and 9).

Unnamed prospect in Sec. 31, T 15 S, R 38 E projected, one
mile east of the Duarte mine, could not be found with
intensive air and ground search.

Monte Carlo mine (Goodwin, 1957), Sec. 14 T 14 S, R 36 E
projected, shown as a line of adit and prospect symbols
half a mile long on the Lone Pine quadrangle. Goodwin
credits the mine with over 100,000 ounces of recorded
silver production before 1902, as well as later
unspecified production. The vein strikes N 80 W and dips
steeply north. It was examined at a couple of prominent
pits and/or glory noles near its east end. The vein here
is locally as much as 12 feet wide, mostly sugary quartz
with irregular areas up to a couple of feet wide
containing numerous irregular narrow galena veinlets. The
north side of the vein has been stoped to surface for a
width of three feet and a length of at least 25 feet.
Sample #6 is of high-grade piled on the dump, quartz with
galena. It assayed 0.055 oz/ton Au, 11.40 oz/ton Ag, and
"major" Pb. The lowest, westernmost adit of the Monte
Carlo apparently is outside the WSA as drawn, but the
other workings are within the WSA.

Unnamed prospects in Sec. 13, T 14 S, R 36 E projected,
about a mile northeast of Monte Carlo, not on Lone Pine
quadrangle but found earlier by BLM reconnaissance.

Quartz veins are in hornfels, with maximum width of 2 feet
and N 20-40 E strike with steep easterly dips. Sample #7
is of sugary quartz with light copper stain and rare spots
of galena up to one-half inch diameter, from the dump of
an adit northeast of the saddle above the "7200" contour
designation. It assayed 0.002 oz/ton Au, 0.15 oz/ton Ag,
0.6% Pb and 0.4% Zn. Sample #8 is of quartz with abundant
galena and fairly abundant copper staining, from the dump
of an adit south of the saddle. Most of the vein in place
appears barren, but in a partly-caved glory hole there is
similar material in place, one foot wide. A third adit,
on the north side of the saddle and 25 feet below it, has
a similar barren vein exposed and material on the dump
much like that of the Monte Carlo.

Unnamed prospect in Sec. 10, T 14 S, R 36 E, about 1 mile
south of Reward on Lone Pine quadrangle but not shown on
the quadrangle map; the adit was seen from the air but not
examined on the ground. It apparently is within WSA 010-
056. This may be the Hirsh gold-lead-silver-copper mine
of MILS, listed as in Sec. 3.

2. Known Prospects, Mineral Occurrences and Mineralized Areas

Prospects and mineral occurrences examined during field
verification have been described above.

The altered zone in Triassic volcanics adjacent to the
Flagstaff mine has been described above. Ground color
variations seen from the helicopter northwest of the
Flagstaff may be a continuation of this zone, mostly
covered by colluvium; if so, the zone may be half a mile
long, or more.

From the site of the not-found adit a mile east of the
Duarte mine (Sec. 31, T 15 S, R 38 E projected) a zone of
dark red alteration locally several hundred feet wide
could be seen half a mile north. The zone, roughly
plotted on the field copy of the New York Butte quadrangle
that is in the GRA file, trends about N 40 W and is at
least half a mile long.

In Sec. 13, T 14 S, R 36 E, just north of the adits of
samples #7 and #8, is a similar northwest-trending zone of
dark red alteration. This is at least several hundred
feet long with very erratic width of from 10 feet to 50
feet. It is a dense, dark gray felsite with very abundant
fine-grained pyrite preserved in the interior of pieces
even at the surface. Sample #9 is of this material. The
spectrographic analyses of this sample provides no useful
information.

MILS data lists about a dozen prospects in Sees. 15 and
16, T 16 S, R 38 E, in the south end of WSA CA 010-055.
The New York Butte quadrangle does not show any prospects
in these sections, and none were seen in field
verification helicopter reconnaissance.

3. Mining Claims

Plotting of patented claims shows three sections with
claims that might be within WSA CA 010-05 5. Two of these
are in the southeast corner of the WSA, near Cerro Gordo,
and may well be outside the WSA boundary. The third is
east of Swansea and also may be outside the boundary. Two
patented sections with claims plot in WSA CA 010-056, both
in the vicinity of Long John Canyon. One of these
probably is on one of the mines in the Canyon and outside
the WSA. The other appears to be well within the WSA and
may cover the property in Sec. 21, T 15 S, R 37 E
described above.

The southern part of WSA CA 010-055 is essentially solidly
covered with unpatented claims in a band extending
westward from Cerro Gordo; this is the same area as the
prospect locations cited in MILS, mentioned above, in
which helicopter reconnaissance showed no old diggings.
Near the middle of the northeast border, south of the old
tramline, claims are plotted that may be within the WSA,
close to the Cerro Gordo-Burgess road.

There are a great many unpatented claims in WSA CA 010-
056. A few of them are in the vicinity of the Burgess
Mine, but most are along the west side of the WSA in
country that is relatively accessible but nonetheless
extremely rugged. Some of them undoubtedly cover some or
all of the old mines and prospects described above.

4. Mineral Deposit Types

All of the metallic mineral deposits known in the WSAs

fall into one or the other of two categories: quartz

veins with primarily gold values, and quartz veins with
primarily silver-lead values.

The Burgess vein and probably the Flagstaff vein fall into
the first category. These are mesothermal veins related
to the granitic intrusions. The Burgess vein was not seen
at any point, so its size is unknown. The Flagstaff vein
is visible in several of the adits driven on it; at the
portals it is nowhere more than a few inches wide, and at
some places there seems to be no vein at all, only a shear
zone a few inches wide which may carry gold values.

All the other mines and prospects examined belong to the
second category, quartz veins with silver-lead values —
as indicated by the presence of galena in them. They may
also have substantial gold values, since most descriptions
of mines in this region mention gold production. These,
too, are mesothermal veins related to the granitic
intrusions .

The large lead-silver orebodies of the Cerro Gordo
district were almost all replacement bodies — not veins -

- in the Devonian Lost Burro Formation (Merriam, 1963), as
were at least those of the Pennsylvania mine in the
Swansea district (A. Baker III, personal communication).
The only place where the Lost Burro Formation is exposed
within the WSAs is a small strip in the vicinity of Sec.
28, T 15 S, R 37 E as nearly as Ross' (1967) generalized
geology can be plotted; the two adits in this section that
were not examined during the field verification may be in
the Lost Burro Formation. The Formation should be present
at considerable depth under the WSAs.

Small bodies of iron oxides found at some localities
during the field verification — notably south of Long
John Canyon and near the Burgess mine, as described above

— are the oxidized remains of replacement sulfide bodies
in limestone. Judging by the nature of the iron oxides,
and also the fact that none of the bodies appear to have
been extensively mined or prospected, these replacement
bodies probably originally consisted almost entirely of
pyrite, rather than lead and zinc sulfides. Their
existence suggests that it is possible there are lead-
zinc-silver replacement deposits somewhere in the
limestones and dolomites inside the WSAs, although none
have been found and the highly favorable Lost Burro
limestones are not present near the surface.

