CITICO CREEK WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, TENNESSEE.

A mineral-resource survey of the Citico Creek Wilderness Study Area, in easternmost Tennessee, indicated that the area offers little promise for the occurrence of metallic mineral resources. Geochemical sampling found traces of gold, copper, cobalt, barium, arsenic, lead, zinc, and thorium in rocks, stream sediments, and panned concentrates, but not in sufficient quantities to indicate the presence of metallic mineral deposits. The only apparent resources are nonmetallic commodities including rock suitable for construction materials, and small amounts of sand and gravel; however, these commodities are found in abundance outside the study area. The potential for oil and natural gas at great depths could not be evaluated by this study. Deep drilling would test the potential for hydrocarbon resources underlying the metamorphic rocks.