4.6 Geology and Soils
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4.6 GEOLOGY, SOILS, AND MINERAL RESOURCES This section addresses the existing geological and soil resources within the region and evaluates the significance of the changes in geological resources that would result from development of the proposed 2014 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). In addition, as appropriate and feasible, mitigation measures are identified to reduce potentially significant adverse impacts. 4.6.1 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING Regional Geology Located at the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley, San Joaquin County lies in the region of the confluence of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. The San Joaquin Valley is bordered by the Coast Ranges on the west and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the east. The San Joaquin Valley basin has been filled over time with up to a 6-mile-thick sequence of interbedded clay, silt, sand, and gravel deposits. The sediments range in age from more than 144 million years old (Jurassic Period) to less than 10,000 years (Holocene). The most recent sediments consist of coarse-grained (sand and gravel) deposits along river courses and fine-grained (clay and silt) deposits located in low- lying areas or flood basins and are referred to as alluvial deposits. These deposits are loose and not well- consolidated soils. Older alluvial deposits underlie the edges of the Valley. The older alluvial deposits are exposed in the foothill regions in the eastern portion of the County. The alluvial deposits, which slope gradually toward the center of the Valley, contain most of the groundwater supplies in San Joaquin County. The foothills of the Diablo Range in the southwestern part of the County are underlain by alluvial deposits and older marine sediments deposited during the Tertiary Period when an inland sea occupied the Central Valley. Great Valley Geomorphic Province The Great Valley is an alluvial plain, about 50 miles wide and 400 miles long, between the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada. The Great Valley Province is drained by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, which join and enter San Francisco Bay. The eastern border is the west-sloping Sierran bedrock surface, which continues westward beneath alluvium and older sediments. The western border is underlain by east-dipping Cretaceous and Cenozoic strata that form a deeply buried synclinal trough, lying beneath the Great Valley along its western side. The southern part of the Great Valley Province is the San Joaquin Valley. Its great oil fields follow anticlinal uplifts that mark the southwestern border of San Joaquin Impact Sciences, Inc. 4.6-1 2014 San Joaquin COG RTP/SCS Draft EIR 1173.001 March 2014 4.6 Geology, Soils and Mineral Resources Valley and its southern basin. To the north, the Sacramento Valley plain is interrupted by the Marysville Buttes, an isolated Pliocene volcanic plug about 2,000 feet high. Mineral Resources Mineral resources within San Joaquin County consist primarily of sand and gravel aggregate, with limited mining of peat, gold, and silver. In the past, placer gold deposits have been found in many San Joaquin County rivers and creeks. These deposits were dredged for gold by independent operators in the years following the 1849 gold rush. Significant gold deposits are believed to be fully extracted, and today gold is found only as a secondary product of sand and gravel processing. The mining extent of silver and silver reserves within the County is unknown.1 Peat soil removal occurred during the 1970s and 1980s. The Delta Humus Company removed extensive peat soil from a flooded portion of Venice Island in the past; however, since then only limited peat excavations have occurred. Currently, almost all mining operations in the County are sand and gravel aggregate operations. Construction aggregate refers to sand and gravel (natural aggregates) and crushed stone (rock) that are used as Portland-cement-concrete aggregate, asphaltic-concrete aggregate, road base, railroad ballast, riprap, and fill for the production of other construction materials. California‘s construction industry is greatly dependent on readily available aggregate deposits that are within a reasonable distance to market regions. Aggregate is a low unit-value, high bulk-weight commodity; therefore, aggregate for construction must be obtained from nearby sources in order to minimize costs to the consumer. If nearby aggregate sources do not exist, then transportation costs can quickly exceed the value of the aggregate. Mineral land classification studies for aggregate use either a Production-Consumption (P-C) region or a County as the study area boundary. A P-C region is one or more aggregate production districts (a group of producing aggregate mines) and the market area they serve. P-C Regions sometimes cross county boundaries. Mineral land classification reports include information from one or more P-C regions, or from a county. San Joaquin County is in the Stockton-Lodi P-C region. The 50-year demand for aggregate in this region is 687 million tons (compared to 12,047 million tons in the entire state), of which 277 million tons must be Portland-cement-concrete grade. 