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The Nushagae District Alaska

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The Nushagae District Alaska UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. C. Mcndenhall, Director Bulletin 903 THE NUSHAGAE DISTRICT ALASKA BY J. B. MERTIE, JR. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1938 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. -------- Price 65 cents' i CONTENTS < Page .Abstract__ ______________________________________________________ 1 Introduction..____.__._.________-_--_---_____---___-___-_-__---__. 2 Location of area_______________________________________________ 2 Previous work______._______-___-___-_-____-__-_____-___.-.__ 2 Early explorations. ________-_______i______________________ 2 Later surveys._____________________________________________ 4 Present investigation____________.__-____-________-._-_ __...._. 6 Scope and itineraries-____-______________.___-_.________--_. 6 Methods of work__ .....1.................................. 7 Acknowledgments-_-------_--------__----------------_____ 9 Geography __ _______-__-____-----_---.-_-------__----_-_______-. 9 Drainage and relief.______-_-__--_-_--__-_--__------___.._-._._ & Lowland of Nushagak River and Bay_---__--__-_-..._____... 10 Nushagak Hills.._.....__...._...._...._........_...___. 13 Tikchik Mountains.______.-_____:____.___-___________._.__ 14 Highland area__________---_______-_--__.-_____--___.__ 14 Lakes area _________-___-_-____-_______--____-_..._. 15 Settlements and population.____________________________________ 24 Transportation and communication._.._.__....________.___..___: 26 Climate.____.-__.__-__-._--_-.._..__._-_..__.._..__....._ 27 Vegetation_ _ ___-----.___-__------_--_-----_-_------______-__ 30 Animal life____________----__-_.--___-_-_---_-_---__-_--__.. 35 Geology------..------- - .................................. 36 Outline_______._..-_______--.._-_._-__--__--.--.--___._...__ 36 Carboniferous system____-_---_---_------_____-_._-_.___..-..__ 37 Mississippian (?) series-___-_---_-__--__-_____________._.._. 37 Permian series._.____-_-____--_-__-__--_------__----__-_.: 42 Limestone._-_--____---------_-_-_-___-__.-_____--_._. 42 Volcanic rocks.___--_.___----___--_-_-- .............i. 45 Triassic system . ........................................^... 47 Upper Triassic series-_----____------_-__-__--_-_--__._--... 47 Cretaceous system.-_-_-_---_-----__-____------____-____-_-_-__ 48 Undifferentiated Cretaceous rocks._____._..__.__._...__.___. 49 Older rocks-_-__--_-------_----__-______-___.__. ....'.. 49 Younger rocks._______-_--_____._-__________.___-...__ 56 Upper Cretaceous rocks.___--_------_-___-__-.---__---__.__ 59 Tertiary system.__.J____-_.___L________ ...... J.......i.:....i. 61 Nushagak formation..._____'__-__._____..___.______.__..___ 61 Quaternary system. ............i..l..."_._______ .____._______ 63 Preglacial conditions.______________________________________ 63 Glacial conditions.___-_--_----_____-___-_--__-.__...__..._ 64 Postglacial conditions..___--_-__.____._____________.______. 66 Unconsolidated deposits.___________________________________ 68- Glacial and glaciofluviatile deposits______._.__.__._____._ 68 Recent deposits_-_-__---_--____---___-______-_____._._ 71 in IV CONTENTS Geology Continued. Igneous rocks_________-_-____---__-_-_---_-_---------_________ 73 f_ Permian volcanic rocks____---__-_______---___---___________ 74 Tertiary granitic rocks.____________________________________ 75 Distribution. __"________-_________-._-____-____________ 75 Petrographic character.._______________________________ 76 Chemical character.___________________________________ 78 Contact alteration.____________________________________ 82 Age and correlation____________________________________ 85 M Mineralization and prospecting_______.______________________________ 87 Index_____.____.______--____________--.______ 93 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE 1. Topographic map of the Nushagak district. ______________ In pocket 2. Geologic map of the Nushagak district.__________________ In pocket 3. A, Second rapids of Nuyakuk River, just upstream from the . falls; B, View looking southeast from Tikchik Mountain, show­ ing Nushagak lowland.__-_____-____-.._.-._.._-__.______ 12 4. A, Mountains northwest of the upper end of Lake Chauekuktuli; B, View showing northeast side of Lake Aleknagik from the mouth of Agutowak River to Mosquito Point.____. ________ 12 5. A, Head of Amakuk Arm, showing typical square end of these fiordlike headwater bays; B, Glacial cirque in hanging valley at head of Little Togiak Lake.___________________________ 20 <6. A, Southwest wall of Little Togiak Lake, showing rough surface produced by glacial erosion and plucking; B, Postglacial erosion in southwest wall of Little Togiak Lake...._________ 20 7. View looking down Amakuk Arm, showing fiordlike character and steep southwest wall._______________________________ 21 8. Sketch map showing distribution of timber in the Nushagak district----..