Bend Deposit, Taylor County Wisconsin

The interactive story map on the left allows you to locate ogaa (walleye) harvest lakes and manoomin (wild rice) beds, along with water quality monitoring points and prospecting permit areas.

Click the blue button on the bottom left corner to view the interactive map legend. The legend can be condensed by clicking the "v" on the top right corner of the legend.

The deposit was discovered by Chevron Resources and Wisconsin Mineral Resources in the late 1980's. Exploration drilling began in the 1990's. Leasing of the surface and mineral rights of the area has been tracked up until 1996, and as seen below has changed many times.

1986 - Chevron Resources, Wisconsin Mineral Resources, Royals Standard Minerals; also known as Jump River Joint Venture

1990 - NDU, Chevron Resources 

1991 - Asarco, Cyprus Minerals

1991-93 - Sharpe Energy, Cyprus Amax

1994 - Freewest Resources, Sharpe Energy

1996 - Sharpe Resources Corp, RSM (Sharpe Resources Corp forced to voluntarily seek Chapter 11 reorganization under the US federal Bankruptcy code.)

2011 - Aquila Resources Inc

2022 - Green Light Metals, Inc.

In their annual report in 1998, Royal Standard Minerals identified the resource estimations in 1992. The first estimation by E.K. Lehmann and Associates estimated the amount of minerals (in tons) in two zones; Copper Zone and Gold Zone. Later, the same sections were reassessed by Watts, Griffs, and McQuat. The results of both estimations are below.

The Bend Deposit, as shown in the map below, is located in the Greenstone Belt of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Inside the Bend perimeter mafic metavolcanics rock, gabbro, and a small portion of gneiss and granite are present.

The USGS published Geochemistry of bedrock and glacial deposits in the vicinity of the Bend massive sulfide deposit, north central Wisconsin in 2003. The publication can be viewed by clicking below.

In 2004 the JGE published Woodruff et al. Geochemistry of glacial sediments in the area of Bend massive sulfide deposit, north-central Wisconsin. The report information can be viewed below.

Green Light Metals (GLM) has plans to further define the Bend deposit. They plan to drill six exploratory drillholes on the Soo Line 40-acre parcel in the winter of 2025, where the minerals are privately held but the surface is owned by the Federal government . As part of their broader drill program, GLM have submitted their plans to expand exploratory drilling to include the surrounding area encompassing 519 acres around the Soo Line parcel. These plans were submitted to the USFS on May 21, 2023. The permit status for the surrounding area is in the review process by the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service.

The proposed drillholes/sites presented in the interactive map include GLM's Soo Line parcel and the 13 drill sites in the surrounding federal mineral parcels in the orange area with black dashed outline.

For the most current information on mineral exploration of the Soo Line parcel, please visit the Wisconsin DNR's website on the Bend deposit:  Recent and potential metallic mining projects in Wisconsin | | Wisconsin DNR 

 The Wisconsin Geologic and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) continues to conduct surface water and shallow groundwater monitoring around the Bend deposit.  In 2024, they expanded their studies to include more sites in the watershed in particular around the Chequamegon Waters Flowage a popular harvesting location of manoomin (wild rice). They have a recent publication,  Water Quality in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest  which includes information for the Medford District.

2023/2024 timeline of events under development.

November 30, 2022 - Green Light Wisconsin submits revised NOI to state, per WIDNR's request.

September 23, 2022 – Green Light Wisconsin submits NOI. The Notice of Intent to drill includes exploration plan. The following link is for the WIDNR's site which has all state project documents.

July 12, 2022 – WIDNR's letter re-issuing exploration license #16964 to Green Light Wisconsin, LLC and expires June 30, 2023. 

March 18, 2022 – USFS's letter of Concurrence with Certificate of Completion for Aquila's 8 exploration boreholes, transferring bond and further responsibilities of ownership to Green Light Metals. 

March 3, 2022 – Green Light Metals filed their NI 43-101 report, "An Evaluation of the Bend Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) Deposit". This is a technical report characterizing the deposit's potential for development, a requirement for the Canadian Stock Exchanges and public disclosure to secure investors.

