Rich Bar Deposit

Site Name

Primary: Rich Bar Deposit

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Platinum
Secondary: Silver

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Location

State: California
County: Plumas
District: Rich Bar District

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Land Status

Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Administrative Organization: Plumas County Planning Department

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Owner Name: Rich Bar Mining Co.

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Stream Placer
Operation Type: Surface
Discovery Year: 1850
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: M

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

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Orebody

Form: Other - Point Bar

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Structure

Type: L
Description: The Rich Bar Fault is a major steep fault of unknown displacement that trends northeast-southwest through the northeast corner of Rich Bar. The Rich Bar Fault forms the boundary between the Central belt and the Feather River perioditite belt, two of three major lithologic belts that occur in the northern Sierra Nevada. No known significant sources of lode-gold are associated with the fault in this vicinity, however. About 3-4 miles upstream (east) from Rich Bar, the NW-trending Melones Fault Zone crosses the East Branch. Here at Rich Gulch, the fault zone is associated with an important zone of low-sulfide gold-quartz veins that may be the source for some of the gold downstream at Rich Bar.

Type: R
Description: Rich Bar Fault, Melones Fault Zone

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: None

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Rocks

Name: Alluvium
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Quaternary

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Gold

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Comments

Comment (Geology): INTRODUCTION The Rich Bar mining district represents one of the richest placer-gold mining districts in the northern Sierra Nevada geomorphic province. Just northwest of Rich Bar, over a matter of miles, the Sierra Nevada gives way to the Cascade Range geomorphic province, the extensive Cenozoic volcanic rock of which covers the crystalline basement rock of the Sierra Nevada province. REGIONAL SETTING The northern Sierra Nevada region is home to numerous placer and lode gold deposits and includes many of the more famous gold mining districts such as Grass Valley, Nevada City, Allegheny, Downieville, Johnsville, La Porte, North Columbia, and Rich Bar districts. The geological and historical diversity of most of these deposits is covered in numerous publications produced by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, U. S. Geological Survey, Californian Division of Mines and Geology, and others. In contrast, however, literature on the Rich Bar area is sparse. The most recent geologic mapping in the Rich Bar area is a 15-minute-scale compilation of the Almanor Quadrangle by Jayko (1989). Stratigraphy Much of the northern Sierra Nevada is characterized by a Cenozoic veneer of volcanic extrusives and alluvium that locally covers a basement of metamorphic and igneous rocks of magmatic arc and continental origin. This basement ranges from Paleozoic to Mesozoic in age. The Cenozoic rocks are composed of mafic-to-intermediate composition volcanic lavas and mudflows and silicic ash-flow tuffs. The Paleozoic and Mesozoic basement of the northern Sierra Nevada in the vicinity of Rich Bar consists of three primary geologic belts. These include the Central belt on the west , the Feather River peridotite belt, and the northern Sierra terrane (or Eastern belt) on the east (Jayko, 1989). The northern Sierra terrane can be further divided into the Butt Valley block, Hough block, and the Genessee block. A narrow belt of lesser extent, the Soda Ravine block, is composed of undated slate and argillaceous sedimentary rocks and occurs between the Feather River peridotite belt and the Eastern belt. These units have locally been intruded by plutons of generally intermediate to silicic compositions. Together, these units form a basement complex derived from the periodic collision through time of tectonic plates along the boundary between the North American continent and the Pacific Ocean basin. The Central belt consists of metamorphosed Mississippian-Triassic chert, argillite, phyllitic argillite, and greenstone of marine origin (probably Calaveras Complex equivalent). Clastic rocks of the Central belt are generally less indurated and foliated than those in neighboring belts to the east. The Feather River peridotite belt consists largely of Devonian to Triassic serpentinized peridotite and dunite. The Eastern belt includes metamorphic basement rocks of continental origin (Shoo Fly Complex), Paleozoic arc-related volcanic rocks, and marine radiolarian cherts (Sierran Buttes Formation). Structure Northwesterly trending faults, folds, and lithologic boundaries characterize the structural framework of the northern Sierra Nevada. Regionally, foliation strikes northwest-southeast and dips both east and west from low angles to vertical. Major high-angle faults of unknown displacement separate the main lithologic belts. The Rich Bar Fault separates the Central belt from the Feather River peridotite belt. A northern extension of the Melones Fault Zone separates the Feather River peridotite belt from the Soda Ravine block, and the Crablouse Fault separates the Soda Ravine block from the Eastern block.

Comment (Identification): Rich Bar represents the initial and most productive placer discovery on the lower reaches of the East Branch of the North Fork of the Feather River. Shortly after discovery, several adjacent productive bars were discovered downstream within a stretch of 2 miles, including Pea Soup Bar, Indian Bar, Missouri Bar, Smith Bar, and French Bar.

