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Imperial County

  • Imperial County Mines and Mineral Resources (circa 1913-1914) - Excerpts from Report XIV of the State Mineralogist - Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist's Report - Biennial Period 1913-1914, Part V. "The Counties of San Diego, Imperial," by Frederick J. H. Merrill, Ph.D., Field Assistant (field work in December, 1914), San Francisco, California, July, 1915, California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1916, pp. 173-370.

    History (of Imperial County)

    "This county formed part of San Diego County from the organization of the latter in 1851 to August, 1907, when it was separated and formed into a separate county by vote of the supervisors of San Diego County under an act of legislature giving them that power.

    Physiography (of Imperial County)

    "The most important feature of Imperial County is the broad and nearly level expanse of the Colorado River Delta which separates the Gulf of California from the Salton Basin and is generally known as the Imperial Valley. This basin lies in a synclinal valley bordering on the east the anticlinorium of the lofty granite ranges of San Diego and Riverside counties. Several small ranges of volcanics, metamorphic Palæozic rocks and uplifted Tertiary beds, interrupt the general level of the delta plain and, on its eastern margin, is an extensive hilly area of volcanic rocks which continues eastward into Arizona. The great granite masses of San Diego County, barely appear east of the boundary line.

    Geology (of Imperial County)

    "In its general geology, Imperial County is closely linked with San Diego, and under that head, will be found a synopsis of the more important geological features. The chief item that is distinct is the history of the Salton Basin.

    "It appears that, in Tertiary time, this basin was the northern end of the Gulf of California, which extended some 160 miles farther north than at present, and extensive marine deposits were laid down, as shown by the marine Miocene fossils associated with the clays on its western margin. This condition of submergence probably continued after the close of the Tertiary and later, as the Pleistocene uplift of about 1,000 feet above present sea level which occurred on the Pacific coast of California probably involved this valley, a large part of the Tertiary Gulf of California became dry land. With the succeeding subsidence came another marine occupation of the valley. In the meantime, the delta deposits of the Colorado River, which debouched (sic) into this basin near Yuma, gradually increased in extent and altitude until they formed a natural dam of great width, isolating, from its connection with the gulf, that portion of the basin north of the present arena of settlement. The Salton Basin was then occupied by a salt lake which, in that arid climate, was gradually dessicated (sic) and finally became dry, leaving behind large deposits of salt. From that time on, Salton Basin was alternately dry and flooded by the waters of the Colorado as, from time to time, the river found its outlet toward the gulf or toward the north.*

    (* Page 724 footnote: See further U.S.G.S. Water Supply Paper No. 225, by W. C. Mendenhall, pp. 17-20.)

    "The local Indian tribes have various traditions of the presence of a great lake in the valley and its existence is proven by the presence of great numbers of fresh and brackish water shells, which gave to the northern part of the basin, in Mexican times, the name of Conchilla Valley, barbarized by later inhabitants to Coachella. There is, also, substantial evidence of this lake in the old beach line which has been traced around the basin at an altitude of about 40 feet above sea level.*

    (* Page 724 footnote 1: Wm. P. Blake, Pacific Railroad Reports, Vol. V, 1853.)

    "For this prehistoric body of water the name of Lake Cahuilla was proposed by its discoverer, Prof. W. P. Blake.*

    (* Page 724 footnote: Nat. Geogr. Mag., Vol. 18, p. 830.)

    "The earliest inundation after the American occupation of the region occurred about 1849. The lake of that period also dried up and the Salton desert was without water until June, 1891, when another overflow of the Colorado River produced a lake 30 miles long and 10 miles in width.* This, in time, gradually evaporated and became much reduced in area, but in 1904, through the careless opening of the north dike or levee, in connection with the irrigation of the Imperial Valley, the river was again released and the Salton Basin was flooded and the submergence rapidly increased, doing great damage, until the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, under presidential authority, closed the gap in February, 1907.

