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Our Mission Malakoff The mission of State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and t Malakoff Diggins, education of the people of California by helping A Diggins to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and the world’s largest cultural resources, and creating opportunities State Historic Park for high-quality outdoor recreation. hydraulic mine devastated the pristine landscape — leading to the first

California State Parks supports equal access. environmental law Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at enacted in the nation. (530) 265-2740. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact [email protected].

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service

www.parks.ca.gov

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park 23579 North Bloomfield Road Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-2740

© 2010 California State Parks (Rev. 2017) M alakoff Diggins State Historic Park methods to separate more gold from larger preserves and interprets the 1850s -1880s amounts of the deposits. These methods hydraulic era, when gold seekers included long, slanted sluice boxes or combed the Sierra foothills and washed away “rockers.” Miners added liquid entire mountains looking for the precious metal. (also called quicksilver), which created a gold-mercury amalgam that settled to the PARK HISTORY bottom of the devices while , sand, Native People and gravel ran off. Some mercury was The park lies within the territory of the Hill inevitably lost from the sluice and flowed Nisenan. Nisenan territory once extended downstream with the sediments, but the from the lower reaches of the Yuba, American, Gold miners of the area miners were fairly efficient at using and and Feather Rivers to the east bank of the re-using the valuable mercury to aid in the and up to the 10,000-foot Miners Find Gold recovery and concentration of gold. Sierra crest. Gold panning in Sierra streambeds quickly In 1852, a French-speaking Canadian The Hill Nisenan lived in multi-family exhausted the readily available gold. miner named bypassed villages or in extended-family hamlets. Miners sifted through stream deposits of the need for ditches and by hooking Several hamlets might be grouped together sand and gravel— a process called placer up a canvas hose and directing the water under one leader in the largest village. Villages mining — looking for gold. flow at the ore supply. When his partner, were located below 3,000 feet elevation, in began here in 1852 after Edward Mattison, increased the water small valleys and open canyons. The families a rich gold deposit was found in Humbug pressure by adding a nozzle to the hose, stayed in these villages during the winter, Creek, near the South . Each placer hydraulic mining was born. Discarded dirt but spread to smaller camps — often at higher miner staked claim to a 30- by 40-foot section and gravel ore, called debris or slickens, elevations in rough terrain— from spring of ground. They would scoop and sieve was discharged into the rivers. through fall to collect and hunt food. gravel, dirt, and water The Nisenan’s first contact with the Spanish from a running creek or came in 1808, when General Gabriel Moraga river into flat-bottomed passed through the Nisenan territory. The pans. They agitated these great malaria epidemic of 1833 wiped out alluvial deposits, then many of the Nisenan. The final blow to poured off the water. The Nisenan culture came with the 1848 , heavier gold, if present, when miners overran their territory, bringing would gleam as flakes or new diseases and disrupting Nisenan nuggets in the bottom of harvest patterns. the pans. The surviving Nisenan in the Nevada County A town called Humbug region seek to have their federal recognition soon sprang up to house restored as they strive to preserve their the miners. They began ancestral heritage. devising more efficient High-pressure monitors wash gold from ancient river beds. In 1858, the townspeople decided to The group the Diggins pit to Humbug change the name from Humbug to the purchased the Creek in 1872. Eight vertical more attractive North Bloomfield. The Bowman Ranch shafts were sunk at 1,000-foot surrounding area became the Bloomfield and Rudyard intervals along the tunnel Township, which also included Lake City, Reservoir, angled toward the creek, the village of Malakoff, Derbec, and nearby constructed dams, which led to the South Yuba Relief Hill. Many Chinese immigrants and built a huge River. Two crews would labored in the gold mines and grew and ditch enter each shaft and dig in vegetables for the town’s residents. system to carry opposite directions along Some miners became discouraged at the water to wash the tunnel line. This method small return in gold for the amount of effort ore at the claim. of tunneling shaved a year they had expended; they left to try their At capacity, the North Bloomfield today from usual tunnel methods, luck at richer pickings in Nevada. resulting water power could work 100,000 enabling miners to dig into the pit’s rich In 1866, French immigrant Julius tons of gravel per day at the diggings. The pay dirt and process the material through Poquillion and others bought and North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company the tunnel before ejecting debris into the consolidated many abandoned claims continued to expand and invest in more river. Fifteen crews dug simultaneously. On until they had amassed 1,535 acres. The water supplies and hydraulic mining November 15, 1874, the tunnel was completed local miners then convinced a group of San facilities; they built over 100 miles of canals at a cost of $498,800. Francisco financiers to invest in large-scale and ditches that carried water to claim sites In 1876, the company began using hydraulic , forming the North for hydroblasting the rock and soil. seven full-scale Craig monitors — powerful Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company. The