The significance of the altered zones seen in the field
verification is unknown. The two in WSA CA 010-056 are
not related to any known mineralization other than the
abundant pyrite seen disseminated in the one zone and
inferred to be in the other zone. The altered zone in WSA
CA 010-055 lies along a major fault, contains visible
copper mineralization, and is immediately adjacent to the
gold(?) vein of the Flagstaff mine, all of which suggest
that it may have significance that could lead to mineral
resources .

Mineral Economics

Most of the veins in the WSAs are narrow and probably
irregular. They are not likely to be of interest to major
mining companies because their size precludes any
expectation of substantial tonnages of ore. However,
depending on metal values and metal prices, it is possible

that some of them could be mined by small organizations.
Most of them have formidable problems of access : in the
early days everything that went into them or came out of
them was carried on the backs of men, burros or mules.
Road building to them would be extremely expensive.

The Monte Carlo lead-silver mine in WSA CA 010-056 may be
an exception to these generalizations: the vein is large
although the size of ore shoots in it is unknown, and at
least the lowest part is readily accessible. The
Flagstaff mine and the Burgess district are exceptions to
the access generalization since they lie on the Swansea
road, though it is described as a very poor road suitable
only for four-wheel drive vehicles.

The major uses of silver are in photographic film,
sterlingware, and increasingly in electrical contacts and
conductors. It is also widely used for storage of wealth
in the form of jewelry, "coins" or bullion. Like gold it
is commonly measured in troy ounces, which weigh 31.1
grand grams, twelve of which make one troy pound. World
production is about 350 million ounces per year, of which
the United States produces about one-tenth, while it uses
more than one-third of world production. About two- thirds
of all silver is produced as a byproduct in the mining of
other metals, so the supply cannot readily adjust to
demand. It is a strategic metal. Demand is expected to
increase in the next decades because of growing industrial
use. At the end of 1982 the price of silver was $11.70
per ounce.

The major use of gold is for storing wealth. It is no
longer used for coinage because of monetary problems, but
many gold "coins" are struck each year for sale simply as
known quantities of gold that the buyer can keep or
dispose of relatively easily. The greatest other use of
gold is in jewelry, another form of stored wealth. In
recent years industrial applications have become
increasingly important, especially as a conductor in
electronic instrumentation. In the United States and some
other countries gold is measured in troy ounces that weigh
31.1 grams — twelve of which make one troy pound. Annual
world production is about 40 million ounces per year, of
which the United States produces somewhat more than one
million ounces, less than one-fourth of its consumption,
while the Republic of South Africa is by far the largest
producer at more than 20 million ounces per year. World
production is expected to increase through the 1980s. For
many years the price was fixed by the United States at $35
per ounce, but after deregulation the price rose to a high
of more than $800 per ounce and then dropped to the
neighborhood of $400 per ounce. At the end of 1982 the
price was $460.50 per ounce.

The largest use for lead is in electrical storage
batteries, the second being a gasoline antiknock additive.
It has many other uses, however, including radiation
shielding, solders, numerous chemical applications and in
construction. About four million metric tons of lead are
produced in the world annually. The United States
produces about half a million tons per year, and recovers
about the same amount from scrap — much of it through the
recycling of old batteries. It imports about one-quarter
of a million tons. Lead is classified as a strategic
mineral. Demand is projected to increase somewhat in the
next couple of decades, but environmental concerns will
limit the increase. The United States has large ore
reserves that are expected to last well beyond the end of
this century at current production rates even without
major new discoveries. At the end of 1982 the price was
about 22 cents per pound.

The largest use for copper is in electrical equipment and
supplies and in smaller-guage wire where its electrical
conductivity is essential. It is also used in large
quantities in applications where its corrosion resistance
is important — in housing, brass and bronze, sea-water
corrosion resistant alloys and others. It is used also in
ammunition, many chemicals, and in applications where its
conductivity of heat is important. World production is
about 7.5 million metric tons annually, of which the
United States produces about 1.5 million tons, nearly
sufficient to satisfy domestic demand. Copper is a
strategic metal. There are large reserves of coppper ore
in the world, and the United States has greater reserves
and greater resources than any other country. United
States demand is expected to nearly double by the year
2000, but reserves are thought to be sufficient to meet
the demand. However, environmental problems of smelting
copper may hinder production, and in times of low prices
foreign producers tend to maintain full production for
political reasons, while domestic producers tend to
restrict production for economic reasons. These pressures
on the domestic copper industry weaken its competitive
capability on the world market. At the end of 1982 the
price of copper was 73 cents per pound.

B. NONMETALLIC MINERAL RESOURCES

1. Known Mineral Deposits

Two tons of hand-cobbed beryl ore are reported produced
from a deposit in Sec. 8, T 15 S, R 37 E (Benson, 1962) or
Sec. 29, T 15 S, R 37 E in WSA CA 010-056 (Davis, 1983).

Relatively large quantities of limestone and dolomite have
been mined along the western front of the Inyo Range
immediately west of the western boundary of WSAs CA 010-

055 (Logan, 1947). There are no known quarries within the
WSAs and no evidence that any serious attention has been
given to limestone and dolomite prospecting — there is
plenty of material easily available along the mountain
edge, which offers little incentive to prospect for such
low-priced commodities in the rugged higher mountains.

Talc and quartzite have been mined just west of the
western boundaries of both WSAs according to Davis (1983),
who quotes Ver Planck (1966) to the effect that the Eureka
quartzite here is one of the very few sources of high-
purity quartzite in California.

Large quantities of talc have been produced from the
Bohnam talc deposits east of WSA CA 010-055. Some of
these deposits have been mined within half a mile of the
WSA boundary, but there is nothing to indicate that the
talc extends within the WSA.

2. Known Prospects, Mineral Occurrences and Mineralized Areas

There are numerous prospects on limestone, dolomite and
talc in the GRA, but none are known within either of the
WSAs.

A beryl occurrence is reported in Sec. 19, T 15 S, R 37 E
in WSA CA 010-056 (Benson, 1962 and Davis, 1983).

Mining Claims, Leases and Material Sites

It is not known whether any of the mining claims within
the WSAs are on nonmetallic mineral occurrences. No
nonmetallic mineral occurrences are known within the WSAs.
No material sites are known within the WSAs.

4. Mineral Deposit Types

At the mine that produced two tons of beryl ore, the beryl
occurs in granitic rocks near the contact with limestone,
while at the other prospect it occurs as crystals in
granitic rocks (Davis, 1983). It is worth noting that
almost any rock can be developed into a saleable
nonmetallic commodity, especially if it has some unusual
characteristic which may be as simple as a particular
color or a special mineral makeup. Thus, the WSAs have
potential for nonmetallic deposits even though none other
than the beryl occurrences are known to exist there.

