RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Otter Lake
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Garnet) and 3 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 1 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as unknown for Iron, Zirconium, Thorium, Titanium. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Garnet, Magnetite. Approx. location 34.000, -80.666. USGS record.
Ask first: a USGS record doesn’t mean you can visit. Find out who owns the land and get permission before collecting.
Field cards: what kind of sites?
Status not recorded.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
7 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
2 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
2 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Magnetite 7Monazite 7Ilmenite 7Rutile 5Zircon 5Commodities
Iron 7Titanium 7Thorium 7Zirconium 5Gold 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congaree River (Sample 1) | Iron, Titanium, Thorium | Magnetite, Monazite, Rutile, Ilmenite | Unknown | 33.767, -80.633 |
| Congaree River (Sample 2) | Iron, Titanium, Thorium | Magnetite, Monazite, Rutile, Ilmenite | Unknown | 33.767, -80.633 |
| Route U. S. 601 | Iron, Thorium, Zirconium, Titanium | Magnetite, Monazite, Zircon, Ilmenite | Unknown | 33.783, -80.633 |
| Myers Creek | Iron, Thorium, Zirconium, Titanium | Magnetite, Monazite, Zircon, Ilmenite | Unknown | 33.867, -80.867 |
| Colonels Creek | Iron, Titanium, Thorium, Zirconium | Magnetite, Monazite, Zircon, Rutile, Ilmenite | Unknown | 33.983, -80.717 |
| Sumters Landing | Iron, Zirconium, Thorium, Titanium | Magnetite, Monazite, Zircon, Rutile, Ilmenite | Unknown | 34.050, -80.617 |
| Otter Lake | Iron, Zirconium, Thorium, Titanium | Magnetite, Monazite, Zircon, Rutile, Ilmenite | Unknown | 34.000, -80.666 |
| Westinghouse Elec. Corp--Columbia | — | — | Unknown | 33.993, -81.045 |
| Cedar Creek Mine | Gold | — | Past Producer | 34.190, -81.120 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 8 fossil collection records in Richland County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Sumter County · Kershaw County · Fairfield County · Calhoun County · Lexington County
South Carolina mineral guides
- Tourmaline in South Carolina
- Quartz in South Carolina
- Garnet in South Carolina
- Gold in South Carolina
- Mica in South Carolina
- Feldspar in South Carolina
Back to all South Carolina counties.
How we built this page: we counted named sites in the USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) for this area, left out sand, gravel, crushed stone, clay pits and unnamed sites, grouped them by Census county, and linked every site to its USGS record. We did not visit these sites, and MRDS does not tell you who owns the land or whether collecting is allowed.
Source: USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS). USGS ceased systematic updates to MRDS around 2011, so status and details may be out of date. Each site links to its USGS record.
Updated