Company began work on a 7,847-foot water cannons — to wash the gravel from drainage tunnel through the bedrock from the mountainside and capture any gold it held. This effective method brought new prosperity and workers to North Bloomfield — as mounds of spent debris choked downstream . The company’s records show expenditures of $3 million for all capital improvements. They had collected only $3 million in gold before a judge issued an injunction to cease using water cannons and river dumping. The Sawyer Decision During the 1850s, concerns emerged about the debris from hydraulic mines. Toward the end of the 1860s, as large-scale hydraulic operations got underway, the debris problem Lake City, ca. 1870 became severe. Farms and towns in the Central Valley were flooded and destroyed. property also took place. When the Rudyard and water quality to understand the extent Silt traveled all the way to Dam on the Yuba River failed in 1883, miners of biological uptake in areas affected by Bay, impairing marine navigation of the suspected the dam had been dynamited. historical gold mining. Sacramento River and parts of the bay. River On January 7, 1884, after months of Becoming a State Park testimony and argument, Judge Lorenzo channels were closed to steamboat traffic. In the 1960s, Nevada County locals initiated Sawyer handed down his decision in the Because mining had contributed to valley a campaign to preserve the history of case of Woodruff (a Marysville property towns’ prosperity, many towns depended North Bloomfield and hydraulic mining. owner) vs. the North Bloomfield Gravel on the mines for sustenance. The valley The idea caught on, and Malakoff Diggins Mining Company. In a 225-page document inhabitants simply built their higher State Historic Park was created in 1965. Park that described the damage caused by to hold off . visitors can see the way miners lived near mining debris, Sawyer issued a permanent In 1875 the town of Marysville flooded. the remnants of the main Malakoff mine injunction against dumping tailings into Because the town was surrounded by high and five other claim sites that were blasted the Yuba River. Attempts were made to levees, the floodwaters swept in and filled with water to get at the gold thought to lie keep hydraulic mines profitable, such as the area as if it were a giant bowl. Many embedded beneath. residents lost their property or their lives. impounding the debris, but within a couple Finally, a petition was submitted to the of decades, California’s environmentally State Legislature requesting that laws devastating hydraulic-mining era ended. Geology and Vegetation regulating mining operations be passed. As a result of the Sawyer decision, North Sedimentary and volcanic rocks are Years of skirmishes followed, both in and Bloomfield’s population had shrunk to half evident in the cliff walls of the Diggins, with out of courts. In addition to the lawsuits, by 1900. Several buildings stood empty and alternating layers of conglomerates, white injunctions, and appeals, some destruction of decaying. When the first World War began fine-grained clays, and iron-stained siltstones. in 1914, some buildings were demolished Landslides and have changed the for their lumber. Prohibition later closed the profile of the pit since the days of hydraulic town’s saloons. The population grew during mining. The pit is about 6,800 feet long from the Depression era, when former residents southwest to northeast, and it ranges from returned to North Bloomfield’s empty 1,000 to 3,800 feet wide from north to south. buildings seeking a free place to live. More than 100 feet of eroded deposits When World War II started in 1941, people have accumulated on the pit floor, left to find work in other places, and more transforming its raw, u-shaped surface into buildings were razed. By 1950, North a flat plane. Native vegetation has become Bloomfield’s permanent residents numbered established in the once-barren areas. fewer than twenty. About 3,200 forested acres in the park The legacy of hydraulic gold mining can surround the pit, at 2,500 to 4,000 feet still be seen in the gouged hillsides and elevation. The second-growth ponderosa choked streambeds around Malakoff Diggins. pine forest also has incense cedar, black Scientists are investigating the enduring oak, white and Douglas-fir, and sugar pine effects of introduced mercury on the growing on its upper slopes. display on Humbug Day ecosystem — evaluating soils, native fauna, Whiteleaf manzanita is the park’s most Fishing — Rainbow and brown trout may Programs and events — Gold panning profuse woody shrub. Hillsides are covered be caught in South Yuba River. Blair Lake near China Garden and guided tours with ceanothus, including buckbrush and reservoir holds black bass, bluegill, and of historic town buildings are offered deerbrush. Spectacular wildflowers bloom rainbows. All anglers 16 and over must during museum hours. Humbug Day takes in the spring. possess a valid California fishing license. place each June, and an Ice Cream Social Wildlife Hiking — The park has more than 20 miles celebrates September. Environmental Living of scenic foothill trails with degrees of Programs are available to school groups. Call Nocturnal animals such as black bears, difficulty varying from easy to strenuous. the park museum at (530) 265-2740 or visit mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats roam The renowned South Yuba Trail connects www.malakoffdigginsstatepark.org for a in the dark. Black-tailed deer may be seen to this trail network. current schedule of events. during the day. The park’s bird species include the dark- eyed junco, mountain chickadee, California quail, Steller’s jay, black-throated gray warbler, and mourning dove. Climate From October through April, the western slope of the Sierra receives between 40 and 60 annual inches of rainfall. Snow is common at higher elevations. Spring, summer, and fall temperatures range from the high 50s to the mid-80s.

