Chloride Placer District — Sierra County

McLemore (1994) lists Chloride among 36 New Mexico mining districts containing placer gold (NMBGMR Resource Map 24, district DIS191). Estimated placer production: trace to small-scale placer production (est. 2 oz) from 1828–1991 statewide context (662,000 oz total NM placer production). Production period: 1879. District cumulative production (all commodities): $20,000,000. Deposit types: Laramide skarn, placer gold, placer tin, tin veins, volcanic-epithermal vein, zeolites. Also known as: Phillipsburg, Grafton, Apache No. 1, Black Range, Apache Gulch, Apache, Bear Creek, Chloride Gulch, Dry Creek, Fairview-Chloride, Fluorine, Hagan's Peak, Kingsbury, Mineral Creek, Monument Creek, Pye Lode, Readjustor, Robinson, Roundyville, Silver Monumen. St. Cloud Mining Co. (a subsidiary of Imagin Minerals, Inc.) operates the largest zeolite mine in the U.S. at the Stone House mine (NMSI0915) and contains 18.3 million short tons of reserves with a yearly capacity of 100,000 short tons. Placer gold occurs as native gold and electrum in incised valleys and alluvial fans. Most economic placers were discovered by 1900; recreational panning may find fine colors — verify land status before prospecting. Coordinates approximate the district centroid from NMBGMR Resource Map 24 GIS (DIS191).