    (* Page 724 footnote 2: E. B. Preston, R. XI, pp. 387-393.)

    Mineral Resources (of Imperial County)

    "While of no great variety in its mineral resources, Imperial County is not deficient in natural wealth, as apart from its great agricultural possibilities, its deposits of crystalline limestone and clay promise a great supply of building material which should make it a center of production for a very large area. Its production of metals also, may be important in the near future.."

    Crushed Stone, Gravel and Sand (in Imperial County)

    "These building materials are at present brought to the valley chiefly from Riverside County in the vicinity of Whitewater Pass. As the valley cities increase, their demand for such material will lead to the establishment of local plants, since there is an abundance of raw material on the margin of the valley.

    Lime and Cement (in Imperial County)

    "On the south slope of the Coyote Mountain and at a point 3 ½ miles southwest of Coyote Wells are great deposits of limestone.

    "These deposits are from 3 to 5 miles distant from the survey of the San Diego and Arizona Railroad, and could be easily reached by spurs form that line. About a quarter of a mile from one of the largest deposits is a deposit of blue clay, averaging 70 feet in thickness and covering more than 300 acres of land.

    "The fact that this limestone carries little or no magnesia makes it ideal for cement manufacture as even a small amount of magnesium is undesirable in high grade cement.

    "An analysis of a sample from Coyote Mountain by F. Salathé is here given:

    Calcium carbonate, 96.6
    Magnesium carbonate, 1.7
    Silica, Trace
    Alumina and iron sesquioxide, .9
    Calcium sulphate, .5
    Totals, 99.7

    "The raw materials for Portland cement are very abundant on the west side of the Imperial Valley in great deposits of Tertiary clay and crystalline limestone, which are close together, and will soon be within reach of transportation. As the population of the valley increases, there will be a great demand for Portland cement for the lining of irrigation ditches and the local material will doubtless form the basis of a large manufacturing plant."

  • Imperial County Mineral Industry (circa 1919) - Excerpt from California Mineral Production for 1919, Bulletin No. 88, by Walter W. Bradley, California State Mining Bureau, 1920, pp. 148.

    Area: 4,089 square miles.
    Population: 43,383 (1920 census).
    Location: Extreme southeast corner of the state.

    "During 1919 Imperial County produced eight mineral substances having a total value of $133,236, as compared with the 1918 output, worth $109,692. Its rank is forty-first. This county contains deposits of gold, gypsum, lead, marble, pumice, salt, silver, and strontium, largely undeveloped.

    "Commercial production for 1919 was as follows:"

    (Headings for the information below are: Substance, Amount, and Value.)

    Gold, ---, $200 (estimated)
    Silver, ---, $1,200 (estimated)
    Stone, miscellaneous, ---, $63,900
    Other minerals,* ---, $67,936
    (Total value) $133,236

    (* Includes brick, lead, pumice, and salt.)

    Imperial County , 1916 Map, from California Mineral Production for 1919 (with County Maps), Bulletin No. 88, by Walter W. Bradley, California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco: California State Printing Office, 1920, pp. 199. (Note: The linked map is 429K) Imperial County , 1916 Map, from California Mineral Production for 1919

    Imperial County Limestone Industry and Deposits (through 1947) - Excerpt from “Limestone in California,” by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 43, No. 3, July 1947, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California.

    "Until 1907, Imperial County was a part of San Diego County. There has so far been little development of the large deposits of limestone and marble in the county. The only recorded production in recent years was in 1939 and 1940. Previously, about 1920, some marble was produced. The most important deposits so far noted are along the west side of the county, in the Fish Creek Mountains, secs. 1 and 12, T. 14 S., R. 9 E., about 16 miles from a broad-gauge railroad, and in the Coyote Mountains in T. 15 and 16 S., R. 9 E., S.B. The latter are within 5 to 7 miles from San Diego and Arizona Railroad, which connects San Diego with the populous Imperial Valley, and have been the only deposits to receive any attention so far. In the northeastern part of the county are several large areas covered by pre-Cambrian and pre-Cretaceous metamorphics in which dolomite and limestone might occur, though not so far reported.