----_-_--------_.------_-_------.---_-__-_-_ 29 9. Hills along south shore of Lake Chauekuktuli, showing glacial erosion in the Mississippian (?) rocks._____________________ 45 10. View looking east along south shore of Nuyakuk Lake_______ 68 11. A, Fractured graywacke on Lake Aleknagik; B, Granite monolith along south side of Tikchik Lake.________________________ 68 12. Lake Chauekuktuli, looking southeast.______________________ 69 FIGUKE 1. Index map showing location of Nushagak district_________.__ 3 2. Longitudinal profile of Lake Aleknagik-____________________ 17 3. Curves showing mean precipitation, mean snowfall, and mean temperature at Dillingham ___________________________ 29 4. Directions of strike observed in Mississippian (?) rocks.______ 41 THE NUSHAGAK DISTRICT, ALASKA By J. B. MERTIE, Jr. ABSTRACT The Nushagak district, as here defined, is an area of about 14,000 square miles in southwestern Alaska which extends northward from Nushagak and Kvichak Bays for a distance of about 100 miles. This region is drained by the Nushagak River, and the mapped area includes mainly the western part of the Nushagak Valley. Except in its southern part, little was known regarding this district until 1930 and 1931, when a topographic map was prepared by the Geo­ logical Survey. The geologic mapping was done in 1931 and 1935. The district comprises three rather well-defined geographic units. The first of these is known as the Tikchik Mountains, which form the eastern part of a large mountainous province that constitutes the western part of this district. The Tikchik Mountains form a rugged highland that is isolated from the main mountain ranges of southern Alaska and was the site of extensive Pleistocene ice fields. These mountains are bordered on their east side by a system of 12 more or less parallel deep glacial lakes, which now occupy essentially bed­ rock basins. The second unit, called the Nushagak Hills, is a group of low rounded hills that form the northeastern part of the district. The third unit is the lowland of the Nushagak River and Bay, which comprises the eastern and southern parts of the district. The geologic sequence consists of sedimentary and igneous rocks, which range in age from Carboniferous to Recent. The Carboniferous rocks consist of Mississippian (?) and Permian sedimentary rocks and Permian volcanic rocks. The Mississippian (?) strata comprise mainly cherty and quartzitic rocks but include also some argillaceous and calcareous beds. The Permian strata consist of fossiliferous limestone. The Permian volcanics comprise basic lavas, which have developed a greenstone habit. A few fossiliferous Upper Triassic rocks have also been recognized, but such rocks appear to constitute only a very small part of the geologic column. No Jurassic rocks are known to be present, but the Cretaceous system is represented in the Tikchik Moun­ tains by a great volume of rocks, which crop out for more than 60 miles normal to their strike. From lithologic and structural evidence, this sequence has been divided into two unconformable groups, which are correlated roughly with the Upper and Lower Cretaceous epochs. In the Nushagak Hills fossiliferous Upper Cretaceous rocks have also been recognized and mapped. The Tertiary system is represented by marine beds of Pliocene age, which occur only along the seacoast. The Quaternary deposits consist of older sedimentary beds, including glacial, glaciofluviatile, and fluviatile deposits, which were laid down during the period of active glaciation; and younger fluviatile and beach depos­ its, mainly of Recent age. The Carboniferous and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks are intruded by granitic and monzonitic rocks of Tertiary age. 2 NUSHAGAK DISTRICT, ALASKA No metalliferous deposits of commercial value have yet been found in the Nushagak district, but the presence of small bodies of granitic rocks suggests that the country rock is probably more or less mineralized. The oc­ currence of gold in small quantities at widely separated localities materially strengthens this probability. It is concluded that the Tikchik Mountains, because they have been extensively glaciated, are not a favorable site for the occurrence of commercial placers, though lode deposits may be present. The northeastern part of the district and contiguous areas to the north and east are regarded as more favorable sites for prospecting for gold placers. INTRODUCTION LOCATION OF AREA The Nushagak district lies in southwestern Alaska and takes its name from the Nushagak River, which flows southward through this district, draining a considerable part of it. Beginning at Nushagak and Kvichak Bays,
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