1. Tiger Creek Field
Assignment
Matt Savoie
Professor Lawler
Gel 103, Spring 2013
June 20, 2013

2. Content
● Background & Method
● Brief Geological History
● River Geology
● Rock Examples
● Plant Examples
● Geological Features

3. Background & Method
● In late June, i visited an area of Tiger Creek
near the reservoir.
● The photos and rock samples included in
this report are from this field trip
● 3D map images were prepared using Google
Earth
● Identification of rocks done using: Geology
of the Sierra Nevada, by Mary Hill (2006)
● Identification of plants done using: The Laws
Field Guide To The Sierra Nevada, by John
Muir Laws (2007)

4. Site Location
● Near Pioneer,
California
● Take Tiger Creek Rd
from Hwy 88,
Eventually turning right
onto Salt Springs Rd.
● Coordinates
38.447973,
-120.493616

5. Tiger Creek Terrain
View of terrain, elevation, and shrubbery that has
been carved from the river flow. (Google Earth)

6. Quick Geological History &
Overview
● Sierra Nevada Range is a 400 mile long tilted
fault block.
● 250 million years ago the pacific plate began to
fall below the north american plate causing
subduction.
● Plutonic rock began to rise from the collison
causing the mountain to begin to rise 80 million
years ago.
(Resendes, M. A.)

7. Geology of Tiger Creek
● Deep granite canyon, expert-only river rapids below
Highway 26
● Large boulders in the river; massive granite domes near
Salt Springs Powerhouse
● Steep, granitic river gorge downstream; the Devil’s
Nose
● Healthy trout fishery
● Important mid-elevation wildlife and bird habitat
(Tiger Creek to Elektra)

8. Rock Sample: Shale
I I believe this to be the
sedimentary rock shale.
Formed by particles of clay
and mud compressed by
the pressure and weight of
what is above.
(Peck, D)(Hill 2006)

9. Rock Sample: Granite
I believe this to be a sample
of the Igneous rock Granite.
Formed when a magma
rapidly cools and crystallizes
deep underground. The
course crystals are pressed
together and form this rock.
(Peck,D)(Hill 2006)

10. Plant Sample: Himalayan
Blackberry
● I believe this to be a Himalayan
Blackberry bush (Rubus
Armeniacus)
● This bush is of the family
Rosacea, under the order
Rosales.
● Descended from early
angiosperms.
● introduced for cultivation, but
then spread due to birds and
other animals
(Laws 2007)(Rubus Armeniacus)

11. Plant Sample: White Fir
● I believe this to be a White Fir
(Abies Concolor)
● This tree is from the family
Pinaceae, under the order Pinales
● It is a cone bearing tree most likely
evolving from early non-flowering
vascular plants.
● It is native to the Great Basin
Mountains, and generally lives at
altitudes of 1700-3400 m
(laws 2007)
(Abies Concolor)

12. Plant Sample: White Alder
● I believe this to be White
Alder (Alnus Rhombifolia)
● This tree is from the
family Betulaceae, under the
order Fagales.
● This has evolved from
early vascular, flower-bearing
plants.
● This tree is native to the
southern sierra nevadas,
100-2,400 m
(laws 2007)(Alnus Rhombifolia)

13. Additional Photos

14. References
● 38.447973,-120.493616. (n.d.). In Google Maps. Retrieved June 23, 2013,
from https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
● Abies Concolor. (n.d.). In Ask.com. Retrieved June 23, 2013, from http:
//www.ask.com/wiki/Abies_concolor?o=2801&qsrc=999
● Alnus Rhombifolia. (n.d.). In Ask.com. Retrieved June 23, 2013, from http:
//www.ask.com/wiki/Alnus_rhombifolia?o=2801&qsrc=999
● Laws, J. M. (2007). The Laws Field Guide To The Sierra Nevada
(Illustrated ed.). N.p.: Heyday.
● Peck, D. (n.d.). The Rock Identification Key. In Rock Hounds. Retrieved
June 23, 2013, from http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/rockkey/
● Resendes, M. A. (n.d.). Geology of the Sierra Nevada. In Sierra Historical.
Retrieved June 23, 2013, from http://www.sierrahistorical.org/geology-
sierra-nevadas
● Rubus Armeniacus. (n.d.). In Ask.com. Retrieved June 23, 2013, from http:
//www.ask.com/wiki/Rubus_armeniacus?o=2801&qsrc=999
● Tiger Creek to Elektra. (n.d.). In Foothill Conservancy. Retrieved June 23,
2013, from http://www.foothillconservancy.org/pages/ws_tiger.cgi

15. The End