    "Besides these hard limestone deposits, there are some areas in the southwestern part of the county that are noted for shell deposits. These are between the state highway and the Mexican border."

Imperial County - List of Stone Quarries, Etc.

(* Please note this list does not include sand or gravel quarries.)

  • Coyote Mountains, Imperial County, California - Coyote Mountains - Columbia Cement Company (Limestone) (Excerpt from "Limestone in California," by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 43, No. 3, July 1947, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, pp. 175-357. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

    "Coyote Mountains Limestone. About 1923, Columbia Cement Company was organized to promote development of the Coyote Mountain deposits for making cement. The company consolidated about 8000 acres, extending from sec. 22, T. 15 S., R. 9 E., southeastward through sec. 1, T. 16 S., R. 9 E., S. B. There is no record of the work done, if any, on the deposits. The corporation was suspended as of March 8, 1932 for failure to pay the corporation franchise tax. In the consolidation, they were said to have taken over holdings of Southern California Marble Company 6 ½ miles north of Coyote Wells; Golden State Mining and Marble Company; Schrader and Moore holdings, and others."

    "The larger limestone bodies are (1) on the north, running southeast from the SW ¼ sec. 22 nearly to the south line of sec. 25, T. 15 S., R. 9 E., or about 3 miles long by ½ mile wide; (2) from the SE ¼ sec. 27 to the SW ¼ sec. 36, T. 15 S., R. 9 E., and (3) most of the N ½ sec. 2, T. 16 S., R. 9 E. There are also several smaller bodies. The vertical range is from 800 or 1000 feet to 1700 feet in (1) and 2335 feet on the top of Coyote Mountain in (2).

    "The beds of limestone or marble, commonly blue gray, are steeply tilted, dipping 70 NE. They are interbedded with micaceous schist. The total amount available has been estimated at 600,000,000 tons (Tucker, W. B. 26, p. 276).* Originally, interest was devoted principally to the deposits as sources of marble, and F. J. H. Merrill (16)** described in detail several deposits of various colors ranging from blue black through mottled black and white to red, pink, yellow and white.

    (*W. Burling Tucker, Los Angeles Field Division, "Imperial County," California Mining Bureau Report 22, pp. 248-285, illus., 1926.)

    (**W. Burling Tucker, Redding Field Division, California Mining Bureau Report 18, pp. 729-736, 1922.)

    "A few analyses of this limestone that are available indicate it is a high-calcium stone, but the manner in which samples were taken is unknown, and they should probably be considered as picked samples. Analysis 1 below is from Merrill (16)* and was made by F. Salathe; 2 and 3 are from Tucker (26)** and were made by Smith Emery & Company, Los Angeles."

    (*Frederick J. H. Merrill, "Imperial County," California Division of Mines Report 14, pp. 723-743, illus., 1916.)

    (**W. Burling Tucker, Los Angeles Field Division, "Imperial County," California Mining Bureau Report 22, pp. 248-285, illus., 1926.)

    (The headings for the information below are: Analysis 1, percent, .Analysis 2 (white) percent; Analysis 3 (blue) percent.)

    (Analysis 1) CaCO3, 96.6 percent.
    MgCO3, 1.7 percent
    SiO2, trace
    Fe2O3 and Al2O3, 0.9 percent
    CaSO4, 0.5 percent

    SiO2 (analysis 2 - white), 1.00 percent, (analysis 3 - blue) 1.08 percent
    Fe2O3, (analysis 2 - white), 0.05 percent, (analysis 3 - blue) 0.02 percent
    Al2O3, (analysis 2 - white), 0.76 percent, (analysis 3 - blue) trace
    CaO (analysis 2 - white), 54.32 percent, (analysis 3 - blue) 54.00 percent
    MgO (analysis 2 - white), 1.78 percent, (analysis 3 - blue) 1.48 percent
    Ignition loss (analysis 2 - white), 42.05 percent, (analysis 3 - blue) 43.40 percent

    "The basement rocks on which the limestone rests now are the Jurassic acid intrusives (granitic) of the extreme southeast end of the Peninsular Ranges which intruded and elevated the pre-existing sediments.