Comment (Geology): Metallogeny The northern Sierra Nevada is represented by dozens of individual mining districts, each known for important deposits of lode and/or placer gold. Lode gold occurs primarily as classic late Jurassic Mother Lode ore deposits consisting of native gold ore shoots within hydrothermal quartz veins and, to a lesser degree, in low-grade altered wall rocks. Placer deposits are of Tertiary and Quaternary age, ultimately sourced by erosion of the lode-gold deposits. Pleistocene uplift and westerly rotation of the modern Sierra Nevada caused the deep incision of west-sothwesterly flowing drainages which, in turn, eroded lode-gold deposits and older placers and deposited them in modern alluvial deposits in and adjacent to present-day channels. During the Gold Rush, vast amounts of placer gold were recovered from the Feather River, its tributaries, and nearby gullies and ravines. Nearly every inch of these drainages was scrutinized and exploited and the probability of any obvious significant find of additional placer gold is virtually nil. Relict Tertiary placers, also extensively mapped and exploited, may offer little opportunity for significant discovery. Regarding lode-gold deposits, other occurrences undoubtedly occur; however, location of significant deposits might be obfuscated by alluvial material or younger volcanic cover. GEOLOGY AT RICH BAR Rich Bar is an alluvial placer deposit localized by mechanical concentration of native gold particles derived from eroded or weathered sources. Gold is favorably concentrated and preserved in placer deposits by virtue of its high specific gravity and propensity to settle to bedrock in riverine bedloads or wherever there is a pronounced decrease in flow velocity and transport capacity. Favorable sites include point bars and longitudinal bars. Enhancing accumulation is elemental gold's resistance to physical and chemical attack. The deposits at Rich Bar and immediately downstream primarily occur within point bars, riverine bars, and on bedrock within the bed of the East Branch of the North Fork of the Feather River. These exceptionally high-grade placers are located immediately adjacent to and downstream (west) of the Rich Bar Fault where the lithologies of the Central belt and the Feather River peridotite belt are juxtaposed. Within this stretch of the river, bedrock is composed of resilient and resistive argillites (originally described as slates) of the Central block that control channel morphology. In the vicinity of Rich Bar, foliation strikes northwest-southeast, with prevailing dips to the southwest ranging from 40 degrees to vertical. From Rich Bar to its confluence with the North Fork, the East Branch is composed of four tight and sharply meandering bends in which the extremely rich placers at Rich Bar and neighboring Pea Soup Bar, Indian Bar, Missouri Bar, Smith Bar, and French Bar are located. The extraordinary localization of placer gold at these locations downstream of the Rich Bar Fault is due to two primary, but related features. First, fissility within the dipping-bedrock argillites of the riverbed promoted the development of abundant cracks and natural riffles within the bedrock in which plentiful placer-gold nuggets of up to several pounds were trapped. Early finds included large subaerially exposed nuggets resting in cracks and fissures on bedrock mounds submerged only during flood stages. Secondly, the tight meandering bends allowed a steep velocity gradient between the wide inner point bars and the outer channel thalweg. This gradient promoted extensive deposition of gold dust to large nuggets on the inner bar as flow velocities subsided after a high river stage.

Comment (Economic Factors): Rich Bar is credited with producing approximately $9,000,000 (Clark, 1970), most of which was extracted during the Gold Rush era. The complex of mines including Rich Bar and ajacent placers at Pea Soup Bar, Indian Bar, Missouri Bar, Smith Bar, and French Bar are credited with producing between $14,000,000 to $23,000,000. This amount is impressive for such a small area; it is also worth highlighting this fact because, other than the nearby Rich Gulch lode deposit, this region is not known for significant gold production.

Comment (Deposit): The Rich Bar deposits are exceptionally rich Quaternary age placer gold deposits within the east Branch of the North Fork of the Feather River. Rich Bar is the farthest upstream of several wide gravel point bars deposited in sharp meandering bends within the river channel. Rich adjacent downstream placer deposits were later found at (from east to west in order) Pea Soup Bar, Indian Bar, Missouri Bar, Smith Bar, and French Bar, all within a 2-mile stretch just upstream of the confluence with the North Fork of the Feather River and downstream of the Rich Bar Fault. Early mining was confined to the point bar and river bottom gravels, an area of approximately 30 acres. Later exploitation included mining of placer deposits in adjacent river terraces and in nearby tributary drainages, but these areas proved to be less rich than the point bars and channel bottoms. One source of the gold at the Rich Bar deposit is likely the strongly mineralized northwest- trending lode-gold deposits that occur at the Rich Gulch-Virgilia area, which cross the East Branch only 4 miles upstream from Rich Bar. Since Rich Bar and its neigboring productive bars are downstream of the Rich Gulch lodes and are within an active major tributary of the Feather River, they are continually evolving and subject to replenishment. While the richest deposits were removed by the old-timers, winter storms and high water events continue to deliver and deposit gold-bearing alluivium at Rich Bar.