RECREATION Camping — Three miner’s cabins in North Bloomfield may be reserved. The 30 family campsites at Chute Hill each have tables, food lockers, and fire grates. The group campsite is reservable for 9 to 40 people with no more than 10 vehicles. Reservations are recommended for weekends or summer weekdays. For camping reservations, call (800) 444-7275 or visit www.parks.ca.gov. Swimming — Blair Lake has a small swimming section near the picnic area. No lifeguard service is available, so please use caution and swim at your own risk. The Diggins at Malakoff hydraulic mining pit NEARBY STATE PARKS ACCESSIBLE FEATURES PLEASE REMEMBER • South Yuba River SP The restrooms are accessible. For accessibility • Dogs must be on a leash no (Bridgeport crossing) updates, visit http://access.parks.ca.gov. more than six feet long and 17660 Pleasant Valley Road must be under control at all Penn Valley 95946 This park receives support in part from a times. They must be confined (530) 432-2546 nonprofit association. For more information, to a tent or vehicle at night. • Empire Mine State Historic Park contact Friends of North Bloomfield & • All natural and cultural park Poison oak 10791 East Empire Street Malakoff Diggins (affiliated with South Yuba features are protected by law Grass Valley 95945 River Park Association) • (530) 265-2740 and may not be disturbed or removed. (530) 273-8522 www.malakoffdigginsstatepark.org • Step with caution. Watch for rattlesnakes and poison oak in many parts of the park. • Disease-carrying ticks may be present. • Black bears can smell food and toiletries stored in cars or tents. Use the bear- resistant metal lockers for all food and scented items. • Please check in and pay day-use fees at the park headquarters/museum in North Bloomfield. • Please use only marked roads and trails. Off-road vehicles and making or using unofficial trails are not permitted within park boundaries. 4400 0 500 1000 1500 Feet Chute Hill Group 0 100 200 300 400 500 Meters P 4200 n Campground o y 3800 n Malakoff Diggins a C ent Roa CHUTE HILLRoad d ow T d State Historic Park Cruzon Grade 5 oa Sn R CAMPGROUND n 4000 e r on e b t 6 4 k AREA s c a C a ruz B 4400 E on 3 Grad field-G e R De m raniteville Road 7 oad rbe o 12 c o 2 4200 Road l Rim 4200 B 8 th or Trail 11 1 N 9 10 4000 14 15 13 Chute 17 S ek 4200 Hill 18 Blair pring Cre 16 4000 19 20 3800 25 21 Trail 26 22 4000 24 23 4000 Diggins 4200 3800 Overlook d a 27 30 MALAKOFF 4000 o 28 R le 29 l i v 3600 e t see i DIGGINS detail map n ra TAHOE G -

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