February 22, 2022 - WIDNR's Issuance of Metallic Mineral Exploration License to Green Light #16964 Wisconsin, LLC and expires June 13, 2022. The following link is for the WIDNR's site which has all state project documents.

July 13, 2021 - The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (MJS) reported Green Light Metals, a Canadian company, is in the process of purchasing the Bend and Reef deposits owned by Aquila Resources. Click below to view the publication.

Late June 2021, the CNNF and Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Society (WGNHS) have partnered to conduct a hydrogeology study in the area. The project will gather baseline data prior to potential mineral development activities. Below are the photos of one of their site visits.

June 1, 2021 - Aquila Resources announced the letter of intent for sale of its Bend and Reef properties.

June 1, 2021 - Wisconsin Public Radio published the article Canadian Mining Company Seeks To Sell Interests In Copper And Gold Deposits In Northern Wisconsin. To view the publication, click below.

In the early 80's a small number of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) prospecting permits were issued for core drilling in the Chequamegon National Forest. In 1986 the Bend ore body was discovered in the National Forest by Jump River Joint Venture (composed of Chevron Resources and Wisconsin Mineral Resources).

The peak of prospecting core drilling activity in the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forests took place. Additional core drilling had been completed in the Bend ore body to establish its extent.

In the hardrock permit area, after the core drill holes had been assessed, many were abandoned and reclaimed under the supervision of Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest and the Department of Natural Resources. A few drill holes were capped but not yet abandoned, because of the potential for future use.

In 1998, wetlands, hydrography and tribal resources, and cultural features and transportation networks were mapped by Esteban C. of Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. To view larger, click the image below or view/download the PDF  here .

An Environmental Assessment (EA) was conducted in 2004 issuing eight BLM prospecting permits. These permits included new and previously prospected areas. From 2000 to 2010 there were no new core drill holes. The EA is comprised of five main sections, and can be downloaded below:

• Appendix A - CNNF Stipulations
• Appendix B1 - BLM Stipulations
• Appendix B2- USFS R9 Stipulations
• Appendix C - Mineral Ownership
• Appendix D - Drilling Description History

In March of 2012, Aquila Resources submitted drill hole abandonment documents to the state of Wisconsin. The documents can be viewed  here .

Later in 2012 Aquila applied for 3 prospecting permit areas. The maps provided below are the Hardrock BLM Prospecting Permit Areas. Click the image below to enlarge, or download the JPG  here . Later in May 2013, an  Environmental Assessment  was issued for the Mondeaux Hardrock deposit, also located in Taylor County Wisconsin.

On September 9, 2014, staff from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource, the US Forest Service and Aquila Resources, Inc. inspected 8 permanently abandoned metallic mining exploration borehole sites located along Forest Service Road 112 in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Taylor County.

In 2015, there was no activity in the Bend deposit, although Aquila Resources, Inc was issued two BLM prospecting permits; WIES 57195 and 57196, both located in the the Mondeaux area which is also located in the CNNF. The Forest Service supplied two maps, below, of the Mondeaux Hardrock Prospecting Permit area. To this date, there has been no core drilling activity.

In 2019, Aquila Resources was issued four prospecting permit applications; WEIS 58011, 58012, 58013, and 57966. These areas were previously leased by BLM for mineral exploration. The map below outlines the four prospecting permit areas.

###

The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission is commonly known by its acronym, GLIFWC. Formed in 1984, GLIFWC represents  eleven Ojibwe tribes  in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan who reserved hunting, fishing and gathering rights in the 1837, 1842, and 1854  Treaties  with the United States government.

    GLIFWC provides natural resource management expertise, conservation enforcement, legal and policy analysis, and public information services in support of the exercise of treaty rights during well-regulated, off-reservation seasons throughout the treaty  ceded territories . 

     GLIFWC is guided by its  Board of Commissioners  along with two standing committees, the  Voigt Intertribal Task Force  and the  Great Lakes Fisheries Committee , which advise the Board on policy.