Comment (Geology): Immediately upstream (east) of the Rich Bar Fault, bedrock is composed of less-resistant serpentinized peridotite. Consequently, the river morphology changes to a very gentle sinuous course lacking the tight bends and broad point bars that are conducive to accumulation below the Rich Bar Fault. Further, the peridotite bedrock lacks the fissility that encourages bedrock trapping. While placer gold was recovered upstream of the Rich Bar Fault, recoveries were meager at best when compared to Rich Bar and the downstream bars. In sum, the geologic and geomorphic conditions at Rich Bar provided the first significant natural trapping mechanism for placer material making its way down from the upper reaches of the East Branch towards the North Fork. A likely source of the placer gold are the lode-gold deposits in the Virgilia-Rich Gulch area only four miles upstream of Rich Bar, where the northern reaches of the mineralized Melones Fault Zone crosses the East Branch. Under these circumstances, Rich Bar accumulated extraordinary amounts of gold to became one of the most productive of the Quaternary placer deposits in the Sierra Nevada.

Comment (Workings): Aside from the easy pickings of gold nuggets left high and dry on bedrock cracks and crevices, panning of river gravels at Rich Bar was the initial means of recovery in 1850. Very shortly thereafter, rockers became the method of choice and allowed processing of several times the material per man per day. Rockers were generally six-eight feet long with perpendicular basal cleats to trap the gold. Since rockers required several men to feed and operate, partnerships amongst miners quickly supplanted the individual miner. Rockers were quickly replaced by long toms, and by 1851 had become the primary means of recovery. Long toms were larger and longer than rockers and could wash from four to ten times as much gravel in a day as the rocker. Long toms also allowed the accumulation of abundant gold dust in the lower riffles, which was separated from the black sands by mercury amalgamation. Long toms, however, required sufficient water volume and hydraulic head to operate properly, and a series of flumes and ditches from up-river or hillside streams evolved. Discovery of placers in the river banks outside the active channel of the East Branch and in nearby tributary ravines led to their exploitation. Paydirt was often hauled considerable distance to be worked in the long toms at the river. "Coyote holes" up to ten of feet deep were dug to exploit the gold trapped at the bedrock surface outside the river channel. Lateral tunnels following the bedrock surface radiated from the bottom of the coyote holes. 1852 saw the adoption of the sluice box for working the riverbank and neighboring ravine deposits. A sluice allowed the washing of twice as much material as a long tom. Whereas a long tom was 12-20 feet long, a sluice might be from 50 to hundreds of feet long. Eventually water from all the nearby creeks was being diverted to the sluice boxes at Rich Bar, Pea Soup Bar, and Indian Bar. Often consortiums of several claims were developed, and attempts were made to divert the river from its bed. Wing dams were built in the river bed, and bypass channels and flumes were used to divert portions of the river flow and allow exploitation of the downstream gravels. Wing dams were only partially successful since they were routinely washed out by seasonal rains. In 1855, hydraulic mining was applied to the hillside behind Rich Bar. Hydraulic mining continued in the vicinity of Rich Bar on the East Branch even after it was restricted by the Sawyer Decision in 1884. The recalcitrant miners continued the practice despite efforts to have them cease. By the latter half of the 1850s, dams and flumes were so extensive they diverted the whole river. The East Branch became no more than a series of dams, large flumes, and diverted channels to allow access to the riverbed gravels and provide the requisite water to operate sluices and hydraulic monitors. Today, Rich Bar is operated as a recreational gold panning site. Heavy equipment is used to excavate alluvial material for panning and washing by paying customers.

Comment (Commodity): Commodity Info: Gold dust to large nuggets. Large nuggets common in early days (nuggets of up to 56 ounces)

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: Native gold

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: Alluvium

Comment (Environment): Rich Bar is located in the mountainous northern Sierra Nevada along the East Branch of the North Fork of the Feather River (East Branch) at its confluence with Kellogg Creek. The area is sparsely populated and characterized by deeply incised river valleys within Paleozoic and Mesozoic ultramafic rocks, argillites, cherts, and greenstones. Local relief exceeds 3,400 feet from Rich Bar on the East Branch to Red Hill to the north. The steep valley walls are locally heavily forested with conifers, although some of the slopes on the ultramafic complex are sparsely vegetated with low-growing shrubs. Climate is generally alpine with average winter low temperatures between 22-28 degrees and an average winter snowfall of 117 inches. Summer highs average in the mid-80s. There is scattered placer mining equipment at the site. Both State Highway 70 and a major railroad are immediately adjacent to the deposit. At the deposit itself, there is a mix of exposed barren ground that alternates with patches of forested ground. A few small buildings of uncertain vintage remain. The entire site of Rich Bar can be viewed easily from a large pull-out area along State Highway 70, which parallels the river.

