Boston Valley Salt prospect, Sheep Creek Spring, Avawatz Mts (Avawatz Range), San Bernardino County, California, USAi

Regional Level Types
Boston Valley Salt prospect	Prospect
Sheep Creek Spring	Spring
Avawatz Mts (Avawatz Range)	Mountain Range
San Bernardino County	County
California	State
USA	Country

A Na(halite)-gypsum/anhydrite-Sr occurrence/prospect located 8.7 km (5.4 miles) WNW of Sheep Creek Spring and 8.7 km (5.4 miles) N of Cave Spring, along the western margin of the northern spur, Avawatz Mountains (a few hundred meters S of Cave Spring Road; 6.5 miles N of Fort Irwin). MRDS database stated accuracy for this location is 1,000 meters.

The first systematic exploration occurred in 1911 by A.I. Oliver, L.D. Rasor and J.O. Lewis for the Avawatz Salt and Gypsum Company. In 1941-1942, the Union Pacific Railroad Company and the Basic Magnesium, Inc. jointly mapped and drilled the deposit. Some exploratory workings were developed and a summary report was prepared in 1942 by H.C. Lee and L.F. Byer. A second summary report was prepared in 1947 by H.S. Gale based on field work done by Gale and L.F. Moble in 1942. No exploration, development, or salt mining has taken place since 1942.

Mineralization is hosted in lake sediments, sandstone, conglomerate and shale. Brown, clayey salt bed with layers of salt and gypsum and nodules of celestine occur at this site. The salt beds are truncated and displaced by slivers of the Death Valley Fault Zone. The Mio-Plio salt beds are underlain by basal conglomerate and breccia and overlain by Plio-Pleis fanglomerate. Drilling indicates that the salt beds extend to a depth of at least 83 meters. Tertiary volcanic flows, lacustrine clastic sediments, and altered tuff exist throughout the stratigraphic section in this area. Local rocks include Quaternary alluvium and marine deposits.

Regional geologic features include Late Cenozoic faulting and the Death Valley Fault Zone.

Analytical data results: Samples from 27 drill holes indicate that the salt beds contain about 90% halite, 8% brown clay, some gypsum and traces of other minerals.

Reserve-resource data are found in: Rapp, J.S. and Vredenburgh, L.M. (1992).

Other Databases

Link to USGS MRDS:	10023668

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References