Cook area (south of Lake Vermilion) gold til survey data released

APRIL 27, 2017 — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released new data from a geologic study report on part of the Vermilion Lake Gold Fields. Lake Vermilion was the site of the 1865 gold rush. It has long been thought that this area holds gold, although, to date, significant finds have yet to produce gold in economically viable amounts.

The new data integrates different types of geological data from pebbles collected in surface soils at 11 different sample sites in St. Louis County. It also presents recommendations for future work in the sampled area. This report is the result of a small study examining the gold content of pebbles and is based on the pre-existing work of the larger Regional Survey of Gold in Till, Cook Area, St. Louis County project. Gold assays for this report were previously released in July 2016.

The Cook Area Gold in Till survey is a DNR geological investigation that began in July 2012. It lies within an approximately 200 square mile area of historical gold and base metal exploration located between the towns of Cook and Tower. In this region, relatively thin layers of Rainy Lobe glacial till and other glacially derived sediments overlie an Archean granite-greenstone terrane. These are ideal geological conditions for using gold grain counts and pebble studies to search for gold within bedrock covered by glacial deposits.

This smaller study took advantage of pre-existing duplicate till samples collected for the Gold in Till survey. Sample sites for the Gold in Till survey are located where State- or County-controlled surface ownership overlies State-administered mineral rights.

Today’s data release includes the April 2017 report. The report, contact information, and a more detailed description of the project, are available at the DNR’s web site: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/mpes_projects/project392.html.