    "Large supplies of clay, said to be suitable for use in making portland cement, occur near the limestone on both the east and west sides of the mountain."

  • Coyote Mountains, Imperial County, California - Coyote Mountains - R. G. Fritz - Limestone & Marble Deposits (Limestone & Marble) (Excerpt from Report XIV of the State Mineralogist - Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist's Report - Biennial Period 1913-1914, Part V. "The Counties of San Diego, Imperial," by Frederick J. H. Merrill, Ph.D., Field Assistant (field work in December, 1914), California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1916, pp. 427-634.)

    "R. G. Fritz of San Diego owns eight claims of marble in Coyote Mountain."

  • Coyote Mountains, Imperial County, California - Coyote Mountains - Golden State Mining and Marble Company Limestone & Marble Deposits (Limestone & Marble) (Excerpt from Report XIV of the State Mineralogist - Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist's Report - Biennial Period 1913-1914, Part V. "The Counties of San Diego, Imperial," by Frederick J. H. Merrill, Ph.D., Field Assistant (field work in December, 1914), California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1916, pp. 427-634.)

    "(Bulletin 38, page 107.)

    "The chief deposits of this material in Imperial County are in Coyote Mountain, T. 15 S., R. 10 E. This mountain is largely formed of crystalline limestone but not all of it is fit for marble. Here valuable deposits, within 6 miles of the San Diego and Arizona Railroad, now under construction, are owned and controlled by the Golden State Mining and Marble Company, 309 Watts Building, San Diego, C. A. Walker, president; H. H. Sparks, secretary.

    "This company owns fourteen deposits, each deposit being of different grade and color. Several have the grade and texture of famous imported marbles.

    "The Creole group consists of four claims of 20 acres each, covering in outcrop of marble about 4,500 feet long and averaging 600 feet wide. All of the development has been done on Creole claim No. 1. Here are three distinct strata of marble. The first is deep blue-black with a hardness of 3 ½, free from quartz, chert, or other impurity. It is of uniform color, free from holes or blemishes and is impervious to moisture so that it can not be stained even by red ink. The quarry will produce blocks of large size even at the surface. This is suitable for borders, exteriors and pillars and is probably well suited for monuments.

    "The second stratum on the Creole group is cream pink in color, with occasional blotches of red and black lines which, in the translucent marble, look like the so-called moss in an agate. This marble somewhat resembles the Italian Paonazza. It has a hardness of 3 ½, is exceedingly tough and free from impurities, takes a high polish and has the desirable quality of translucency when lights are placed behind a slab. This stone also resists stains of ink or oil.

    Outcrops of Creole Mountain, Coyote Mountain. Outcrops of Creole Mountain, Coyote Mountain.
    Creole Marble, Bored by Marine Mollusks. Creole Marble, Bored by Marine Mollusks.

    "The third deposit of the Creole group is white with a bright green thread line. So far as known, this marble is in small blocks and suitable only for small borders or tiling.

    "About 2 ½ miles southerly from the above group is a deposit of marble varying in width from 30 to 400 feet and about 3,000 feet in length.

    "One end is mottled black and white marble, the color is distinctive. This deposit is solid at the surface. It takes a fine polish and does not show any strings or blemishes. It is suitable for corridors and for interior decoration.

    "About 600 feet on the other end of this deposit, the marble is very fine grained, and is highly colored in red, yellow, white, purple and blue. In one opening the stone is banded like agate in blue, red and yellow. This marble is over 3 ½ hardness, grained like wood and takes a high polish, showing the colors of the African Numidian, as well as lighter and darker tints not seen in that stone.

