The March 1995 update consisted of research into new assessment work and references for portions of NTS mapsheets 093K02, 03 and 05 and all of 093K04. The research resulted in minor updates to the Endako deposit and associated occurrences and one new showing, the Jed (093K 102).

The area is underlain by sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Cache Creek, Takla, Hazelton, Ootsa Lake and Endako groups. The region has been intruded by the Early Jurassic quartz monzonitic to granodioritic Topley Intrusive Suite, Late Jurassic plutons of the Francois Lake Intrusive Suite, Permian to Triassic Trembleur Intrusions and plugs and stocks related to Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary volcanism.

The Endako (093K 006, 008) porphyry molybdenum deposit, currently in production, is hosted in the Endako quartz monzonite phase of the Francois Lake Batholith and consists of a series of east-west trending en echelon veins. Similar prospects, the Kid (093K 003) and Dat (093K 098), occur to the north. The Snowbird (093K 036) deposit is hosted within Cache Creek Group sedimentary rocks in a structure known as the Main Alteration Zone and in narrow shears and faults. The gold and antimony mineralization is related to the Pinchi fault and is not confined to a specific rock type. Hosted in Cache Creek Group metamorphosed rocks, the Silver Fox (093K 026) occurrence consists of a quartz vein stockwork enriched in silver, but also containing gold, copper and zinc. In 1921, 2.7 tonnes of sorted ore were shipped from the Silver Fox. Quartz-ankerite-barite veins rich in silver, copper and zinc occur in shear zones at the Silver Island (093K 025) occurrence. Massive sulphide mineralization with high silver and copper content occurs in pillow lava of the Jurassic Hazelton Group at the Golden Glory (093K 031) occurrence. Several mercury showings occur along the Pinchi fault. The Pinchi Lake Mercury (093K 049) deposit consists of cinnabar mineralization in blebs and veinlets concentrated in breccia zones along the fault and in Cache Creek Group rocks. The Tas (093K 080) showing, located in the northern part of the Quesnel trough, consists of porphyry-related precious metal mineralization hosted in Takla Group rocks. Chromite within ultramafics of the Trembleur Intrusions, occurs in the Tsitsutl Mountain (093K 037) area. The Genesis (093K 005) jade deposit occurs along the contact between serpentinite and quartz monzonite.

Limestone is common in Cache Creek Group rocks and minor production has occurred from the Fort St. James South (093K 092), Fort St. James North (093K 023) and Necoslie River (093K 085) limestone deposits. The Thur (093K 057) and John (093K 051) limestone prospects also occur within Cache Creek Group rocks. The Francois (093K 001) perlite deposit produced 1587 tonnes of perlite between 1949 and 1953. Clay from the Fraser Lake deposit (093K 087) was once used for brick manufacturing even though it is generally of poor quality. Two vermiculite prospects, Joseph Lake (093K 100) and Sowchea Creek Vermiculite (093K 101), occur in Jurassic granitic rocks.

Two placer deposits, Sowchea Creek (093K 071) and Dog Creek (093K 099), reportedly produced unrecorded amounts of gold.

Open File Map 1999-11: Bedrock Geology Cunningham Lake area (NTS 093K11,12,13 and 14), by D.G. MacIntyre and P. Schiarizza.
The Autodesk WHIP!® viewer is required to view this map.

Open File Map 1999-11, depicts the bedrock geology of the Cunningham Lake area at 1:100,000 scale. Mapping in 1997 and 1998 by the B.C. Geological Survey Branch and the Geological Survey of Canada built on previous regional scale mapping by J. Armstrong of the Geological Survey of Canada dating back to 1949 and by Placer Exploration dating back to the late 1960's. The new mapping presents significant revisions to the previous geologic maps available for the area.  The Cunningham Lake area, which covers parts of Babine, Stuart and Trembleur Lakes, is located north of Burns Lake and west of Fort St. James. This area spans the boundary between the Stikine and Cache Creek geologic terranes. Within the Cache Creek terrane is the Sitlika volcanic belt considered to be prospective for Kutcho Creek type massive sulphide deposits. This belt is well exposed at several localities within the map area. Prior to the current mapping, this belt was believed restricted to the Takla Lake area to the north. Other important mineral prospects in the area include the Mac porphyry molybdenum deposit (093K 097) and the new Fort occurrence (093K 093) discovered in 1998.  Visit Geological Maps On-line for this and other geological maps.

