U.S. Geological Survey
Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5197

Mineral Resource Assessment of Selected Areas in Clark and Nye Counties, Nevada

Edited by Steve Ludington

Prepared in cooperation with the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

2006

photo of desert landscape with mountains in the background
View of the Newberry Mountains southeast of Searchlight, Nevada. The rugged dark peaks are composed of Miocene trachyandesite and trachydacite of the lower unit of the volcanics of the Highland Range.

During 2004-2006, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a mineral resource assessment of selected areas administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Clark and Nye Counties, Nevada. The purpose of this study is to provide the BLM with information for land planning and management and, specifically, to determine mineral resource potential in accordance with regulations in 43 CFR 2310, which governs the withdrawal of public lands. The Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-282) temporarily withdraws a group of areas designated as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) from mineral entry, pending final approval of an application for permanent withdrawal by the BLM. This study provides information about mineral resource potential of the ACECs.

Existing information was compiled about the ACECs, including geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and mineral-deposit information. Field examinations of selected areas and mineral occurrences were conducted to determine their geologic setting and mineral potential.

Chapters

Table of Contents with links to the other chapters (sir2006-5197toc.pdf; 3 pages, 1.3 MB)

Chapter A. Introduction, By Steve Ludington (sir2006-5197a.pdf; 5 pages, 144 KB)

Chapter B. Mineral Resource Potential of the Piute-Eldorado Tortoise, Crescent Townsite, and Keyhole Canyon Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark County, Nevada -- By Steve Ludington, Stephen B. Castor, Brett T. McLaurin, Kathryn S. Flynn, and James E. Faulds (sir2006-5197b.pdf; 67 pages, 42.8 MB)

Chapter C. Mineral Resource Potential of the Gold Butte A, Gold Butte B, Virgin Mountain (Gold Butte C), Whitney Pocket, Red Rock Spring, Devil's Throat, and Gold Butte Townsite Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark County, Nevada -- By Steve Ludington, Gordon B. Haxel, Stephen B. Castor, Brett T. McLaurin, and Kathryn S. Flynn (sir2006-5197c.pdf; 67 pages, 39.4 MB)

Chapter D. Mineral Resource Potential of the Mormon Mesa Tortoise, Arrow Canyon, and Coyote Springs Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark County, Nevada -- By Kathryn S. Flynn, Stephen B. Castor, Steve Ludington, and Brett T. McLaurin (sir2006-5197d.pdf; 21 pages, 30.7 MB)

Chapter E. Mineral Resource Potential of the Arden, Bird Spring, and Sloan Rock Art Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark County, Nevada -- By Stephen B. Castor, Brett T. McLaurin, Kathryn S. Flynn, and Steve Ludington (sir2006-5197e.pdf; 10 pages, 9.3 MB)

Chapter F. Mineral Resource Potential of the Ash Meadows and Amargosa Mesquite Trees Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Nye County, Nevada -- By Stephen B. Castor, Brett T. McLaurin, Steve Ludington, and Kathryn S. Flynn (sir2006-5197f.pdf; 13 pages, 13.4 MB)

Chapter G. Mineral Resource Potential of the virgin River Area of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark County, Nevada -- By Brett T. McLaurin, Steve Ludington, Stephen B. Castor, and Kathryn S. Flynn (sir2006-5197g.pdf; 5 pages, 4.3 MB)

Chapter H. Mineral Resource Potential of the Hidden Valley Area of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark County, Nevada -- By Steve Ludington, Stephen B. Castor, Brett T. McLaurin, and Kathryn S. Flynn (sir2006-5197h.pdf; 5 pages, 3.5 MB)

Chapter I. Mineral Resource Potential of the Rainbow Gardens Area of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark County, Nevada -- By Stephen B. Castor, Steve Ludington, Brett T. McLaurin, and Kathryn S. Flynn (sir2006-5197i.pdf; 14 pages, 14.6 MB)

Chapter J. Mineral Resource Potential of the River Mountains Area of Critical Environmental concern, Clark County, Nevada -- By Steve Ludington, Stephen B. Castor, Brett T. McLaurin, and Kathryn S. Flynn (sir2006-5197j.pdf; 13 pages, 15.6 MB)

Chapter K. Mineral Resource Potential of the Stump Spring Area of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark County, Nevada -- By Kathryn S. Flynn, Steve Ludington, Brett T. McLaurin, and Stephen B. Castor (sir2006-5197k.pdf; 3 pages, 1.1 MB)

Chapter L. Mineral Resource Potential of the Big Dune Area of Critical Environmental Concern, Nye County, Nevada -- By Stephen B. Castor, Brett T. McLaurin, Steve Ludington, and Kathryn S. Flynn (sir2006-5197l.pdf; 3 pages, 2 MB)

Appendix 1. Definitions of Levels of Mineral Resource Potential and Certainty of Assessment (sir2006-5197app1.pdf; 1 page, 40 KB)

Appendix 2. Legal Descriptions of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark and Nye Counties, Nevada (sir2006-5197app2.pdf; 26 pages, 80 KB)

Entire Report

Download the entire report, USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5197, as a single large PDF document. (sir2006-5197.pdf; 244 pages, 152.2 MB)

For questions about the content of this report, contact Steve Ludington.

Version history

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This report is available only on the Web.

URL of this page: https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2006/5197/
Maintained by: Michael Diggles
Created: August 25, 2006
Last modified: October 11, 2007 (mfd)

U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5197