Bonnifield Creek
The Bonnifield Creek mine is located in sec. 9 and possibly sections 1 or 10, T. 10 S., R. 2 W., Fairbanks Meridian. Small-scale placer mining took place about 4 miles below the head of the creek. This mine is locality 83 of Cobb (1972 [MF 410]).
Small-scale placer mining that produced no more than a few hundred dollars worth of gold was reported on Bonnifield Creek in 1929 and 1935 (Smith, 1932, p. 40; Smith, 1937, p. 46). The gold was 818 to 832 fine (Glover, 1950). Production from placer mines on the creek was reported in the 1980s and 1990s (Bundtzen and others, 1990; Swainbank and others, 1995). Only the extreme headwaters of Bonnifield Creek lie within the California Creek Member of the Totatlanika Schist; it is composed of gray quartz-orthoclase-sericite schist and augen gneiss (Wahrhaftig, 1970 [GQ-808]). The lower 8 miles of the creek cuts through the Nenana Gravel (Wahrhaftig, 1970 [GQ-808]).
Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Quaternary placer.
Apparently there was only small-scale placer mining prior to WW II. In 1924, two men had a groundsluicing operation on the creek (Wimmler, 1925 [ATDM MR 195-8, p. 43]). In 1994, D'Log Industries (Ferrel Woods) mined ground on Bonnifield Creek. A test run indicated average values of about $4.00 in gold per cubic yard of gravel, and the cost of mining ran about $1.75 per cubic yard (Swainbank and others, 1995, p. 29).
Not more than a few hundred dollars worth of gold was produced on this stream in 1929 and 1935 (Smith, 1932, p. 40; Smith, 1937, p. 46). There are no production figures available for more recent mining.
Bundtzen, T. K., Swainbank, R. C., Deagen, J. R., and Moore, J. L., 1990, Alaska's mineral industry 1989: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 44, 100 p.
Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-410, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.
Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-662, 174 p.
Glover, A.E., 1950, Placer gold fineness: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-1, 38 p.
Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824-A, p. 1-81.
Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95.
Swainbank, R.C., Bundtzen, T.K., Clough, A.H., Henning, M.W., and Hansen E.W., 1995, Alaska's mineral industry 1994: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 49, 77 p.
Wahrhaftig, Clyde, 1970, Geologic map of the Fairbanks A-2 quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Quadrangle Map GQ-808, 1 sheet, scale 1:63,360.
Wimmler, N.L., 1925, Placer mining in Alaska in 1925: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-8, 118 p.
J.R. Guidetti Schaefer and C.J. Freeman (Avalon Development Corporation)