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Wm. Clinton Steele 1980 Contents Page Abstract

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Wm. Clinton Steele 1980 Contents Page Abstract QUATERNARY STREAM TERRACES IN THE NORTHWESTERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY, GLENN, TEHAMA, AND SHASTA COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA By Wm. Clinton Steele 1980 Contents Page Abstract................................................... 1 Introduction............................................... 4 Purpose and scope..................................... 4 Acknowledgments....................................... 5 Regional physiography and geology..................... 7 Terrace studies in northern California................ 15 Principal terrace levels.............................. 18 Methods for analyzing stream terraces...................... 21 Criteria for identifying, correlating, and dating stream terraces..................................... 21 Soil color analyses................................... 33 Detailed descriptions of Quaternary stream terraces........ .42 Stony Creek drainage basin............................ 42 Grindstone Creek section of Stony Creek drainage. 42 Watson Creek section of Stony valley area........ 44 Elk Creek to Grindstone Rancheria section of Stony Creek.................................... 49 Grindstone Rancheria to Julian Rocks section of Stony Creek.................................... 50 Julian Rocks to Steuben Bridge section of Stony Creek.......................................... 51 Steuben Bridge to Black Butte Dam section of Stony Creek.................................... 53 Black Butte Dam to Sacramento River section of -iii- Stony Creek.................................... 56 North Fork of Stony Creek........................ 58 Thomes Creek drainage basin........................... 61 Elder Creek drainage basin............................ 64 Red Bank Creek drainage basin......................... 67 Cottonwood Creek drainage basin....................... 70 South Fork of Cottonwood Creek................... 70 Little Dry Creek section of the Cottonwood Creek drainage....................................... 74 Middle Fork, North Fork, and main branch secti ons of Cottonwood Creek................... 77 Analyses of Quaternary stream deposits..................... 81 Sedimentary analyses.................................. 81 Sieve analyses................................... 81 Composition analyses............................. 91 Mineral analyses...................................... 94 Soil color analyses................................... 99 Analyses of stream terraces................................ 104 Areal analyses........................................ 104 Volumetric analyses................................... 109 Reconstruction of the Redding high floodplain......... 112 Correlation and ages of Quaternary stream terraces in northwestern Sacramento Valley........................... 116 Comparison of the terraces with Hershey's terraces in the Cecilville - Trinity Alps area............... 120 Comparison of erosion rates and absolute terrace ages. 122 -TV- Formation of stream terraces.......................... 124 Stream profile analyses.......................... 124 Effects of climatic changes...................... 127 General cycle of terrace formation............... 133 References................................................. 136 -v- Illustrations (Plates are in pocket) Page Plate 1. Geologic map of southern half of study area. 2. Geologic map of northern half of study area. 3. Chart showing the correlations between the stream terraces and the formations and alluvial deposits in the northwestern Sacramento Valley and adjacent areas. 4. Generalized contour map of reconstructed Redding high floodplain. Figure 1. Index map showing study area and major geographic features............................ 8 2. Landsat image of the northwestern Sacramento Valley area of northern California............ 9 3. Photograph showing crossbedded sand and gravel of Tehama Formation........................... 13 4. Photograph showing Arbuckle terrace and Perkins high floodplain on south bank of Grindstone Creek......................................... 22 5. Photograph showing Yolo terrace, Arbuckle terrace, and Perkins high floodplain on north bank of Grindstone Creek...................... 23 6. Photograph showing the Perkins strath terrace cut across the upturned Great Valley Sequence. 24 7. Photograph showing Perkins strath terrace -VI- near Grindstone Rancheria..................... 25 8. Photograph showing terrace assemblage near Grindstone Rancheria.......................... 26 9. Photograph showing Perkins high floodplain north of Gri ndstone Creek..................... 27 10. Photograph showing Arbuckle terrace on Elder Creek......................................... 