USA > Washington > Benton County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 4
USA > Washington > Kittitas County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 4
USA > Washington > Yakima County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 4
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Early in the Pliocene times there was a gentle flexing and folding in a gen- eral N. W. and S. E. direction and these arches naturally affected the drainage that was later to work out the Columbia River basin drainage.
This material was again worked down to a peneplain with the rivers showing every sign of age. These ridges were again uplifted this time with the whole area raised and naturally the rivers were intrenched and had to cut their way through as at Union and Selah gaps and the whole Yakima Canon.
Picture then the enormous amount of work which those streams had to do before they could pursue their untrammeled way to the sea, and also remember
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that the Columbia itself was having to do the same work of cutting where the Cascades were being humped up beneath its course to the ocean.
The most important event of the latter history of the valley, according to Bull (U. S. G. S. No. 86) is the andesite eruption in the vicinity of the Tieton Basin and the resulting lava flow down the Tieton and Naches. Tieton River with a canyon of 1,000 to 3,000 feet of basalt was filled, and ponding was forced in the Tieton Basin. Later streams of volcanic mud and lava encroached on the broad bottom land of Cowiche and Naches and this largest stream of molten material cooling as it traveled shows the change of viscosity in the slope of sixty feet to the mile that is still to be seen on the edge of Naches Heights. The lava stream stopped at Painted Rocks two miles below where it came out of the canyon and was about 300 feet high at the cliff which shows its end. The Tieton and Cowiche were changed, similarly farther north. Local Cowiche water was ponded 1,700 feet in depth. No rock of glacial origin shows on quad- rangle but granite boulders deposited by ice in ponds. So we conclude the story of our section, one that we may read as we run, and seeing what great changes have come about in practically unmeasured periods of time, we may well look with mingled feelings of awe and pride at the hills that most of us know and love.
The article by Miss Johnson gives a very accurate general view in brief, but some of our readers will doubtless desire more detailed and technical informa- tion, and to satisfy that desire we are here incorporating extracts from the thorough and voluminous report by George Otis Smith as given in the Mount Stuart folio of the Geological Atlas of 1904. The first extract gives a general description of the Mount Stuart quadrangle.
GEOLOGY OF YAKIMA VALLEY, AS DESCRIBED BY GEORGE OTIS SMITH.
"Situation and extent .- The Mount Stuart quadrangle is bounded by the meridians 120° 30' and 121° west longitude and the parallels 47º and 47° 30' north latitude. The area thus included is 812.4 square miles. The quadrangle is situated nearly in the center of the state of Washington and includes portions of Kittitas and Chelan counties.
"Relief .- The quadrangle lies on the eastern slope of the Cascade Moun- tains, and the northern half of the area includes the Mount Stuart massif and its foothills. Mount Stuart, the most prominent topographic feature of the quadrangle, is the culminating peak of an important spur of the main Cascade Range, the crest of the main range lying fifteen miles to the west. This sec- ondary range Prof. I. C. Russell has termed the Wenatchee Mountains. Mount Stuart rises to an elevation of 9,470 feet above sea level, and, with its deeply carved spires and crags, more or less covered with snow throughout the sum- mer, is the most striking feature in the varied scenery of the region. Its wild- est and grandest scenery, however, lies hidden within its fastnesses.
"The southern face of Mount Stuart is a precipitous slope rising 5,000 feet or more above Ingalls Creek. This wall can be scaled at several points, but by only one route has the highest peak been successfully attacked by the mountain climber. This route is along the right-hand side of a well-defined gulch which
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debouches in a large alluvial cone opposite the mouth of Turnpike Creek. At the head of this gulch begins the true climb westward along the arete with its huge blocks of rock. The summit is about a thousand feet above, and, when reached, the peak is found to be so acute that the greater part of the available space is taken by the triangulation monument. Beiow, the northern and west- ern faces are so much more precipitous as readily to convince the observer that there is only one approach to the summit.
