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The Salton Sea Region, California

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The Salton Sea Region, California DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUBERT WORK, Secretary UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director Water-Supply Paper 497 THE SALTON SEA REGION, CALIFORNIA A GEOGEAPHIC, GEOLOGIC, AND HTDEOLOGIC EECONNAISSANCE WITH A GUIDE TO DESEET WATEEING PLACES BY JOHN S. BROWN Prepared in cooperation with the DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1923 ADDITIONAL COPIES Or THIS PUBLICATION MAT BE PBOCUBED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OV DOCUMENTS GOVEBNMENT PEINTINO OFFICE WASHINQTON, D. C. AT 60 CENTS PER COPY PUECHASEE AQEEES NOT TO EESELL OB DISTRIBUTE THIS COPT FOB PBOFTT. PUB. EES. 57, APPBOVED MAT 11, 1922 n CONTENTS. Fact. Preface, by 0. E. Meinzer................................................ xi Introduction......................... .................................... 1 Methods and scope of work............................................. 1 Acknowledgments.......................................... .......... 2 Oeneral features of the region............................................. 2 Location............................................................. 2 Name................................................................ 2 History.............................................................. 3 Early Spanish exploration and development........................ 3 Later explorations................................................ 4 Gold seekers..................................................... 5 Pacifier Railroad explorations..................................... 5 Colorado River exploration........................................ 6 Old stage roods................................................... 6 Southern Pacific Railroad......................................... 7 Mining................i.......................................... 7 Agriculture..v........................... ............ ............ 7 Imperial Valley.................................................. 9 Early schemes for reclamation................................. 9 Irrigation developments....................................... 10 Engineering problems......................................... 10 Flood dangers of 1905-1907 ................................... 11 Prospects forthe valley....................................... 12 Climate.............................................................. 12 Flora................................................................ 16 Nature of desert flora...............................:............. 16 Vegetation of valleys that contain ground water.................... 17 Vegetation of the detrital ; slopes................................... 18 Mountain vegetation..................................I........... 19 Seasonal changes in vegetation.................................... 19 Fauna............................................. .................. 19 Physiography...................... .................................. 21 Divisions of the region...... ...................................... 21 Peninsular Mountains............................................. 22 Desert basins and ranges.......................................... 23 Salton Basin..................................................... 26 Location and general character................................ 26 Badlands...... .............................................. 26 Sand dunes................................................... 27 Shore lines................................................... 32 Colorado River valley................. .......................... 33 General features.............................................. 33 Causes of stream terraces...................................... 35 Suggested hypothesis for formation of Colorado River terraces.... 36 Drainage............................................................. 40 in IV CONTENTS. General features of the region Continued. Page. Geology............................................................... 41 General rock section.............................................. 42 Pre-Tertiary rocks................................................ 42 Tertiary sedimentary deposits..................................... 44 Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic rocks............................ 47 Quaternary deposits............................................... 47 Structure......................................................... 49 Faulting..................................................... 49 Formation of Salton Basin................................. 49 Faults northeast of Salton Basin........................... 50 San Andreas rift...................................... 50 Indio fault........................................... 50 Faults southwest of Salton Basin........................... 51 Valleys formed by faulting................................ 52 Faults in the desert basins and ranges...................... 53 Typeandageof faulting.................................. 54 Folding and metamorphism................................... 54 Folding and metamorphism in pre-Tertiary rocks, t......... 54 Folding in Tertiary rocks................................. 54 Carrizo Creek and adjacent areas...................... 55 Indio and Mecca hills................................ 55 Volcanic rocks of eastern Imperial County............. 56 Folding in Quaternary beds............................... 56 Igneous structure............................................. 56 Geologic history.................................................. 57 Pre-Quaternary events........................................ 57 Quaternary events............................................ 58 Mineral resources..................................................... 60 Production...................................................... 60 Riverside County ........... ................................ 60 Imperial County............................................. 61 San Diego County............................................ 61 Undeveloped resources........................................... 61 Gold........................................................ 61 Copper ...................................................... 61 Silver and lead............................................... 61 Manganese. .........................................I........ 61 Iron......................................................... 62 Gems........................................................ 62 Salt......................................................... 62 Gypsum..................................................... 62 Strontium ................................................... 62 Clay and stone ............................................... 62 Pumice...................................................... 63 Petroleum. ...................................... ........... 63 Other minerals............................................... 63 Hydrology............................................................... 63 Importance of water supply........................................... 63 Sources of water...................................................... 63 Precipitation..................................................... 63 Colorado River................................................... 64 Ocean water. ............^....................................... 65 CONTENTS. V Hydrology Continued. Page. Occurrence and quality of water....................................... 65 Surface water.................................................... 65 Streams ..................................................... 65 Lakes. ...................................................... 68 Ground water.................................................... 69 General conditions. .......................................... 69 Salton Basin................................................. 73. Coachella Valley......................................... 73 Imperial Valley.......................................... 78 Sand Hills area.......................................... 84 Area northeast of Salton Sea.............................. 85 San Felipe area.......................................... 87 - Coyote Wells area........................................ 90 Western mountain valleys .................................. 91 San Felipe Valley............................!........... 91 Mason Valley............................................ 93 Vallecito Valley.......................................... 94 Carrizo Valley........................................... 95 Borego Valley............................................ 96 Clark Valley............................................. 98 Pleasant Valley.............................................. 98 Pinto Basin.................................................. 99 Blythe Junction Basin........................................ 99 Chuckwalla Valley........................................... 101 Palo Verde Mesa............................................. 108 Arroyo Seco valley and adjacent areas......................... 106 Colorado River valley ........................................ 108 Palo Verde Valley........................................ 108 Yuma Valley............................................. 110 Kinds of desert watering places........................................ 110 Springs and streams............................................... 110 Wells............................................................ Ill Natural tanks .................................................... Ill Artificial reservoirs................................................ Ill Surface indications of water..........................................
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