31 11. Photograph showing Arbuckle terrace on Middle Fork of Cottonwood Creek...................... 32 12. Diagrams showing relative rate and amount of profile development for soils under uniform and varying climatic conditions............... 38 13. Photograph showing Arbuckle terrace deposit near Steuben Bridge on Stony Creek............ 40 14. Longitudinal profiles and maximum gravel sizes of Grindstone Creek........................... 43 15. Longitudinal profiles and maximum gravel sizes of Watson Creek............................... 46 16. Photograph showing Perkins high floodplain on Watson Creek............................... 47 17. Longitudinal profiles and maximum gravel sizes of Stony Creek................................ 52 18. Photograph showing pre-Black Butte Dam view of Stony Creek drainage basin................. 54 19. Longitudinal profiles and maximum gravel sizes of North Fork of Stony Creek.................. 59 -Vll- 20. Longitudinal profiles and maximum gravel sizes of Thomes Creek............................... 62 21. Longitudinal profiles and maximum gravel sizes of Elder Creek................................ 66 22. Longitudinal profiles and maximum gravel sizes of Red Bank Creek............................. 68 23. Longitudinal profiles of South Fork of Cottonwood Creek.............................. 71 24. Longitudinal profiles of Cold Fork of Cottonwood Creek.............................. 73 25. Longitudinal profiles of Dry Creek.............. 75 26. Longitudinal profiles of Little Dry Creek....... 76 27. Longitudinal profiles of Middle Fork of Cottonwood Creek.............................. 78 28. Longitudinal profiles of North Fork of Cottonwood Creek.............................. 79 29. Sediment distribution curves and soil colors for the Stony Creek drainage basin............ 84 30. Sediment distribution curves and soil colors for the Thomes Creek drainage basin........... 85 31. Sediment distribution curves and soil colors for the Elder and Red Bank Creek drainage basi ns........................................ 86 32. Sediment distribution curves and soil colors for the Cottonwood Creek drainage basin....... 87 33. Sorting-skewness scatter diagram of sediment -viii- samples....................................... 90 34. Diagram showing lithologic variations for selected sediment samples..................... 93 35. Diagram showing ranges of heavy mineral percentage for various terraces within the major drainage basins......................... 96 36. Diagram showing distribution of heavy minerals in the major drainage basins.................. 98 37. Diagram showing the distribution of heavy minerals in the various levels................ 100 38. Diagram showing amount of erosion of various levels based on relationship between maximum and minimum possible extents.......... 107 39. Diagram showing amount of erosion of various levels based on relationship between maximum possible extents.............................. 108 40. Diagram showing relationship between volumes of material removed to form the terraces and stream sections........................... 110 41. Diagram showing solid figure used in volumetric calculations.................................. Ill 42. Diagram showing relationship between volumes of material removed to form various terraces with respect to the Perkins terrace volume.... 113 43. Diagram showing relationship between terrace ages and oceanic temperature changes.......... 128 -IX- 44. Diagram showing possible climatic relationships and effects on erosion, deposition, and soil formation................................ 134 -x- Tables Page Table 1. Principal soil series............................ 35 2. Typical characteristics of soil series........... 36 3. Sediment sample locations........................ 82 4. Sieve analyses weight percentages................ 83 5. Sieve analyses statistical parameters............ 89 6. Composition analyses............................. 92 7. Heavy mi neral percentages........................ 95 8. Heavy mineral found in analyses.................. 97 9. Characteristic soils and soil colors on terraces in the Stony Creek drainage basin.............. 101 10. Characteristic soils and soil colors on terraces in the Thomes, Elder, and Red Bank Creek drainage basins................................ 102 11. Characteristic soils and soil colors on terraces in the Cottonwood Creek drainage basin......... 103 12. Terrace areas and volumes........................ 106 ABSTRACT Stream terraces in Glenn, Tehama, and Shasta Counties, in the north­ western Sacramento Valley, California, were mapped and analyzed quantita­ tively. The morphology and pedology of the terraces were delineated in order to develop quantitative methods for identification of the different terrace levels and to determine their possible origin and age relation­ ships. Six stream terraces were differentiated. From youngest to oldest,
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