"On the north side of Mount Stuart are broad and deep amphitheaters, in which lie small glaciers and glacial lakes, draining northward into Icicle Creek. The glaciers immediately below the main peak are mere remnants, often only a few hundred yards in extent, yet as seen from the summit these exhibit the characteristics possessed by larger ice streams ; crevasses cross the surface and indicate clearly the lines of flow in the lower portions of the glacier, while one terminal moraine was observed. Névé fields connect these tiny glaciers, so that they form a chain at the base of the cliff that so effectually protects them. In the Twin Lakes amphitheater there is a much larger glacier, about two miles in length. A Nunatak rising through this sheet of ice is a conspicuous fea- ture, and the typically rounded surfaces of this glacial basin present strong contrasts with the extremely rugged outlines of the higher parts of the range.
"Southward from Mount Stuart extend the lower peaks and ridges, many of which are hardly less rugged than Mount Stuart itself. The valleys are canyon-like in character, and dissection of the land surface has reached an extreme degree of maturity. There is, however, some variety in the extent to which erosion has been carried. Rocks of varying structure and hardness have caused the details to differ somewhat, but everywhere within this zone the topography is bold. The divides are generally narrow, the crests of the ridges being often so sharp as to be almost impassable. Below, the slopes are steep, and high cliffs border many of the valleys. The larger streams in this part of the quadrangle have rather broad valleys, although a striking feature is the number of types that may be observed in a single valley. Within a few miles a stream will pass from a broad basin down over a series of cascades, then wind through beautiful intermontane meadows, only to again dash down into a deep canyon. Such a succession is found in the valley of Negro Creek, and similar alternations of level stretches and precipitous cascades characterize almost every other stream. In general the gradient as well as the width of each valley is largely determined by the character of the rock in which it has been cut. The valley of Negro Creek furnishes a good example of this. The upper basin and the lower broad and level portions of the valley are in serpentine and soft sandstone and are separated by belts of hard, igneous rock over which the stream cascades. The lower half of the valley is a narrow canyon cut in igneous rock and hard slate.
"The southern half of the quadrangle includes a portion of the sloping plateau which extends from the higher parts of the Cascades on the west to the plain of the Columbia on the east. The gentle eastward slope of this plateau can be seen in the sky line as one looks southward from the peaks near Mount Stuart. The flat-topped ridge south of Yakima Valley, and Lookout and Table mountains just to the east, are instantly recognized as topographic fea-
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tures quite different in character from those already described. This southern region is, like the northern, deeply trenched with canyons, but the streams are much farther apart, so that the divides between the drainage lines are broad and level and the plateau character of the region is very apparent. Table Mountain and the Manastash area afford the best examples of the plateau topography. The nearly level plateau is so wanting in noticeable features as often to render it difficult to recognize particular localities. The level character of the surface generally continues to the very brink of the canyons, where the stream is sev- eral hundred or even a thousand feet below.
"The valley of the upper Yakima forms the northern boundary of the western portion of this plateau, but within this quadrangle the Yakima cuts across the escarpment which marks the edge of the plateau. Thus, in the southeast corner of the quadrangle, Kittitas Valley, as this portion of the valley is called, forms an extensive depression in the plateau country. In Kittitas Valley, as well as in the upper valley of the Yakima, extensive terraces border the river, a feature also prominent in the lower portion of Teanaway Valley. Narrow terraces occur along the smaller streams which are tributary to the Yakima, such as Swauk Creek and the three forks of the Teanaway.
"A somewhat uncommon topographic form which is very noticeable within the Mount Stuart quadrangle is the landslide. While occurring in almost all! parts of the quadrangle and seeming to be in a way independent of geologic structure, the landslides are most abundant along the northern escarpment of the plateau country, especially on Table and Lookout mountains. Here the masses of rock which have separated from the mountain side are so extensive as to render the resultant topography at the base of the cliffs very conspicuous. The best example of this is at the western base of Lookout Mountain, where the belt of landslide topography is a mile and a half wide. Three small lakes occur here in the basins formed behind the immense blocks of rock that have slid! down toward the valley. Such undrained basins are characteristic of topog- raphy that has originated in this way, and may be found in many localities. within the Mount Stuart quadrangle. The landslide areas will probably aggre- gate a score of square miles within this quadrangle, but it has not seemed best to delineate such areas on the geologic map, since in spite of their presence it is- possible to map the correct distribution of the various underlying formations ..
