ABSTRACT

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 343 Goals of the Site Development Plan ..............................................................................................346 Site Interpretive Opportunities ...................................................................................................... 347

Predredge Landforms ........................................................................................................ 347 Cultural Restoration Landscapes ....................................................................................... 347 Transitional Landscapes ....................................................................................................348 Surface Water Systems ...................................................................................................... 349 Park Activity Areas ............................................................................................................ 351

Site Circulation .............................................................................................................................. 351 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 353 Literature Cited .............................................................................................................................. 353

Publications ........................................................................................................................ 353 Photography and Illustration .......................................................................................................... 353

abundant with wildlife once flourished. Mining operations of the dredges left tailing patterns that ran perpendicular to the natural course of the drainage ways. Clear, cold mountain streams that flowed through the meadows scoured new channels through the massive piles of tailings. The deep, rich soils of the valley eroded. Sediments were transported by the waterways to remote places downstream. The once-rich valley floor was left nearly devoid of vegetation, except for some small islands of the landscape that had not been dredged. The environmental impacts of gold dredging in Sumpter Valley were significant.