1 2009 San Joaquin General Plan Update, Draft Background Report, Natural Resources Element. Impact Sciences, Inc. 4.6-2 2014 San Joaquin COG RTP/SCS Draft EIR 1173.001 March 2014 4.6 Geology, Soils and Mineral Resources There are approximately 232 million tons of permitted reserves in this region (compared to 4,067 million tons in the state).2 Thus The Stockton-Lodi region has approximately 33 percent of its anticipated 50-year demand under permits. It is estimated that permitted reserves will last 20 years.3 The California Geological Survey (CGS) estimates that there are approximately 74 billion tons of non- permitted resources statewide. Non-permitted aggregate resources are deposits that may meet specifications for construction aggregate, are recoverable with existing technology, have no land overlying them that is incompatible with mining, and currently, are not permitted for mining. Resource areas include areas that that are known to contain aggregate resources and have compatible land uses such as agricultural land, open space lands (not designated as parks), and forest lands. Uses that are considered incompatible with mining include urban areas, county and state parks, national parks and golf courses. While the estimated amount of non-permitted resources is large, it is unlikely that all of these resources will ever be mined because of social, environmental, or economic factors. Aggregate resources located too close to urban or environmentally sensitive areas can limit or stop their development. These resources may also be located too far from a potential market to be economically viable. In spite of such possible constraints, non- permitted aggregate resources are the most likely future sources of construction aggregate potentially available to meet California’s continuing demand. The largest supply of sand and gravel in the County is the Corral Hollow Creek production district near Tracy and Manteca. This district produces an estimated 5 to 10 million tons per year. Several other districts located near Lathrop, Manteca, and in northeast San Joaquin County each produce an estimated 0.5 to 2 million tons of aggregate per year.4 Unless new resources are permitted for mining, or alternative resources are utilized, existing resources will eventually be depleted. The deposits could last longer than projected if excavators are granted variances permitting excavations below 90 feet. Figure 4.6-1, Location of the Stockton-Lodi P-C Region, provides an outline of the P-C Region, and Figure 4.6-2, San Joaquin County Mineral Zones, illustrates the known mineral zones in the County. 2 Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey, 2012 Aggregate Sustainability in California. 3 CGS Special Report 199, Update of Mineral Land Classification for Portland Cement Concrete-Grade Aggregate in the Stockton-Lodi Production-Consumption Region, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, California. 4 2009 San Joaquin General Plan Update, Draft Background Report, Natural Resources Element. Impact Sciences, Inc. 4.6-3 2014 San Joaquin COG RTP/SCS Draft EIR 1173.001 March 2014 4.6 Geology, Soils and Mineral Resources Faults and Seismicity Faults A fault is a fracture in the crust of the earth along which rocks on one side have moved relative to those on the other side. A fault trace is the line on the earth's surface defining the fault. Displacement of the earth's crust along faults release energy in the form of earthquakes and in some cases in fault creep. Most faults are the result of repeated displacements over a long period of time. Surface rupture occurs when movement on a fault deep within the earth breaks through to the surface. Surface ruptures have been known to extend up to 50 miles with displacements of an inch to 20 feet. Fault rupture almost always follows preexisting faults, which are zones of weakness. Rupture may occur suddenly during an earthquake or slowly in the form of fault creep. Sudden displacements are more damaging to structures because they are accompanied by shaking. The State of California designates faults as active, potentially active, and inactive depending on how recent the movement that can be substantiated for a fault. Table 4.6-1, Fault Activity Rating, presents the California fault activity rating system. Table 4.6-1 Fault Activity Rating Fault Activity Rating Geologic Period of Last Rupture Time Interval (Years) Active (A) Holocene Within last 11,000 years Potentially Active (PA) Quaternary 11,000–1.6 Million Years Inactive (I) Pre-Quaternary Greater than 1.6 Million Active faults affecting San Joaquin County include the San Andreas, Hayward, Calaceras, midland, Green Valley-Concord, and Tracy-Stockton Faults. These faults are capable of producing earthquakes of a maximum probable magnitude between 6.3 and 8.25 on the Richter scale.