"Drainage .- The Mount Stuart quadrangle includes parts of two drainage basins. The larger part of the quadrangle is tributary to Yakima River, while. nearly one-fourth is drained by streams flowing into Wenatchee River, a few miles north of the northern edge of the quadrangle. Both of these rivers are. important tributaries of the Columbia.
"The Yakima here is a stream of considerable size, as it receives just west of the western edge of the quadrangle the waters of Cle Elum River, the last and largest of its three important headwater tributaries. The flow of the Yakima at Ellensburg may be estimated from measurements taken during the year 1898 at gauging stations in the vicinity of North Yakima. Using this basis, the mean annual discharge is 2,500 second-feet; the maximum discharge is about 15,000 second-feet, in February, and the minimum is less than 250- second-feet, in October. The unusually high water of 1899 would give very"
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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY
different results, but the discharge of 1898 is believed to be more nearly normal.
"Yakima River has considerable grade-about fifteen feet to the mile- while the Teanaway has a grade of thirty to forty feet. Both rivers at flood cut into their gravel banks at many points, and minor changes in their channels thus ensue. Next to the area drained by the Teanaway, the basin of Swauk Creek is the most important area, while Reeser, Taneum, Wilson, Naneum, and Manastash creeks are streams draining the plateau region in the southern half of the quadrangle. Naneum and Manastash creeks enter the Yakima south of the limits of the Mount Stuart quadrangle."
The limits of this chapter forbid extensive quotations from the general geologic history, but it will be interesting to see the introduction given by Mr. Smith dealing with the general features and with the initial process.
"General Features .- It is believed that the Mount Stuart quadrangle is exceptional for this province in the completeness with which the geologic record is exhibited. It is thus a representative area for the geologic province of which it is a part, and contains both the oldest and the youngest rocks thus far dis- covered in the northern Cascades. The Mount Stuart massif and the lower but rugged peaks encircling it constitute an area of the older or pre-Tertiary rocks, while to the south and east are strata of Tertiary age, under which the older formations are buried.
"This separation of the rocks of the Mount Stuart quadrangle into the older, or pre-Tertiary, and the younger, or Tertiary, is at once natural and most obvious. The difference between these two groups is apparent to any close observer. The older rocks are varied in composition and kind, but all are more or less altered, and the age of no formation among them is definitely deter- mined. Above, fossil plants afford a basis for the exact age determination of several formations. Among the formations of the pre-Tertiary age, intrusive igneous rocks predominate-that is, the rocks are such as were formed at a considerable depth below the surface of the earth, consolidating from bodies of molten rock material which was forced up from below. On the other hand, the Tertiary rocks are chiefly of the kind formed at the surface, sediments and volcanic deposits. These are sandstones, for the most part, and shales, deposited as sands and muds in large inland lakes, or lavas and beds of tuff erupted from openings in the earth's crust.
"The difference in age between these two groups of rocks is considerable. The older rocks had been long exposed to the influence of the atmosphere, and been carved by streams into hills and valleys when the first deposits in the Eocene waters were laid down, over an uneven surface composed of rocks widely differing in character. This is what is meant when it is said that there is at the base of the Eocene sandstone a marked unconformity, representing an erosion interval. In the following portion of this descriptive text the geologic history of the region will be outlined and all of these formations, both pre- Tertiary and Tertiary, will be described in detail.
PRE-TERTIARY PERIODS.
"Formation of the Oldest Rocks .- The oldest rocks in the quadrangle are probably of Paleozoic Age. As will be shown more fully later, these rocks
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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY
are in large measure metamorphic-that is, they have been altered from their original condition. Yet, sufficient remains of the original characters to show that the schists, slates, and greenstones of the Easton, Peshastin and Hawkins formations represent both sediments and products of volcanic activity. The record furnished by these older rocks indicates that the conditions of sedimenta- tion and of volcanismi were remarkably similar to those prevailing at approxi- mately the same time in the Sierra Nevada area and in British Columbia. Rocks strikingly similar to those of the Mount Stuart area are also found in the Blue Mountains of Oregon and in the Okanogan Valley, south of the international boundary. The inference from these relations is that during a portion of Paleozoic time the Pacific coast region from British Columbia to California con- stituted a single geologic province. The absence of Mesozoic sediments in this central Washington region suggests that it became a land area during Mesozoic time. The existing of a thick mass of Cretaceous rocks in the northern Cas- cades immediately south of the international boundary shows the extension of the Cretaceous sea southward from British Columbia, while rocks of similar age in the John Day Basin and Blue Mountains of Oregon mark the southern limit of this central land area. Later formations conceal these older rocks over large areas, but future geologic study may furnish data for a description of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic geography, which can only be touched upon now.