5. Mineral Economics

Nonmetallic mineral deposits that might be developed in
the New York Butte GRA share a problem common to all
nonmetallics in the Owens Valley area — their
considerable distance from the major marketing area of Los
Angeles. To be economically exploitable, they must be
unusual enough that similar deposits cannot be found
closer to Los Angeles that would have the advantage of a
shorter haul.

Pure limestone and dolomite are used principally to
produce lime, but some is used as rock for building stone,
crushed rock, and similar applications. The principal
uses of lime are in steel smelting, water purification, as
an alkali, in paper and pulp manufacture, and sewage
treatment. Other uses for lime are in sugar purification,
mortar, and as an agricultural soil conditioner.
Limestone with certain clay impurities (called cement
rock), or purer limestone with clay added, is used to make
cement that is mostly consumed in construction. The
United States uses about 20 million tons of lime and 85
million tons of cement annually. For both lime and cement
the raw material must be mined within a very few miles of
the processing plant, because it has a very low value in
the form of run-of-mine rock — two or three dollars per
ton. There are numerous lime and cement plants in the
United States, and most of them sell most of their product
within a 200 mile radius of the plant. Some cement is
imported in the form of clinker, which is the kiln-fired
rock that is then ground in the United States. In the
early 1980s the price F.O.B. plant of both lime and cement
is about $40 per ton.

Talc and pyrophyllite are two different minerals but have
somewhat similar chemical compositions and physical
characteristics, so they can be used interchangeably in
some applications but also each of them has applications
in which it is more suitable than the other. Most
available economic data treat the two minerals (and small
amounts of others) together, so they are treated this way
here and the term talc is used to include all the talc-
like minerals. About one-fourth of all talc is used in
ceramics, with a somewhat smaller portion used in paint
and a still smaller portion in plastics as a filler; these
three uses account for about two-thirds of talc
consumption. The most well-known use, in talcum powder
and other cosmetics, uses only about 7 percent of total
comsumption. Pyrophyllite as such is particularly heavily
used in insecticides and refractories. United States
consumption of talc is about one million short tons per
year and production is about 1.3 million tons per year
with the average being exported. Talc consumption is
forecast to about double by the year 2000, with domestic
production increasing enough to keep up with demand but

exports probably ceasing. The price of crude talc as
mined is about $15 per ton, while processed talc sold by
producers (principally ground), is about $65 per ton.

About 80 percent of beryllium is used in alloys, mostly
with copper, and most of the alloys are used in electrical
applications such as springs, contacts, relays and other
equipment. Some is used in aerospace applications, either
in alloys or as beryllium metal which has high strength,
light weight and excellent anticorrosion characteristics.
The United States consumes about 300 tons of beryllium
annually, probably more than half of which is produced
domestically. Beryllium consumption is not expected to
change greatly by the year 2000, partly because it can be
highly toxic especially while being processed, so other
materials are used in its stead wherever possible. The
mineral beryl, which contains about 11 percent beryllium
oxide and is one of the major ores of beryllium, is priced
at about $475 per ton, though all sales are negotiated.
Some beryl is used as a semi-precious gemstone, and one
variety, the emerald, is highly prized.

C. ENERGY RESOURCES

Uranium and Thorium Resources

1. Known Mineral Deposits

There are no known uranium or thorium deposits within or
near the WSAs or the GRA.

2. Known Prospects, Mineral Occurrences and Mineralized Areas

There are no known thorium occurrences within the WSAs or
the GRA.

Radioactive occurrences are indicated on the Land
Classification and Mineral Occurrences Map included at the
back of the report.

The Big Horn or Lucky Strike uranium prospect is in Sec .
29 (projected), T 15 S, R 37 E (Minobras, 1978) within WSA
CA 010-056. The mineralization occurs in granite. No
further information as to the size or type of deposit is
available .

3. Mining Claims

The Big Horn Prospect is the only known uranium claim
within the GRA, and it has probably lapsed. There are
apparently no thorium claims within or near the GRA.

4. Mineral Deposit Types

Lack of known mineral occurrences prevents a description
of deposit types for the GRA.

5. Mineral Economics

Lack of known mineral occurrences prevents an economic
determination though both uranium and thorium appear to be
of no economic importance for the area.

Uranium in its enriched form is used primarily as fuel for
nuclear reactors, with lesser amounts being used in the
manufacture of atomic weapons and materials which are used
for medical radiation treatments. Annual western world
production of uranium concentrates totaled approximately
57,000 tons in 1981, and the United States was responsible
for about 30 percent of this total, making the United
States the largest single producer of uranium (American
Bureau of Metal Statistics, 1982). The United States
ranks second behind Australia in uranium resources based
on a production cost of $25/pound or less. United States
uranium demand is growing at a much slower rate than was
forecast in the late 1980s, because the number of new
reactors scheduled for construction has declined sharply
since the accident at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant
in March, 1979. Current and future supplies were seen to
exceed future demand by a significant margin and spot
prices of uranium fell from $40/pound to $25/pound from
January, 1980 to January, 1981 (Mining Journal, July 24,
1981). At present the outlook for the United States
uranium industry is bleak. Low prices and overproduction
in the industry have resulted in the closures of numerous
uranium mines and mills and reduced production at
properties which have remained in operation. The price of
uranium at the end of 1982 was $19.75/pound of
concentrate.

Thorium is used in the manufacture of incandescent gas
mantles, welding rods, refractories, as fuel for nuclear
power reactors and as an alloying agent. The principal
source of thorium is monazite which is recovered as a
byproduct of titanium, zirconium and rare earth recovery
from beach sands. Although monazite is produced from
Florida beach sands, thorium products are not produced
from monazite in the United States. Consequently, thorium
products used in the United States come from imports,
primarily from France and Canada, and industry and
government sotcks . Estimated United States consumption of
thorium in 1980 was 3 3 tons, most of which was used in
incandescent lamp mantles and refractories (Kirk, 1980b) .
Use of thorium as nuclear fuel is relatively small at
present, because only two commercial thorium- fueled
reactors are in operation. Annual United States demand

for thorium is projected at 155 tons by 2000 (Kirk,
1980a). Most of this growth is forecast to occur in
nuclear power reactor usage, assuming that six to ten
thorium- fueled reactors are on line by that time. The
United States and the rest of the world are in a favorable
position with regard to adequacy of thorium reserves. The
United States has reserves estimated at 218,000 tons of
ThO? in stream and beach placers, veins and carbonatite
deposits (Kirk, 1982); and probable cumulative demand in
the United States as of 2000 is estimated at only 1,800
tons (Kirk, 1980b) . The price of thorium oxide at the end
of 1981 was $16.45 per pound.