The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and the BC Geological Survey (BCGS), together with researchers in universities and industry, conducted a geoscience program, from April 1995 to March 2001, in the Nechako Plateau area of central British Columbia. This area was selected because the existing geological database was poor. The first NATMAP program in British Columbia addressed questions relevant to improving our geological understanding of the area and to guide local mineral exploration.

The Nechako project was coordinated and funded by both the GSC and BCGS and the program was financially augmented by the GSC's National Mapping Program (NATMAP). More than fifty scientists from the GSC, BCGS, Canadian Forest Service, universities in North America, Asia and Europe, and mining and exploration companies were involved in the program. Bedrock and surficial mapping were enhanced by integration with site and area specific studies of metallic and industrial mineral deposits, biostatigraphy, geochronology, stream and till geochemistry, biogeochemistry, airborne geophysics, seismology and paleomagnetism.

From 1995-2000, new regional and detailed geological and geophysical maps were published for the Nechako River (93F), Fort Fraser (93K) and parts of Prince George (93G/12,13), Smithers (93L/16), Hazelton (93M/1), and Manson River (93N/4,5,12) map areas (see index map). In addition to hardcopy maps and reports, all data were brought together in computer-accessible, GIS compatible format and made available on CD-ROM disks and through the Internet. From 1995-2000, new regional and detailed geological and geophysical maps were published for the Nechako River (093F), Fort Fraser (093K) and parts of Prince George (093G/12,13), Smithers (093L/16), Hazelton (093M/1), and Manson River (093N/4,5,12) map areas.  Visit the earlier website of the Nechako Project.

SELECTED REGIONAL REFERENCES (NTS 093K - FORT FRASER)

Armstrong, J.E. (1949): Fort St. James map-area, Cassiar and Coast districts, British Columbia, Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 252, 210 pages.

Ash, C. et al (1993): Geology of the Stuart - Pinchi Lakes Area (pars of 093K07, 08, 09, 10 and 11), B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Open File 1993-9.

Ash, C. et al (1993): Mineral Potential of the Stuart Lake Area, B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Mineral Potential Map 1993-2.

Ash, C. H. and Macdonald, R.W.J. (1992): Geology, Mineralization and Lithogeochemistry of the Stuart Lake Area, B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Fieldwork 1992, pp. 69-86.

Cook, S.J. (1992): Preliminary Report on Lake Sediment Studies in the Northern Interior Plateau, B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Fieldwork 1992, pp. 475-482.

Earle, S. (1992): Assessment of the Applicability of Lake Sediment Geochemical Surveys for Mineral Exploration in the Nechako Plateau Area of British Columbia, B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Exploration in B.C. 1992, pp. 69-106.

Lowe, C.: Composite Lithology Magnetic Anomaly Image, Fort Fraser map sheet; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 3748, 1 map sheet.

MacIntyre, D.G. and Schiarizza, P. (1999): Bedrock Geology Cunningham Lake area (NTS 093K11,12,13 and 14), B.C. Ministry of Energy and Mines, Open File Map 1999-11, scale 1:100,000. The Autodesk WHIP!® viewer is required to view this map.

Plouffe, A.; Williams, Stephen, P. (2001): Quaternary geology data: Manson River (93N), Fort Fraser (93K) and Nechako River (93F), central British Columbia.  Geological Survey of Canada, Open File D2270.

Schiarizza, P. and MacIntyre, D.G. (1999): Geology of the Babine Lake - Takla Lake Area, Central British Columbia (NTS 093K11,12,13 and 14; 093N03,04,05,06), B.C. Ministry of Energy and Mines, Geological Fieldwork 1998, Paper 1999-1, pages 33-68 (in PDF format).

Struik, L.C.; Fallas, K.; Hrudey, M.G.; Whalen, J.B. (2000): Bedrock Geology, Burns Lake, British Columbia (NTS 093K03, 04, 05, 06); Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 3840, 1 sheet.

BC Geological Survey Publications for NTS 093K