Extract from MINFILE Occurrences: 093N 054
Development status: Past Producer
Name: GERMANSEN RIVER NORTH, GERMANSEN PITS
The Germansen River North Occurrence is located approximately 2.5 kilometres from the mouth of Germansen River. It is located near the old Germansen townsite and occurs on the west side of the Germansen River, straddling Plughat Creek. The main road passes within 30 metres of the pits and approximately 50 metres to the west, a serviceable airfield is found. This occurrence is restricted to the pits where mining is still active.
Placer gold was first discovered on the Germansen River in 1870. The northwest trending part of the river (from its mouth to the big bend area) has been the area most explored and placer mined. During the early 1940s, there were at least seven pits which were mined by hydraulic operations (hydraulicking). Today, there are only two large pits. The active one lies on the north side of Plughat Creek and the inactive one lies to the south of the creek. In the southern pit, there is an adit at the southern end which is believed to be part of the Sunset occurrence (093N 026). During the 1988 summer field season, a large operation in the northern pit operated 24 hours a day.
The auriferous gravels are approximately 4.5 metres thick and lie on rock benches which are 15 metres above the river. The gold is concentrated near the bedrock which in this area is represented by phyllites, argillites and felsic tuffs belonging to the Mississippian(?) to Lower Permian Cooper Ridge Group.
The overburden at this occurrence varies from approximately 30 to 42 metres in thickness. The glacial overburden consists of boulder clay, silt and gravel.
Prior to 1950, reported gold production for the entire Germansen River varies from 515,851 grams (Bulletin 28, page 43) to 750,776 grams (Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 252, page 145). See Germansen River South (093N 055).
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