Oil & Gas Resources

There are no oil and gas fields, hydrocarbon shows in wells,
or surface seeps in the region; nor are there any Federal oil
and gas leases in the immediate region. The stratigraphy
within the GRA is not conducive to the generation of petroleum
hydrocarbons. There is no oil and gas lease map, no oil and
gas occurrence and land classification map in this report.

Geothermal Resources

1. Known Geothermal Deposits

There are no geothermal deposits within the New York Butte
GRA, nor adjacent to it on the western flank of the
southern Inyo Mountains.

2. Known Prospects, Geothermal Occurrences, and Geothermal
Areas

On the southern boundary of the GRA or just to the south
there are unnamed springs which have a temperature of 30 °C
(Geothermal Occurrence and Land Classification Map) . The
computed estimate of the total dissolved solids is 2,150
mg/1, and the flow is 57 l/min at the edge of Owens Lake.
Eleven miles to the south, also at the edge of Owens Lake,
the 183-meter Dirty Socks Hot Springs well has a
temperature of 34°C, a flow of 380 l/min, and a salinity
of 5,530 mg/1 (NOAA, 1982).

In Saline Valley, on the opposite flank of the Inyo
Mountains, there are four thermal occurrences:

Flow TDS
Spring Temp. (l/min) (mg/1)

Upper Warm Spring Warm

Palm Spring 49 °C 1000

Lower Warm Springs 43 °C 1050

♦

Little Hunter
Canyon Springs 27 °C 568 540

3. Geothermal Leases

Within the Owens Lake valley on the east side where Kerr-
McGee Corporation operates a salt-winning operation from
brines, there are at least 13 Federally-administered
geothermal leases in a contiguous block (Geothermal Lease
Map) . Five of these are within the GRA between the lake
and the Inyo Mountains .

Six miles east of the northeastern corner of the GRA in
Saline Valley, the U.S. Geological Survey has designated
five sections as Saline Valley KGRA for leasing purposes.
There are no leases in this prospect area.

4. Geothermal Deposit Types

Data is not available from which to determine the type of
prospect at the Salt Works, but it is expected that the
thermal waters are part of a deep hot water system
circulating upwards along Basin and Range faults.

5. Geothermal Economics

There is no data upon which to base the economics of a
geothermal system. It is likely that the lessee may plan
to develop the resource for direct use, and if
temperatures permit, for electrical power as well.

Geothermal resources are utilized in the form of hot water
or steam normally captured by means of drilling wells to a
depth of a few feet to over 10,000 feet in depth. The
fluid temperature, sustained flow rate and water chemistry
characteristics of a geothermal reservoir determine the
depth to which it will be economically feasible to drill
and develop each site.

Higher temperature resources (above 350 °F) are currently
being used to generate electrical power in Utah and
California, and in a number of foreign countries. As fuel
costs rise and technology improves, the lower temperature

limit for power will decrease appreciably — especially
<y for remote sites.

All thermal waters can be beneficially used in some way,
including fish farming (68°F), warm water for year around
mining in cold climates (86°F), residential space heating
(122°F), greenhouses by space heating (176°F), drying of
vegetables (212°F), extraction of salts by evaporation and
crystallization (266°F), and drying of diatomaceous earth
(338°F) .

Unlike most mineral commodities remoteness of resource
location is not a drawback. Domestic and commercial use
of natural thermal springs and shallow wells in the Basin
and Range province is a historical fact for over 100
years .

Development and maintenance of a resource for beneficial
use may mean no dollars or hundreds of millions of
dollars, depending on the resource characteristics, the
end use and the intensity or level of use.

D. OTHER GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES

No other geological resources are known in the GRA. Coal is
|p not known in the GRA, and there is no known potential for
coal .

E. STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS AND METALS

A list of strategic and critical minerals and metals provided
by the BLM was used as a guideline for the discussion of
strategic and critical materials in this report.

The Stockpile Report to the Congress, October 1981-March 1982,
states that the term "strategic and critical materials" refers
to materials that would be needed to supply the industrial,
military and essential civilian needs of the United States
during a national emergency and are not found or produced in
the United States in sufficient quantities to meet such need.
The report does not define a distinction between strategic and
critical minerals.

Silver and lead, both strategic metals, probably have been
produced in small quantities from WSA CA 010-055 and have been
produced in somewhat greater quantities from WSA CA 010-056.
A small amount of beryl, containing the strategic metal
beryllium, has been produced from WSA CA 010-056.

IV. LAND CLASSIFICATION FOR G-E-M RESOURCES POTENTITAL

Detailed geologic mapping is not available for WSAs CA 010-055 and
010-056, though generalized mapping distinguishing between igneous
and sedimentary rocks, and major subdivisions of the latter, is
available. The geological data available are moderately good in
both quantity and quality, except in the area of alteration for
which there are no data. Published information on mines and
prospects is fairly good as to location and production, and the
field verification work supplements this information; there is
little information as to the extent of mineralization at any site.
This writer has a high level of confidence in the general geology
and the distribution of known mineralization, but a low level of
confidence in the completeness of information about the
distribution of mineralization overall.

Land classification areas are numbered starting with the number 1
in each category of resources. Metallic mineral land
classification areas have the prefix M, e.g. M1-4D. Uranium and
thorium areas have the prefix U. Nonmetallic mineral areas have
the prefix N. Oil and gas areas have the prefix OG. Geothermal
areas have the prefix G. Sodium and potassium areas have the
prefix S. The saleable resources are classified under the
nonmetallic mineral resource section. Both the classification
Scheme, numbers 1 through 4, and the Level of Confidence Scheme,
letters, A, B, C and D, as supplied by the BLM are included as
attachments to this report. These schemes were used as strict
guidelines in developing the mineral classification areas used in
this report.

Land classifications have been made here only for the areas that
encompass segments of the WSAs. Where data outside a WSA has been
used in establishing a classification area within a WSA, then at
least a part of the surrounding area may also be included for
clarification. The classified areas are shown on the 1:250,000
mylars or the prints of those that accompany each copy of this
report, and on the 1:62,500 quadrangles that accompany the
original of the report.

In connection with nonmetallic mineral classification, it should
be noted that in all instances areas mapped as alluvium are
classified as having moderate favorability for sand and gravel,
with moderate confidence, since alluvium is by definition sand and
gravel. All areas mapped as principally limestone or dolomite
have a similar classification since these rocks are usable for
cement or lime production. All areas mapped as other rock, if
they do not have specific reason for a different classification,
are classified as having low favorability, with low confidence,
for nonmetallic mineral potential, since any mineral material can
at least be used in construction applications.

1. LOCATABLE RESOURCES
a. Metallic Minerals
WSA CA 010-055

M1-4C. This classification area is about a mile long and
a quarter of a mile wide, lying in part along the Swansea
road and covering parts of WSAs CA 010-055 and 010-056.
It lies along the major fault separating Owens Valley
formation sediments from Triassic volcanic rocks and
volcanic sediments. Within it are the Flagstaff mine and
other diggings farther north, and the altered area along
the fault in the Traissic rocks. It is classified as
highly favorable because the Flagstaff mine produced ore,
but with only moderate confidence because the productivity
of the other diggings is not known and the altered zone,
though clearly containing copper mineralization, has not
been mined.

