Mineral Resources of the Lime Canyon Wilderness Study Clark County, Nevada U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1 730-D .. 3£**a^-'5£#ir> .% 'f- .-^K^mi, ^g^HR^^ *^i^.^%»*fc-fSJ -ja^ . A^ ^?--%l^ 7Ttfc-**«« kji "V- "X *~-'3r-- 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. 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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, Missouri-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 D Mineral Resources of the Lime Canyon Wilderness Study Area, Clark County, Nevada By JAMES G. EVANS, GARY A. NOWLAN, and JOSEPH S. DUVAL U.S. Geological Survey RICHARD A. WINTERS U.S. Bureau of Mines U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1730 MINERAL RESOURCES OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS: SOUTHERN NEVADA 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 : 1990 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 Lime Canyon Wilderness study area, Clark County, Nevada / by James G. Evans ... [et al.] p. cm. (U.S. Geological Survey bulletin ; 1730-D) Includes bibliographical references (p. ). Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.3: 1730-D 1. Mines and mineral resources Nevada Lime Canyon Wilderness. 2. Lime Canyon Wilderness (Nev.) I. Evans, James George, 1938- II. Series. QE75.B9 no. 1730-D 557.3 s dc20 90-3673 UN24.N3] [553'.09793'13] CIP 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 mineral surveys on certain areas to determine the mineral values, if any, that may be present Results must be made available to the public and be submitted to the President and the Congress. This report presents the results of a mineral survey of the Lime Canyon Wilderness Study Area (NV-050-231), Clark County, Nevada. CONTENTS Summary Dl Abstract Dl Character and setting Dl Identified mineral resources Dl Mineral resource potential Dl Introduction Dl Area description D2 Previous and present investigations D3 Appraisal of identified resources D3 Methods D3 Mining history D3 Mineral resources D4 Assessment of mineral resource potential D5 Geology D5 Geochemical studies D8 Geophysical studies D9 Mineral and energy resource potential D9 References cited DID Appendixes D12 Definition of levels of mineral resource potential and certainty of assessment D14 Resource/reserve classification D15 Geologic time chart D16 FIGURES 1. Index map showing location of Lime Canyon Wilderness Study Area, Clark County, Nevada D2 2. Map showing mineral resource potential and generalized geology of Lime Canyon Wilderness Study Area, Clark County, Nevada D6 Contents Mineral Resources of the Lime Canyon Wilderness Study Area, Clark County, Nevada By James G. Evans, Gary A. Nowlan, and Joseph S. Duval U.S. Geological Survey Richard A. Winters U.S. Bureau of Mines SUMMARY partly covered by sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic, Meso- zoic, and Tertiary age and by alluvium that is as young as Abstract Quaternary (see "Appendixes" for geologic time chart). Numerous faults cut the rocks of the study area. At the request of the Bureau of Land Management, the Lime Canyon Wilderness Study Area, comprising approxi­ mately 34,680 acres, was evaluated for mineral resources and mineral resource potential. Throughout this report, "wilder­ Identified Mineral Resources ness study area" and "study area" refer to the 34,680 acres for which a mineral survey was requested. The U.S. Geological The wilderness study area contains an estimated 44- Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted geologic, million-short ton (st) inferred subeconomic resource of geochemical, and geophysical surveys to assess the identified gypsum. Carbonate rock underlies more than 20 mi2 of the mineral resources (known) and mineral resource potential study area, and sand and gravel covers 16 mi2 in the west­ (undiscovered) of the study area. Fieldwork for this report ern part of the study area. The high-volume, low-unit- was carried out in 1987. The study area contains a 44-mil- value commodities of the study area including gypsum, lion-short ton inferred subeconomic resource of gypsum. limestone, dolomite, and sand and gravel are not considered Carbonate rock underlies 20 square miles of the study area, economic because the same commodities are available and sand and gravel covers 16 square miles of the study area. The eastern part of the study area has low potential for barite, nearer to existing markets or railways. copper, gold, lead, silver, and zinc resources. Nearly half of the study area has low potential for oil and gas. There is no potential for geothermal resources. Mineral Resource Potential Most of the eastern part of the Lime Canyon Wilder­ Character and Setting ness Study Area has low resource potential for barite, copper, gold, lead, silver, and zinc (fig. 2). Nearly half of The Lime Canyon Wilderness Study Area is 2 mi the study area (underlain by unit TMzFfe, fig. 2) has low re­ east of the Overton Arm of Lake Mead and 45 mi east of source potential for oil and gas. The study area has no Las Vegas, Nev. (fig. 1). The study area's total relief of potential for geothermal resources. about 2,600 ft is expressed largely by several closely spaced ridges oriented generally north-south and several canyons, the deepest of which is Lime Canyon. The study INTRODUCTION area is underlain by Proterozoic granite and gneiss that is This mineral survey was requested by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and is the result of a coopera­ Manuscript approved for publication, April 27, 1990 tive effort by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Mineral Resources of the Lime Canyon Wilderness Study Area, Clark County, Nevada D1 Bureau of Mines. An introduction to the wilderness review mineral deposition, presence of geochemical and geophysi­ process, mineral survey methods, and agency responsibili­ cal anomalies, and applicable ore-deposit models. Gou- ties was provided by Beikman and others (1983). The U.S. darzi (1984) discussed mineral assessment methodology Bureau of Mines evaluates identified resources at individ­ and terminology as they apply to these surveys. See ual mines and known mineralized areas by collecting data "Appendixes" for the definition of levels of mineral re­ on current and past mining activities and through field source potential and certainty of assessment and for the examination of mines, prospects, claims, and mineralized resource/reserve classification.