"Igneous Intrusions .- The next recognized chapter in the geologic history is that of the injection of large masses of molten rock in these older rocks. The schists, slates, and greenstones had been folded and uplifted from their orig- inal positions when the intrusions of igneous rock began. The earlier of these was that of the extremely basic magma which crystalized to form the peridotite, now largely altered to serpentine. The masses of older rock were separated by large bodies of this intrusive rock, often nearly a mile across. Smaller bodies of the Peshastin formation were broken off and completely engulfed in the molten magma, so that now many blocks of this foreign material are found included in the serpentine.
"Striking as was this display of the power of earth forces, the next exhibi- tion of igneous intrusion was on a larger scale. The Mount Stuart batholith is a mass of intrusive granitic rock measuring many square miles in area ; in fact, the limits of its extent northward beyond the Mount Stuart quadrangle have not yet been determined. The petrographic characters of the rock, as well as the metamorphic action the cooling mass exerted upon the adjacent rocks, favor the view that this intrusion was essentially deep seated, although its exact depth below the surface cannot be stated. The Mount Stuart granodiorite now forms the core of the Wenatchee Mountains, and its intrusion may have initiated the uplift of this minor range. Prior to this, however, as noted above, the older rocks had been subjected to mountain-building forces, and, as will be shown later, the Wenatchee Mountains owe their present elevation to movements during Tertiary time.
"Erosion .- Nothing definite can be stated regarding the age of these ig- neous intrusions. The nearest date that can be fixed is the beginning of the Eocene, but at that time the granodiorite, serpentine and older rocks had suf- fered a considerable amount of erosion. The cover under which the granitic mass had consolidated had been removed and the rocks, of varying hardness,
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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY
had been carved so as to form a region of bold relief. This interval of time during which atmospheric agencies accomplished so much is measured by the great unconformity between the older rocks and the earliest of the Tertiary sediments.
TERTIARY PERIOD-EOCENE EPOCH.
"Early Sedimentation .- Conditions favoring the deposition of the waste from the eroded rock masses began early in the Eocene Epoch. The coarse bowlders of granodiorite, serpentine and other rocks accumulated near their present ledges and were successively covered with finer sediments deposited in the rising waters of the Eocene lake. The rugged topography caused the coast line to be extremely irregular, so that inclosed lagoons and narrow inlets doubtless occurred in close proximity to bold headlands. Variety in the sedi- ments resulted, and fine muds and coarse granite sands may have been laid down contemporaneously in adjoining areas. The higher portions of the mass of granitic rock appear to have been exposed to active weathering agencies, since the larger part of the Swauk formation is composed of fresh arkose, plainly derived from the Mount Stuart granodiorite.
"Basaltic Eruptions .- Elevation accompanied by a moderate amount of flexing probably terminated the epoch of sedimentation. Erosion immediately began its work and had truncated certain of the folds before the eruption of large masses of basaltic lava and tuff took place. The source of this volcanic material was deep seated, the molten rock reaching the surface through hun- dreds of vents. Cracks in the sandstone, serpentine, slate, and even the gran- odiorite appear to have been taken advantage of by the extremely fluid magma, which thus secured a passage upward to the surface. For the most part the lava spread out in great sheets, while in certain localities the presence of steam in the molten rock appears to have caused explosive eruptions, thick beds of basal- tic tuff being intercalated with the lava sheets.