M2-4C. This classification area covers about three square
miles and it, too, lies partly in WSA CA 010-055 and
partly in 010-056, as well as extending eastward out of
the WSAs. It includes the Burgess mine and the
surrounding area in which there are numerous prospects and
the coloration of the ground indicates strong alteration.
It is classified as highly favorable because the Burgess
mine was productive, but with moderate confidence because
the remainder of the area, although altered, is not known
to have been productive.

M3-2B. This classification area covers a large part of
WSA CA 010-056 and a smaller part of 010-055. Its outline
is roughly half a mile outside the gross outline of the
pluton that underlies New York Butte and the long narrow
intrusive body south of the pluton. Within it is the
higher-favorability classification area M2-4C that
includes the Burgess mine, as well as the Duarte mine at
the north end of the pluton and the nearby altered zone
seen in the field verification. Aside from these
mineralization occurrences, its classification as having
low favorability is based on the common association of
mineral deposits with granitic intrusives; the half-mile
zone around the intrusives is chosen arbitrarily. Again,
aside from the Burgess district and the few mineralization
occurrences the only support for the classification is
geologic reasoning, hence the low level of confidence.

M4-2B. This classification area covers four or five
square miles, about half in WSA CA 010-055 and half in
010-056. Like M3-2B, its boundary is drawn roughly half a
mile outside the gross outline of the smaller pluton near
M1-4C, and that classification area is surrounded by M4-
2B. The reasoning on which M4-2B is based is the same as
that for M3-2B.

M5-1B. This classification area covers the remainder of
WSA CA 010-05 5 that is not included in the above
classification areas, and a strip along the west edge of
010-056 northwestward to the WSA boundary reentrant in
Long John Canyon. The pair of adits in Sec. 28, T 15 S, R
37 E and the prospect that was not found during field
verification in Sec. 17, T 16 S, R 38 E lie within the
classification area. There is no other evidence of
mineralization, which suggests the rocks are not highly
favorable for mineralization, and there are no known
intrusive rocks that might serve as a source of
mineralizing solutions. The classification is based
entirely on this geological reasoning, hence the low level
of confidence.

WSA CA 010-056

M1-4C, M2-4C, M3-2B, M4-2B, and M5-1B. All of these
classification areas, described above, lie partly in WSA
CA 010-056.

M6-3D. This classification area covers about one square
mile south of Long John Canyon and is an extension of the
reentrant drawn in the WSA boundary to exclude mines near
the mouth of Long John Canyon. It includes the "tunnel"
in Sec. 21, T 15 S, R 37 E and other old diggings seen
during field verification that are not shown on the New
York Butte quadrangle and were not examined, lying between
the "tunnel" and the mines near the mouth of the canyon.
It is classified as moderately favorable on the basis of
the several diggings and exposures of mineraliztion, none
of which are known to have produced ore. The level of
confidence is high because there clearly are several
mineral occurrences in the area.

M7-4D. This classification area includes parts of Sees.
12, 13 and 14, T 14 S, R 36 E and is an extension of the
reentrant drawn in the WSA boundary to exclude the lowest
adit of the Monte Carlo mine. The part of the Monte Carlo
vein that was examined in field verification, well within
the WSA, has clearly produced ore. Two of the old adits
in Sec. 13 probably produced at least some ore. These are
the reasons for the high favorability and the high level
of confidence in this classification.

M8-2B. This classification area includes about half of
the northern tip of WSA CA 010-056. Its southern boundary
is the boundary of M7-4D. Its northeastern boundary is
the major fault that puts the large Hunter Mountain pluton
to the east in contact with lesser intrusives and
sediments to the west. Its western boundary is the
western boundary of the WSA, or, geologically, the range
front fault that presumably lies somewhat farther west; it
is not drawn. Just south of it is the Monte Carlo mine

•

and other mines and prospects of M7-4D. Very close to its
north end is the Reward mine, excluded from the WSA by the
present boundary. Within it are, in part, the host rocks
of those mines, and intrusive rocks that might well have
served as the source of mineralizing solutions. The
reasoning for its classification is the same as for M3-2B
and M4-2B.

M9-1B. This classification area covers the remainder of
WSA CA 010-056 that is not covered by the above
classification areas. No mineral occurrences are known in
it, and no intrusives (other than part of the main mass of
the Hunter Mountain pluton) are known that might serve as
sources of mineralizing solutions.

b. Uranium and Thorium

WSAs CA 010-056, and CA 010-055

U1-3C. This land classification area covers essentially
all of WSA CA 010-055 and most of WSA CA 010-056. The
area has moderate favorability for uranium concentration,
at a moderate level of confidence, in the Jurassic-
Cretaceous granitic and rhyolitic rocks and the Paleozoic
metasediments which cover the area. The granitic rocks
and rhyolitic volcanics are possible uranium sources and
uranium could be concentrated in any of the formations of
the range as vein-type or fracture-fill deposits. There
are a number of base and precious metal deposits in quartz
veins and replacement deposits primarily in limestone and
dolomite but also occurring in other metasediments,
granitic, and rhyolitic rocks. The proposed source of
these metallic deposits are the Cretaceous granitic
intrusions. Uranium deposits are frequently found along
with other metals in quartz veins and alteration zones in
other areas and should also be prospective within the
WSAs. The Big Horn uranium prospect in WSA Ca 010-056
indicates that uranium has been available, at least
locally, to hydrothermal systems within the WSAs.

Thorium has low favorability, at a low level of
confidence, for the area. It could be concentrated as
primary mineralization in pegmatites of the Cretaceous
granitic intrusion though there is not much reference to
pegmatites occurring in the area.

WSA CA 010-056

U2-2B. This land classification covers the west central
border of the WSA. The area has low favorability for
uranium and thorium concentration at a low level of
confidence in the Quaternary alluvium which covers the
flank of the range in this section. Epigenetic sandstone-

type uranium deposits could occur here, being precipitated
^ from ground waters coming from the granitic and rhyolitic

rocks of the range.

Thorium could possibly form resistate mineral
concentrations in the alluvium, though there is little
evidence for thorium occurring in the granitic rocks of
the range and the rapid sedimentation along the alluvial
fans would not be suitable for concentration of resistate
minerals .

c. Nonmetallic Minerals

WSA CA 010-055

N1-3C. This classification area covers the eastern one-
fourth of the WSA. In it the rocks are principally
limestones and dolomites of the lower part of the
Paleozoic sediments, which are suitable for the production
of lime or cement and some other materials. The certain
presence of these usable rocks, but the lack of production
of them, is the reason for the classification as
moderately favorable while the moderate level of
confidence stems from the fact that the quality of the
rocks is not known.