Comment (Location): Point bar located on East Branch of the North Fork of the Feather River, approximately 1-3/4 miles east of confluence with North Fork of the Feather River. The location point selected for latitude and longitude is the center of the Rich Bar point bar on the East Branch of the North Fork as shown on the USGS Caribou 7.5-minute quadrangle map. Access to the deposit is via State Highway 70 from either Quincy or Oroville, then down a short paved road to the river, which is crossed by a vehicle bridge.

Comment (Development): The early history of Rich Bar is sketchy, but it appears to have been discovered accidentally in the summer of 1850. Rumors of a golden lake in the High Sierra inspired an exodus of miners into the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada from the lower-elevation placer workings. Discovery was reportedly on the south side of East Branch by a party of miners who found gold nuggets lying in crevices on an exposed bedrock mound measuring 20-75 feet wide by 450 feet long and exposed 5-1 5 feet above normal river stage. Credit for furthering the discovery is elusive. One account credits a man named Greenwood who purportedly realized $2,900 in gold from 2 pans of dirt giving rise to the name Rich Bar. Bonanza amounts were found from surface to bedrock in the shallow submerged river bars and on the bedrock of the riverbed itself. By the evening of the discovery, the entire bar was reportedly claimed. The site was so rich that claims were restricted to 100 sq feet or less, compared to normal gold claims at most mining camps, which were generally from 40' x 40' up to 100' x 100'. Within 2-3 months of discovery, at least 1,000 miners were working within a 2-mile stretch on the East Branch. Newspaper accounts from August, 1850, indicate that similar rich placer discoveries were also made at neighboring Smith Bar, about one mile west, that summer. Reported accounts include miners panning over 300 ounces a day. News of the discovery spread quickly and Rich Bar grew from a secluded camp with only a few cabins in early 1850 to a bustling boomtown at year end with a half dozen stores, a bakery, butcher shop, bowling alley, doctors office, numerous saloons and gambling halls, the Empire Hotel, and numerous log cabin or tent boarding houses/bars. By late 1951, placer yields from the river gravels had declined dramatically, but mining continued. Placer discoveries in nearby terraces kept mining alive, and in January, 1852, reports of lode-gold deposits in the vicinity of Quincy sparked a rush to find more gold-quartz veins. Three promising lode discoveries were made in the East Branch vicinity, but none ever panned out. 1850-1853 were the boom years for placer mining on Rich Bar and the complex of mines on the adjacent river bars. In 1853, hydraulic mining of the hillside placer deposits occurred at French Ravine, approximately one-half mile east of Rich Bar. In 1855, hydraulic mining was applied to the hillside behind Rich Bar with mixed results. Hydraulic mining continued on the portions of East Branch until well after it was officially restricted in 1884. Steadily declining gold yields, and the news of the Fraser River gold strike in Canada and the Comstock Lode discovery caused an exodus and Rich Bar to become almost a ghost town. Whereas there are estimates of over 2,000 residents in Rich Bar and the neighboring bar complexes in the early 1850s, the population of the entire township had dwindled to 200 people in 1862. Rich Bar continued its decline into the late 1860s when in the winter of 1868 an unusually heavy snowfall collapsed many of the remaining derelict structures. Most of the remaining residents left in the spring and summer of 1869, and the remaining houses were razed. By 1871, even the industrious Chinese miners working parts of the East Branch were making very little profit. Since then, the Rich Bar area has not been actively or continuously mined with the exception of the hobbyist gold seeker. Currently, the original Rich Bar site is operated by the Rich Bar Mining Company, which operates the site as a recreational gold panning attraction.

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References

Reference (Deposit): Miscellaneous Information on Rich Bar is contained in File Number 330-6150 (CDMG Mineral Resources Files, Sacramento).

Reference (Deposit): Young, J., 1983, History of Rich Bar, a blue ribbon gold camp: Self-published by Jim M. Young, 100 p.

Reference (Deposit): Jayko, A.S., 1989, Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks of the Almanor 15-minute quadrangle, Plumas County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 88-757, 12 p.

Reference (Deposit): Clark, W.B., 1970, Gold districts of California: California Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 193, 186 p.

Reference (Deposit): Clappe, Louisa Amelia Knapp Smith, 1970, The Shirley letters: First published by the Pioneer (San Francisco) in 1854-1855; republished with introduction by Richard Oglesby, Peregrine Smith Books, 199 p. (See ?Additional Comments? below.)

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California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.