"Later Sedimentation .- The violent volcanism was succeeded by quiet sedimentation in the waters which soon covered the basaltic rocks. The sands and muds deposited in this later Eocene Epoch appear to have been better sorted than the materials composing the earlier Eocene sediments. Vegetable matter, which was present in the earlier formation now became prominent, and during the later part of the epoch, represented by the Roslyn formation, the conditions of sedimentation were such as to allow the deposit of several beds of carbona- ceous material, which now furnish workable seams of coal.
"Sedimentation during Eocene time appears to have taken place in basins which were neither extensive nor permanent. The Swauk water body was doubtless larger than the Roslyn, while the latter basin appears to have had a position well toward the southern edge of the Swauk Basin. The Roslyn waters, however, did not extend far to the south, since the Manastash forma- tion, which is of late Eocene Age, is found to have its basal sediments resting directly upon the pre-Tertiary schists. The Manastash Basin was thus south of the Roslyn Basin, which was south of the basin in which the Swauk sedi- ments were deposited. This southward migration of the lake basins in Eocene
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time very probably had its origin in resistance offered by the Mount Stuart massif to the mountain building movements which continued throughout the Tertiary period. The deposition of the sands and muds, now indurated and forming the rocks of the Manastash formation, closed the Eocene sedimentation, as far as the record is known."
From the extensive section of Mr. Smith's report dealing with such forma- tions we select the following as illustrating the general method of treatment and as of special interest.
PRE-TERTIARY ROCKS.
"Succession .- While the absolute age has not been determined for any of the pre-Tertiary formations, their relative age is determined by their geologic relations, and they will be described in that order. The oldest formations in this region are the Easton schist, the Peshastin slate, and the Hawkins volcanic rocks. Of these, the first is a metamorphic rock, probably of sedimentary origin; the others, while somewhat altered, are plainly sedimentary and vol- canic respectively. The intrusive igneous rocks are the peridotite, now largely altered to serpentine, and the Mount Stuart granodiorite.
EASTON SCHIST
"Areal Extent .- This formation occupies two small areas in the south- western part of the quadrangle. The larger of the two includes a portion of the ridge between Yakima River and Taneum Creek. Here the formation is a quartz-mica-schist, a typical metamorphic rock. Though occupying only a few square miles in the Mount Stuart quadrangle, this schist extends westward into the Snoqualmie quadrangle, forming the southern wall of Yakima Valley as far as Easton, from which town the formation takes its name. Southwest of Cle Elum the Easton Schist extends southward from the edge of the valley across the ridge, which rises 2,500 feet at this point above the valley, and down across the forks of Taneum Creek. South of this point the schist is hidden beneath later formations, but reappears several miles farther south on South Fork of Manastash Creek.
"Description .- Where best exposed the Easton Schist is a silvery-gray or green rock, with thin layers of quartzose material separated by micaceous minerals-sericite and chlorite. The rock is extremely crumpled, and gashed and seamed with quartz veins and stringers. Associated with this quartz-mica-, schist are other schists, more limited in their occurrence. These are amphi- bolites-schists composed largely of green hornblende, which probably have been derived from a dioritic or more basic igneous rock, dikes of which cut the rock now metamorphosed into the quartz-mica-schist. Other associated schists have epidote as a prominent constituent.
"Immediately west of the base of Cle Elum Point the schist shows an apparent stratification and includes green and blue amphibole (glaucophane) schists and a jaspery quartzite, both the glaucophane-schist and the quartzite containing considerable magnetite. These rocks appear to be metamorphosed sediments. Their occurrence close to the intrusive rock of Cle Elum Point sug- gests a possible cause of the metamorphism.
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PESHASTIN FORMATION.
"Type Occurrence .- The typical exposure of this formation is along the canyon of Peshastin Creek near the mouth of Negro Creek. The rock is gen- erally a black slate, and a great thickness is exposed here. Cherty bands and fine grit or conglomerate also occur, but only in relatively small amount.
"In the northwestern part of the quadrangle, between the headwaters of North and Middle forks of Teanaway River, there is another area of the Peshastin formation. There black chert is again found interbedded with the slate, and lenses of light-gray limestone also occur. The thin bands of chert are rather persistent, but the lenses of limestone rarely measure more than a few yards in length. Argillaceous rocks other than the black slate occur in this area. These are a red ferruginous slate and a yellowish sericitic rock, some- what schistose.
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