N2-2B. This classification area covers the remainder of
the WSA. The rocks in it, upper Paleozoic sediments and
Triassic sediments and volcanics, are usable for
construction materials and any rock may be developed into
a moderately high priced industrial mineral if an
entrepreneur can find a market for its particular physical
or chemical properties. The presence of the rocks, but
only potential uses for them, are the reason for the low
level of favorability and the low level of confidence in
this classification.

WSA CA 010-056

N2-2B. This classification area covers most of the WSA.
The reasoning behind the classification and level of
confidence are given immediately above.

N3-3C. This classification area covers the southwestern
edge of the WSA. The rocks in it are lower Paleozoic
sediments, mostly limestone and dolomite, some of which
have been mined for lime outside the WSA, and the
Ordovician Eureka Quartzite which has been mined for
silica outside the WSA. The reason for the classification
9 and level of confidence are the same as for N1-3C.

(

N4-4C. This classification covers a small but unknown
area, its exact location uncertain, in Sec. 8 or 29, T 15
S, R 37 E. It is the site of the mine that produced
beryl, and an unknown area surrounding it. It is
classified highly favorable for beryllium on the basis of
the known production. The level of confidence is only
moderate because of the uncertainty of the location within
the section.

2. LEASABLE RESOURCES

a. Oil and Gas

WSAs CA 010-055 and CA 010-056

0G1-1D. There has been no serious oil and gas
exploration, nor are there any recorded occurrences of oil
and gas in this westernmost sector of the Basin and Range
province where it meets the Sierra Nevadas . The two WSAs
are underlain by highly distorted Paleozoic and Mesozoic
strata which have been intruded by the Sierran batholith.
Granitic outcrops are in evidence throughout the WSAs .
There is no evidence of source beds being present in the
area. These are the reasons for the very low favorability
for oil and gas and the high level of confidence in this
classification.

b. Geothermal

WSA CA 010-055

G1-4D. The lands included in this classification include
unnamed thermal springs and shallow drill holes which
reportedly penetrated thermal water bearing strata at a
shallow depth. The drill holes were located in the area
of the Federal geothermal leases, but not necessarily on
these leased lands.

WSAs CA 010-055 and CA 010-056

G2-3C. This classification incorporates the Owens Lake
Valley and the adjacent Inyo Mountain range front which
is a structural extension of the area classified as Gl-
4D. The entire linear area is within the Owens Valley
fault zone which has multiple surface thermal
manifestations along its strike length.

G3-2B. This classification incorporates the Inyo
Mountains proper which consists of Paleozoic strata
intruded by granitic rocks. Only at the extreme south
end are Pliocene volcanics present. The range is broken
by normal faults — some very long, but the favorability

varies between moderate to low. The steep relief of much
of the area precludes easy development of a resource that
may be present.

c. Sodium and Potassium

WSAs CA 010-055 and 010-056

SI-ID. This classification area covers all of both WSAs,
there is no known favorability for sodium or potassium.
No map is presented for sodium and potassium.

3. SALEABLE RESOURCES

Saleable resources have been covered in connection with
nonmetallic mineral resources.

▼

V. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL WORK

1. The New York Butte 15-minute quadrangle has been geologically
mapped, but this mapping has not been published (see index to
sources of data, Ross, 1967). An effort should be made to get
a copy of the map. Some of the mapping was done in 1963, and
the remainder perhaps earlier. It probably does not meet
today's standards, particularly with respect to mapping of
alteration areas.

The New York Butte quadrangle and the adjacent part of the
Lone Pine quadrangle should be mapped to present U. S.
Geological Survey standards.

The samples collected during field verification should be
assayed. Other than this assaying, there is little that can
be done to increase knowledge of the mineral potential of the
WSAs, short of complete geological mapping.

VI. REFERENCES AND SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

American Bureau of Metal Statistics Inc., 1982, Non-ferrous metal
data - 1981, Park City Press, New York, New York, p. 133-134.

Bateman, P. C, and Irwin, W. P., 1954, Tungsten in southeastern
California, in chap. 8 of Jahns, R. H., ed.

Bateman, P. C, 1961, Willard D. Johnson and the strike-slip

component of fault movement in the Owens Valley, California,

earthquake of 1872: Seismol. Soc . America Bull., v. 51, no. 4, p.
483-493.

Bateman, P. C. and C. Wahrhaftig, 1966, Geology of the Sierra
Nevada, in Bailey, E. H. (ed.), Geology of northern California:
California Div. Mines and Geology Bull. 190, p. 107-172.

Benson, W. T., 1962, Inyo beryl deposit, Inyo County, California:
U. S. Bur. of Mines Report of Investigations RI 6013.

Berry, W.B.N, and A. J. Boucot, 1970, Correlation of the North
American Silurian rocks, with contributions by J. M. Berdan and
others: Geol . Soc. America Spec. Paper 102, p. 1-289.

Carlisle, Donald, Davis, D. L., Kildale, M. B. , and Stewart, R.
M., 1954, Base metal and iron deposits of southern California, in
chap. 8 of Jahns, R. H. , ed.: p. 41-50.

Davis, J. F., 1983, Letter dated January 17, 1983 to Reginald
Reed, with comments by California Division of Mines personnel on
Final Draft of New York Butte and other GRA reports. Copy in GRA
File.

Durham, J. W. , 1964, Occurrence of the Helicoplacoidea
(Echinodermata) : Geol. Soc. America Spec. Paper 76, p 52.

Easton, W. H. , 1960, Permian corals from Nevada and California:
Jour. Paleontology, v. 34, no. 3, p. 570-583.

Goodwin, J. G., 1957, Lead and zinc in California: Calif. Div.
Mines, Calif Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, pp 353-724.
Tabulation with some description of geology, production, etc.

Goodyear, W. A., 1888, Inyo County (California): California State
Mining Bur. 8th Ann. Rept . of State Mineralogist, p. 224-300.

Greife, J. L. and R. L. Langenheim, Jr., 1963, Sponges and
Brachiopods from the Middle Ordovician Mazourka Formation,
Independence Quadrangle, California: Jour. Paleontoloyg, v. 37,
no. 3, p. 564-574.

Hamil , G. S.,IV, 1966, Structure and stratigraphy of the Mt.
Shader Quadrangle, Nye County, Nevada - Inyo County, California:
Ph.D. dissertation Rice Univ. 130p.

Hazzard, J. C, 1937, Paleozoic section in the Nopah and Resting
Springs Mountains, Inyo County, California: California Div. Mines
and Geology, v. 33, no. 4, p. 273-339.

Hazzard, J. C, 1954, Revision of Devonian and Carboniferous
sections, Nopah Range, Inyo County, California: American Assoc.
Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 38, no. 5, p. 878-885.

High Life Helicopters, Inc., 1980, Airborne gamma ray spectrometer
and magnetometer survey, Fresno Quadrangle, California, U.S. Dept .
of Energy, Open File Report GJBX-231 (80 ) .