    "Near the above deposit the company owns one claim, containing 20 acres of boulders, which appear to be concretions remaining from some overlying formation which has disappeared. The stone is not quite as hard as the ordinary marble, but takes a smooth, glossy finish and shows a great variety of color, including pink, cream, red, yellow, orange and purple, with dashes of green and slender black lines, brecciating the entire mass. This marble is of the Sienna type, but more beautiful and though it can not be obtained in large pieces, it can be used in tiling, soda fountains, knobs and handles for plumbing work, fancy articles and curios.

    "On the east end of the mountain and about one mile southeast of the (Golden State Mining and Marble Company) quarries, (Golden State Mining and Marble Company) owns a deposit of blue marble, closely resembling the Esperanza of Vermont. It is fine grained and hard, and is suitable for almost any work to which marble may be put, being especially adapted for monuments. Large blocks of uniform color are ready for shipment.

    "At the west end of the Coyote Mountain range is a deposit of marble, about one half of which is pure white and as translucent as opal. The other half is a peculiar marble, of lavender tint, without markings of any kind, and can be matched from any part of the quarry. Very little development work has been done here.

    "This company has erected buildings and order machinery for a plant at National City, on the line of the San Diego and Arizona Railroad for the exclusive cutting and finishing of this marble. One carload was shipped on the San Diego and Arizona Railroad last year via El Central and Los Angeles, and 5 more carloads will be shipped during the coming year to the National City plant."

    • Coyote Mountains, Imperial County, California - Creole Marble Deposit (Marble) (Excerpt from "Limestone in California," by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 43, No. 3, July 1947, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, pp. 175-357. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

      "Creole marble deposit is on 80 acres (4 claims) in secs. 25 and NE ¼ sec. 36, T. 15 S., R. 9 E., S. B. The owners in 1942 were Henry L. Jackson, Braley, and Phillip W. Knights, El Centro.

      "These deposits have been known for 40 years, and Golden State Mining and Marble Company did some work on them years ago. The marble outcrop is reported 4500 feet long by 600 feet wide and is estimated to contain 3,000,000 cubic feet of commercial marble. F. J. H. Merrill (16)* mentioned three distinct strata of marble here-a deep blue black, free from quartz or chert; a cream-pink layer with some blotches of red and black lines; and a white marble with green veining, this being in small blocks. Only assessment work has been done recently. The San Diego and Arizona Railroad line is 6 miles south of deposits."

      (*Frederick J. H. Merrill, "Imperial County," California Division of Mines Report 14, pp. 723-743, illus., 1916.)

  • Coyote Wells (northwest of), Imperial County, California - Dixieland Limestone Claim (Limestone) (Excerpt from "Limestone in California," by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 43, No. 3, July 1947, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, pp. 175-357. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

    "Dixieland limestone claim (160 acres) in secs. 31 and 32, T. 13 S., R. 9 E., S. G., was held in 1926 by S. A. Waters, Pasadena. It is in the Fish Creek Mountains about 16 miles northwest of Coyote Wells, and near the gypsum mine which is served by a narrow-gauge railroad running to Plaster City. W. B. Tucker (26, p. 277)* quoted the following analysis made by John T. Rice, El Centro:

    CaCO3, 90.02 percent
    MgCO3, 0.39 percent
    Fe2O3 and Al2O3, 0.72 percent
    Insoluble, 6.43 percent

    (*W. Burling Tucker, Los Angeles Field Division, "Imperial County," California Mining Bureau Report 22, pp. 248-285, illus., 1926.)

    "This and the Waters deposit are geologically similar to those in the Coyote Mountains, lying on the Jurassic acid intrusive (granitic) rocks at the eastern extremity of the Peninsular Range."

