Missoula Lake Placer-Pending

Montana Gold Claims: Buy or Lease the premier Missoula Lake Placer in Mineral County's historic Cedar Creek Mining District District.
Contact Marlene Affled, montanagoldclaims.com - Call: 509-389-2606 - Email: marneaffled@mac.com



Technical Notes — Missoula Lake Placer

Location: Missoula Lake / upper Oregon–Missoula–Cedar Creek watershed, Mineral County, Montana

Surface Admin: Lolo National Forest, Superior Ranger District

Access: Via USFS Road #320 (Cedar Creek Road) from Superior, Montana

1. Location 

• The target footprint encompasses Missoula Lake basin, the Missoula Lake Campground area, and the trail corridor trending southeast toward Missoula Gulch, proximate to the Montana-Idaho border.

• Based on PLSS reference: Township 15 N, Range 28 W (P.M.M.), Mineral County, Montana.

• Elevation for Missoula Lake: ~6,058 ft; basin sits above headwaters draining toward Oregon/Cedar systems.

• The setting offers access to the historic placer belt of Oregon/Cedar Creeks, known for bucket-line dredge tailings and good gold potential.

2. District Background & Evidence of Production

• Historic dredge operations along Oregon Creek in early 1900s and again circa 1930-35 provide strong evidence of placer gold systems active in the watershed.

• A recorded occurrence, Upper Oregon Gulch Placer (MBMG MN008176) in T15N R28W Sec 1, is explicitly stated as “may be same as Yellow Bucket,” which ties to this drainage block.

• These references support the conclusion that high-basin and gulch settings like Missoula Lake are viable target areas within the larger placer system.

3. Geology & Deposit Model

• Gold is derived from quartz-vein and metamorphic sources in the Bitterroot terrane; transported downslope and reconcentrated into gulch thalwegs, inside bends, and bench gravels.

• Missoula Lake basin and its outflow corridor are prime for compacted gravels, lag concentrations, and paleo-bars. The bench and inside-bend features along the trail corridor to Missoula Gulch present secondary targets.

• Analogous settings (Oregon Lakes group, elevation ~5,900-6,000 ft) accessed via the same USFS road network confirm the validity of similar elevation-target strategies.

4. Topography, Elevation & Drainage

• Relief is significant: steep V-shaped gulches drain from the crest (near Montana-Idaho line) down to the Cedar/Clark Fork system.

• Hydrology: The Missoula Lake basin feeds a high-energy outflow channel. Efficient trap sites include inside bends just below gradient breaks; also paleo-bars and colluvial aprons beneath ridge-crest quartz‐vein trends.

• Access is seasonal. Road #320 is gravel; high‐clearance vehicles required. Final uphill trail may require backpacking to the lake.

• Ridge network near the state line offers vantage for detector work and sample spotting.

5. Environmental & Stewardship Considerations

• Native fish habitat: The Cedar Creek system (nearby) supports bull trout (federally threatened) and westslope cutthroat trout. Sampling or mining near high‐elevation tributaries may trigger seasonal restrictions and sediment controls.

• Surface administration: USFS Superior Ranger District must be engaged early for “Notice of Intent” or “Plan of Operations” if equipment beyond recreational scope is used.

• BMPs (best management practices): Required controls include settling basins for sluice discharge, winter access restrictions, road maintenance, and reclamation of pits.

6. Target Domains & Sampling Strategy

Primary Target Areas:

1. Outlet/thalweg below Missoula Lake – inside bends, compacted gravels to false bedrock.

2. Lake-margin bars and paleo-shorelines – iron-stained lag gravels at elevation.

3. Bench gravels along trail corridor toward Missoula Gulch – meander cutoffs and terraces.

4. Colluvial aprons beneath ridge-crest quartz-vein trends – coarse lag, heavies trapped against clay lenses.

Sampling Program:

• Phase I (Recon): 2-4 days; GPS corners; pan‐con transects every 100-150 ft along target features; detector sweeps.

• Phase II (Test Pits / Bulk Sample): Excavate 10-20 pits (0.5-1 yd³ each); run portable wash plant; quantify oz/yd³.

• Phase III (Pilot Run & Grade Control): Mobile plant (10-30 yd³/hr) on best bar; log recovery; establish cut-off; reclamation trials.

7. Access & Logistics

• Staging from Superior, MT. Supply point includes fuel, lodging, grocery.

• Road #320 (Cedar Creek Rd) to Missoula Lake trailhead and campground.

• Vehicle: High-clearance 4WD preferred; summer access only; spring and fall subject to snow/road conditions.

• Camp/Lodge: Developed USFS campground at Missoula Lake; trail <500 yds to lake.

• Communications: Cell service limited; carry offline maps, GPS, satellite communicator if mobile.

8. Comparative Reference

• Upper Oregon Gulch Placer, MBMG MN008176 – indicates named placer within same T15N R28W block; reinforces targeting logic.

• Yellow Bucket Placer – MRDS-derived placer at lower elevation (~4,879 ft) in same district, providing downstream analogue.

• District dredge tailings on Oregon Creek remain visible, demonstrating past grade and system-scale gold transport.

9. Summary

• Geologic and geomorphic evidence strongly supports the Missoula Lake basin as a valid target area within the historic placer system.

• Established infrastructure, USFS access, and proximity to known productive streams lower exploration risk.

• Multiple target zones (lake basin, trail corridor, bench gravels) allow staged exploration with manageable budget.

• Environmental permitting achievable with standard BMPs and timing.