Jahns, R. H. , ed . , 1954, Geology of southern California:
California Div. Mines Bull. 170.

Kirk, William S., 1980a, Thorium in Mineral Facts and Problems,
1980 ed., U. S. Bureau of Mines, Bull. 671, p. 937-945.

Kirk, William S. , 1980b., Thorium in Minerals Yearbook, vol. I,
Metals and Minerals, U. S. Bureau of Mines, p. 821-726.

Kirk, Wiliam S., 1982, Thorium in Mineral Commodity Summaries -
1982, U. S. Bureau of Mines, p. 160-161.

Knopf, Adolph,1918, A geologic reconnaissance of the Inyo Range

and the eastern slope of the southern Sierra Nevada, California,

with a section on the stratigraphy of the Inyo Range by Edwin
Kirk: U.S. Geol . Survey Prof. Paper 110, 130 p.

Langenheim, R. L., Jr., and others, 1956, Middle and Upper (?)
Ordovician rocks of Independence quadrangle, California: Am.
Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v 40, no. 9, p. 2081-2097.

Langenheim, R. L., Jr., and H. Tischler, 1960, Mississippian and
Devonian paleontology and stratigraphy, Quartz Spring area, Inyo
County, California: California Univ. Pub. Geol. Sci., v. 38, no.
2, p. 89-150.

Langenheim, R. L. Jr., and E. R. Larson, 1973, Correlation of
Great Basin stratigraphic units: Nevada Bureau Mines and Geology
Bull. 72, p. 1-36.

Logan, C. A., 1947, Limestone in California: Calif. Div. Mines,
Calif. Jour. Mines and Geology, v. 43, pp 175-357.

Mathews, R. A., and Burnett, J. L., 1965, Geologic map of
California, Fresno sheet: California Div. of Mines and Geology.

McAllister, J. F., 1952, Rocks and structure of the Quartz Spring
area northern Panamint Range, California: California Div. Mines,
Special Rept. 25.

McKee, E. H. , and R. A. Gangloff, 1969/ Stratigraphic distribtuion
of archaeocyathids in the Silver Peak Range and the White and Inyo
Mountains, western Nevada and eastern California: Jour.
Paleontology, v. 43, no. 3, p. 716-726.

Meek, F. B. , 1870, Descriptions of fossile collected by the U. S.
Geological Survey under the charge of Clarence King, Esq. Acad.
Nat. Sci . Philadelphia, Proc, v. 22, p. 56-64.

Merriam, C. W., 1963, Geology of the Cerro Gordo mining district,
Inyo County, California: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 408, 83 p.
Good stratigraphy for New York Butte quadrangles. Reconnaissance
geological map of south half of New York Butte.

Merriam, C. W., and W. E. Hall, 1957, Pennsylvanian and Permian
rocks of the southern Inyo Mountains, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Bull. 1061-A, p. 1-15.

Mineral inventory location system, 1982, U. S. Bureau of Mines.

Mining Journal, July 24, 1981, vol. 297, No. 7641.

Minobras, 1978, Uranium deposits of Arizona, California and
Nevada .

Moore, J. G., 1963, Geology of the Mount Pinchot quadrangle,
southern Sierra Nevada, California: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1130,
p. 1-152.

Moore, J. N. , 1976, Depositional environments of the Lower
Cambrian Poleta Formation and its stratigraphic equivalents,
California and Nevada: Geol. Studies Brigham Young Univ., v. 23,
no. 2, p. 23-38.

Moore, J. N. , 1976, The Lower Cambrian Poleta Formation: A tidally
dominated open coastal and carbonate bank depositional complex,
western Great Basin: Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Univ.
California Los Angeles, 312 p.

Muffler, L. J. P., ed. (1979) Assessment of geothermal resources
of the United States - 1978: U. S. Geol. Survey Circ. 790.

NOAA/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1980)
Geothermal Resources of California: Map prep, by Nat. Geophy. and
Solar-Terrestrial Data Center from data compiled by California
Division of Mines and Geology, California Geologic Data Map
Series, Map No. 4.

Nelson, C.A., 1962, Lower Cambrian-Precambrian succession, White-
Inyo Mountains, California: Geol. Soc . America Bull., v. 73, no.
1, p. 139-144.

Noble, L. F. and L. A. Wright, 1954, Geology of the central and
^ southern Death Valley Region, California, in R. H. Jahns (ed.),
Geology of southern California: California Div. Mines Bull. 170,
ch. 2, pt. 10, p 143-160.

Nolan, T. B. , 1943, The Basin and Range province of Utah, Nevada,
and California: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 197-D, p. 141-196.

Norman, L. A., Jr., and Stewart, R. M. , 1951, Mines and mineral
resources of Inyo County (California): California Jour. Mines and
Geology, v. 47, no. 1 p. 17-223. Brief descriptions of
occurrences and plants of many mines, tabulation with less
information about many others.

North American Aviation, Inc., 1967, authors and title unknown,
Technical Report T6-2906-020, report on study of the Cerro Gordo
Mining District from August, 1965 through October, 1966 by
Strategic Resources Development Group of North American Aviation,
Inc. Reference is from Davis, 1983.

Pakiser, L. C, 1960, Transcurrent faulting and volcanism in Owens
Valley, California: Geol. Soc . America Bull., v. 71, no. 1, p.
153-159.

Page, B. M. , 1951, Talc deposits of steatite grade, Inyo County,
California: California Div. Mines Spec. Report 8, 35 p.

Pestana, H. R. , 1960, Fossils from the Johnson Spring Formation,
Middle Ordovician, Independence quadrangle, California: Jour.
Paleontology, v. 34, no. 5, p. 862-873.

Phleger, F. B. , Jr., 1933, Notes on certain Ordovician faunas of
the Inyo Mountains, California: Southern California Acad. Sci .
Bull., v. 32, p.t 1, p. 1-22.

Reed, R. D., 1933, Geology of California: American Assoc. Petrol.
Geologists, 24:1-355.

Riggs, E. A., 1961, Fusulinids of the Keeler Canyon Formation,
Inyo County, California: Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of
Illinois .

Ross, D. C, 1962, Preliminary geologic map of the Independence
quadrangle, Inyo County, California: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral
Inv. Field Studies Map MF-254. Preliminary edition of below.

Ross, D. C. 1963, New Cambrian, Ordovician, and Silurian Formations
in the Independence quadrangle, Inyo County, California, in
Geological Survey Research 1963: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper
475-B, p. B74-B85.

^p Ross, D. C, 1964, Middle and Lower Ordovician formations in

southernmost Nevada and adjacent California: U. S. Geol. Survey,
Bull. 1180-C.

Ross, D. C. , 1965, Geology of the Independence quadrangle, Inyo
^ County, California: U. S. Geol . Survey Bull. 1181-0. Good
geology, little application to most of New York Butte GRA.

