Mineral Resources of the NeW,Water Mountains Wlldernes.\ Study LaP~ c~~ ARIZONA / AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MAPS OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Instructions on ordering publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with prices of the last offerings, are given in the cur­ rent-year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Sur­ vey publications released prior to the current year are listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List" Publications that are listed in various U.S. Geological Survey catalogs (see back inside cover) but not listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List" are no longer available. Prices of reports released to the open files are given in the listing "U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports," updated month­ ly, which is for sale in microfiche from the U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports Section, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225. 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BY MAIL Books OVER THE COUNTER Books Professional Papers, Bulletins, Water-Supply Papers, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Circulars, publications of general in­ Books of the U.S. Geological Survey are available over the terest (such as leaflets, pamphlets, booklets), single copies of Earthquakes counter at the following Geological Survey Public Inquiries Offices, all & Volcanoes, Preliminary Determination of Epicenters, and some mis­ of which are authorized agents of the Superintendent of Documents: cellaneous reports, including some of the foregoing series that have gone out of print at the Superintendent of Documents, are obtainable by mail from • WASHINGTON, D.C.--Main Interior Bldg., 2600 corridor, 18th and C Sts., NW. U.S. Geologlc:al Survey, Books and Open-File Reports • DENVER, Colorado--Federal Bldg., Rm. 169, 1961 Stout St. Federal Center, Box 25425 • LOS ANGELES, California--Federal Bldg., Rm. 7638, 300 N. 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E-146, 701 C St. Maps For maps, address mail orders to U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution Maps Federal Center, Box 25286 Maps may be purchased over the counter at the U.S. Geologi­ Denver, CO 80225 cal Survey offices where books are sold (all addresses in above list) and at the following Geological Survey offices: Residents of Alaska may order maps from • ROLLA, Mlssouri--1400 Independence Rd. Alaska Distribution Section, U.S. Geological Survey, • DENVER, Colorado--Map Distribution. Bldg. 810, Federal New Federal Building • Box 12 Center 101 Twelfth Ave., Fairbanks, AK 99701 • FAIRBANKS, Alaska--New Federal Bldg .• 101 Twelfth Ave. Chapter B Mineral Resources of the New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area, La Paz County, Arizona By DAVID R. SHERROD, DAVID B. SMITH, RICHARD D. KOCH, WILLIAM F. HANNA, and JAMES A. PITKIN U.S. Geological Survey MICHAEL E. LANE U.S. Bureau of Mines U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1702 MINERAL RESOURCES OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS: SOUTHWESTERN AND SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Any use_ of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1989 For sale by the Books and Open-File Reports Section U.S. Geological Survey Federal Center, Box 25425 Denver, CO 80225 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mineral resources of the New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area, La Paz County, Arizona. (U.S. Geological Survey bulletin ; 1702-8) 8 ibl iography: p. Supt. of Docs. no.: I 19.3:1702-8 1. Mines and mineral resources-Arizona-New Water Mountains Wilderness (Ariz.) 2. New Water Mountains Wilderness (Ariz.) I. Sherrod, David R. II. Series. QE75.B9 no. 1702-B 557.3 s 88-600429 [TN24.A6] [553 1.09791 ?] STUDIES RELATED TO WILDERNESS Bureau of Land Management Wilderness Study Areas The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (Public. Law 94-579, October 21, 1976) requires the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines to conduct min- · eral surveys of certain areas to determine the mineral values, if any, that may be present. Results must be made available to the public and submitted to the President and the Con­ gress. This report presents the results of a minera_l survey of part of the New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area (AZ-020-125), La Paz County, Arizona. CONTENTS Summary B1 Abstract B1 Character and setting B1 Identified resources B1 Mineral resource potential of the New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area B2 Introduction B3 Location and physiography B3 Previous and present investigations B3 Acknowledgments B3 Appraisal of identified resources B3 Methods of investigation B3 History and production B5 Mineral deposits B5 Assessment of mineral resource potential B5 Geology B5 Geochemical studies B7 Methods of investigation B7 Summary of results B7 Geophysical studies B8 Gravity and aeromagnetics B8 Gamma-ray spectrometry B8 Electrical geophysics B9 Mineral and energy resources of the New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area B9 Sedimentary-rock-hosted gold and silver B9 Epithermal gold and silver B10 Copper and manganese B11 Lead and zinc B11 Geothermal energy B 11 Oil and gas B11 Lime B12 References cited B12 Appendixes Definition of levels of mineral resource potential and certainty of assessment B16 Resource/reserve classification B17 Geologic time chart B 18 FIGURES 1. Index map showing location of New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area, La Paz County, Arizona B2 2. Map showing mineral resource potential and generalized geology of New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area, La Paz County, Arizona B4 3. Complete Bouguer gravity anomaly map of New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area B9 4. Aeromagnetic anomaly map of New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area B10 TABLE 1. Sampled areas in and near the New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area, La Paz County, Arizona 86 Contents V Mineral Resources of the New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area, La Paz County, Arizona By David R. Sherrod, David B. Smith, Richard D. Koch, William F. Hanna, and James A. Pitkin U.S. Geological Survey Michael E. Lane U.S. Bureau of Mines SUMMARY There is unknown resource potential for lime, which could be developed from inferred subeconomic resources of Abstract marble in Paleozoic rocks in the northwest part of the study area. Although inferred subeconom ic resources of sand and gravel occur in the study area, these materials are abundant The New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area closer to existing markets in the region. (AZ-020-125) is located in La Paz County, west-central Ari­ zona. On the basis of a preliminary request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, 24,120 acres of the New Water Character and Setting Mountains Wilderness Study Area were evaluated for mineral resources (known) and mineral resource potential (undiscov­ The New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area is ered). Throughout this report, reference to the New Water in the New Water Mountains of La Paz County, Ariz., Mountains Wilderness Study Area or to the study area refers only to that part of the wilderness study area for which a about 10 mi southeast of Quartzsite, Ariz. (fig. I). The mineral survey was requested by the U.S. Bureau of Land mountains slope gently from the surrounding alluvial plain Management. Fieldwork for this report was conducted in and steepen to the 3,639-ft-high bluff of Black Mesa. The 1984 and 1985. Although 200 claims have been located study area is underlain by steeply dipping sedimentary, adjacent to the study area and a few claims and two pros­ volcanic, and plutonic rocks of Proterozoic, Paleozoic, and pects are located within its boundaries, there are no identified resources in the study area. Inferred subeconomic resources Mesozoic age (see geologic time chart in appendixes). A of stone and sand and gravel in the study area have no sequence of Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks un­ unique qualities and are similar to material available closer to conformably overlies pre-Tertiary rocks, and this younger markets. sequence has been slightly to moderately tilted during The resource potential for gold and silver is moderate in basin-and-range normal faulting. the northwestern and northeastern parts of the study area and low in the north-central and south-central parts. The re­ source potential for copper and manganese is low in the Identified Resources northeastern part of the study area. Minor amounts of lead and zinc accompany gold, silver, copper, and manganese No mineral resources were identified in the New Water occurrences in the New Water Mountains Wilderness Study Area. Therefore, a low resource potential for lead and zinc Mountains Wilderness Study Area. Inferred subeconomic is assigned to the northwestern, north-central, northeastern, resources of stone and sand and gravel in the study area and south-central parts of the study area.