  • Dos Cabezas (northeast of), Imperial County, California - L & S (Jumbo) Limestone Deposit (Limestone) (Excerpt from "Limestone in California," by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 43, No. 3, July 1947, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, pp. 175-357. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

    "L & S (Jumbo) limestone deposit is in sec. 31, T. 15 S., R. 9 E., 5 miles northeast of Dos Cabezas on the San Diego and Arizona Railroad. C. H. Lunsford Estate and F. W. Sterns, San Diego were owners in 1942. Sampson (42)* states the outcrop is 1 mile long by half a mile wide, elevation 1700 feet. The limestone is white and analyses are said to show from 94 to 98 percent CaCO3 and from a trace to 2 percent MgCO3. The quarry was equipped in 1942 with loading bins, cars and track but there is no record of production."

    (*Reid J. Sampson and W. B. Tucker, "Mineral Resources of Imperial County," California Division of Mines Report 38, pp. 104-145, illus., 1942.)

  • Coyote Wells (southwest of), Imperial County, California - Mountain Springs Limestone Deposit (Limestone) (Excerpt from "Limestone in California," by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 43, No. 3, July 1947, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, pp. 175-357. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

    "Mountain Springs limestone deposit is in sec. 28, T. 17 S., R. 9 E., S.B., 1 ½ miles southeast of the state highway and 8 miles southwest of Coyote wells, in the southwest corner of the county. The holdings cover 160 acres.

    "The limestone beds strike N. 30 E., dip 60 SW., and are interstratified with schist. The thickness is reported to be 200 feet, but the analysis is not available.

    "Over 20 years ago the deposit was worked by the Duralite Products Company of San Diego. In 1939 and 1940, Tycrete Chemical Corporation, Chula Vista, San Diego County, worked the property, and this is the only limestone production recorded from Imperial County since 1922, when some marble was sold from another property."

  • Coyote Wells (west of), Imperial County, California - Southern California Development Company Marble Deposit (Marble) (Excerpt from "Limestone in California," by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 43, No. 3, July 1947, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, pp. 175-357. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

    "Southern California Development Company marble deposit is on 80 acres in sec. 1 T., 16 S., R. 9 E. and sec. 36, T. 15 S., R. 9 E., S.B., 6 miles north of the point where the state highway crosses the San Diego and Arizona Railroad (3 miles west of Coyote Wells). Henry L. Jackson, Brawley and Phillip W. Knights, El Centro were listed as owners by Sampson (42).* The company first named opened the deposit and made some production in 1922 and earlier. The outcrops are 150 to 200 feet high, up to 200 feet thick, and estimated to contain 200,000,000 cubic feet of commercial marble. No recent work has been reported."

    (* Reid J. Sampson and W. B. Tucker, "Mineral Resources of Imperial County," California Division of Mines Report 38, pp. 104-145, illus., 1942.)

  • Coyote Wells (west of north of), Imperial County, California - Waters Limestone Deposit (Limestone) (Excerpt from "Limestone in California," by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 43, No. 3, July 1947, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, pp. 175-357. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

    "Waters limestone deposit is in secs. 1 and 12, T. 14 S., R. 9 E., S. B., 16 miles west of north in an air line from Coyote Wells, the nearest broad-gauge railroad point. The narrow-gauge railroad connecting the nearby gypsum mine with Plaster City also on the broad-gauge railroad, passes 3 miles east of the limestone. In 1942, W. A. Waters, Pasadena, was listed as holding 7 claims, acreage not given.

    "The blue-gray crystalline limestone strokes N. 30 W. and dips 65 NE. along the top of the Fish Creek Mountains, elevation 1000 to 1600 feet. W. B. Tucker (26, p. 277)* states the limestone belt is 3 miles long by a mile wide and is exposed for a depth of 600 feet. Tucker (26)* gave this analysis by John T. Rice, El Centro:

    CaCO3, 98.02 percent
    MgCO3, 0.77 percent
    Fe2O3 and Al2O3, 0.83 percent
    Insoluble, 0.34 percent

    (* W. Burling Tucker, Los Angeles Field Division, "Imperial County," California Mining Bureau Report 22, pp. 248-285, illus., 1926.)

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