The Need
Previous mapping in the eastern 1:250,000 scale Penticton map area identified a variety of base- and precious-metal mineral deposits related to prominent regional structures. Updated mapping of the Almond Mountain and Christian Valley sheets completed through this project extended this work into an area that has attracted historical and recent exploration, mainly due to successful gold and base-metal exploration around Greenwood and south to Washington State. There has been little government-led exploration work done since a 1980s regional 1:250,000 scale map.
Project Goals
The project was designed to:
- Continue geological mapping of the eastern half of the Penticton map sheet
- Evaluate regional structures and their relationship to mineralization
- Provide a new base for exploration companies and prospectors to use when evaluating their claims and exploring for new discoveries.
- Produce two updated 1:50,000 scale mapsheets
- Update provincial geoscience databases
Project Benefits
It is hoped that new mapping and data will improve understanding of potential mineralization in the area. This will inform decision-making and may spur grassroots exploration in an area of southern British Columbia that has been historically underexplored.
Survey Area
The Almond Mountain map sheet, released in 2016, is a 1:50,000 scale geology map compiled from previous regional geological, geophysical and geochemical data. The map sheet covers north of Greenwood, between the base- and precious-metals deposits of the Franklin, Greenwood and Beaverdell mining camps.
The Christian Valley map sheet, released in 2017, comprises an area northeast of Beaverdell and a southwest portion of Granby Provincial Park.
The areas delineated on the map sheets are in the territory of Splatsin Indian Band, which is part of the Shuswap Nation.
How was the data collected?
Geological mapping began in late 2014 in the Almond Mountain map sheet, and was completed during 2015.
Geological mapping in the Christian Valley map sheet in 2016 focused on the western part of the survey area, dominated by the north-trending Rock Greek graben.
Both projects bring together regional geological, geophysical and geochemical data collected under the National Geochemical Reconnaissance (NGR) and the BC Regional Geochemical programs. This data was combined with mineral occurrence and geology databases to produce two new 1:50,000 scale map sheets.
What was found?
Mineralization in the Almond Mountain map area includes base- and precious-metal veins, breccia zones and disseminated sulphides, which is spatially and probably genetically related to north-northeast trending structures and is likely Eocene in age. Mapping was focused on the western side of the map sheet, and included in an updated map sheet released in 2016 (see link below).
Mineral exploration in the Christian Valley map sheet has mainly been directed towards uranium, and to a minor extent, base- and precious-metals. Discovery of mineralized skarn — formed at the contact zone between intrusions of granite magma and sedimentary rocks — and both vein and disseminated (microscopic) mineralization, suggest that several stages of mineralization occurred during the Jurassic and Eocene geological time periods. This has been demonstrated in the Highland Bell and Carmi mines to the south. Mapping as part of this project was focused on the Rock Creek graben, and was used to produce the updated geological map for this area (see link below).