Ross, D. C, 1967, Generalized geologic map of the Inyo Mountains
region, California: U. S. Geol. Survey Misc. Geological
Investigations Map 1-506. Useful for coverage in quadrangles such
as New York Butte where no published geology is available. Flawed
by lack of land grid or even internal latitude and longitude ticks
for location.

Russell, I. C, 1887, Notes on the faults of the Great Basin and
of the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada: Philos. Soc. Washington
Bull., v. 9, p. 5-8.

Streitz, R. , and Stinson, M. C, 1974, Geologic map of California,
Death Valley sheet: California Div. of Mines and Geology.

Strong, M. F., 1964, Gem Valley in the Inyo Mountains: Gems and
Minerals, No. 317.

Thompson, M. L., H. E. Wheeler, and J. C. Hazzard, 1946, Permian
fusulinoids of California: Geol. Soc. America Memoir 17.

Ver Planck, W. E. , 1966, Quartzite in California: California Div.
Mines and Geology, Bull. 187.

rX denotes one or more claims per secti

4 Patented Section
x Unpatented Section*

New York Butte GRA CA-10

X Leased Section
-— KGRA Boundary

New York Butte GRA CA-10

M8-2B

M7-4D

Cerro Gordo, Ag, Pb, Zn

v »

EXPLANATION
w^' Mining District, commodity
l—± Mine, commodity
*"^ Land Classification Boundary
— WSA Boundary

Land Classification - Mineral Occurrence Map/Metal lies New York Butte GRA CA-10

Scale 1 :250,000

U2-2B

EXPLANATION
^ Uranium Occurrence
*— Land Classification Boundary
WSA Boundary

Land Classification - Mineral Occurrence Map/Uranium New York Butte GRA CA-10

Scale 1:250,000

Bonham,
talc

Limestone,
dolomite

EXPLANATION
£~J* Mining District, commodity
O Occurrence, commodity
mmmm Land Classification Boundary
— WSA Boundary

Land Classification - Mineral Occurrence Map/Nonmetallics New York Butte GRA CA-10

Scale 1:250,000

EXPLANATION

"■Aw/ Thermal Spring
— — Land Classification Boundary

WSA Boundary

Land Classification - Mineral Occurrence Map/Geothermal

New York Butte GRA CA-10
Scale 1:250,0-0

LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE SCHEME

A. THE AVAILABLE DATA ARE EITHER INSUFFICIENT AND/OR CANNOT
BE CONSIDERED AS DIRECT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT OR REFUTE THE
POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF MINERAL RESOURCES WITHIN THE
RESPECTIVE AREA,

B. THE AVAILABLE DATA PROVIDE INDIRECT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT
OR REFUTE THE POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF MINERAL RESOURCES.

C. THE AVAILABLE DATA PROVIDE DIRECT EVIDENCE, BUT ARE
QUANTITATIVELY MINIMAL TO SUPPORT TO REFUTE THE POSSIBLE
EXISTENCE OF MINERAL RESOURCES.

D. THE AVA I LAB LE DATA PROVIDE ABUNDANT DIRECT AND INDIRECT
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT OR REFUTE THE POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF
MINERAL RESOURCES.

CLASSIFICATION SCHEME

1. THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT AND THE INFERRED GEOLOGIC PROCESSES
DO NOT INDICATE FAVORABILITY FOR ACCUMULATION OF MINERAL
RESOURCES.

2. THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT AND THE INFERRED GEOLOGIC PROCESSES
INDICATE LOW FAVORABILITY FOR ACCUMULATION OF MINERAL
RESOURCES.

3. THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT, THE INFERRED GEOLOGIC PROCESSES,

AND THE REPORTED MINERAL OCCURRENCES INDICATE MODERATE FAVORABILITY
FOR ACCUMULATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES.

4. THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT, THE INFERRED GEOLOGIC PROCESSES,
THE REPORTED MINERAL OCCURRENCES, AND THE KNOWN MINES OR
DEPOSITS INDICATE HIGH FAVORABILITY FOR ACCUMULATION OF
MINERAL RESOURCES.

MAJOR STRATIGRAPH1C AND TIME DIVISIONS IN USE BY THE
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Erathem or
Era

Cenozoic

Mesozoic

System or Period

Series or Epoch

Quaternary

Holocene

Pleistocene

Pliocene

Miocene

Tertiary

Oligocene

Eocene

Paleocene

Cretaceous '

Upper (Late)
Lower ( Early)

Jurassic

Upper (Late)
Middle (Middle)
Lower ( Early)

Triassic

Upper (Late)
Middle (Middle)
Lower ( Early)

Permian

, Upper (Late)
i Lower ( Early)

Paleozoic

2 «

u £
ed

Pennsylvanian '

Upper (Late)
Middle (Middle)
Lower ( Early)

Mississippian *

Upper (Late)
Lower ( Early)

Devonian

Upper (Late)
Middle (Middle)
Lower ( Early)

Ordovician *

Upper ( Late)
Middle (Middle)
Lower \ Early)

Cambrian '

Upper (Late)
Middle (Middle)
Lower ( Earlv)

| Estimated ages of

time boundaries in
millions of years

I'recambnan '

Informal subdivisions
-.uch as upper, middle,
and lower, or upper
and lower, or young-
er and older may be
used locally.

-2-3'.
-12*.

_26*.

.37-38-
.53-54.
_65_

.136.

.190-195.

_225.

-280.

.345.

_395.

.430-440.

.500.

.570.

3/.00+ '

1 Hcilm<*. Arthur. I'.nii. Principle* of phyairal geology: 2d rd.. New Ynrk. Ronald Pre**, p .160-361, for
the PKistti-ene and Pliocene . and Obrado\irh. J I> . IV6S. Aite of mann« Pleistocene of California: Am.
A-N«e. IVtruleum liruliUKti. v. t'J. no. 7. p l'">7 f..r the PI, iiUwrnr of mouthem California.

- Geological Society of Uindon. li»>4. The Phanmnoic nm.-.cale. a ijrupunum: Cevl. Sue. London. Quart.
Jour., v. 120, nvjpp . p. 21*0-2*2. for Lhe Mi.wene thr. mh Ihe Cambrian.

'Stern. T W.. written eommun.. 1'Jbtt. for the Pircambrian

4 Include* provincial »eri<-s accepted for u»e in U S. Geological Survey report*.

Term-- designating time are in parentheses Informal time term* early, middle, and l»Le may be used for
the eras, and for periods where there it no formal subdivision into Early. Middle, and Late, and for epochs.
Informal nvk urmi lower, middle, and upper may be u«cd where there u no formal subdivision of a
system or of a Hcriea.

GF.OI.OCIC NAMES COMMITTEE. 1970

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Full text of "New York Butte G-E-M resources area (GRA no. CA-10) : technical report (WSAs CA 010-055 and 010-056) : final report"

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