Английская Википедия:Fine Gold Creek

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Шаблон:Infobox river Fine Gold Creek, in Fine Gold Gulch, is a creek in a gulch in Madera County, California that is a river tributary of the San Joaquin River.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It is approximately Шаблон:Convert from its mouth on the San Joaquin through where it has two forks to its headwaters.Шаблон:Sfn

Like Coarse Gold Gulch in the same county and many other places in California, its name derives simply from the practice of gold mining.Шаблон:Sfn

Course and tributaries

The mouth of Fine Gold itself is roughly Шаблон:Convert north-east of where Fort Miller used to be (which is now under Millerton Lake).Шаблон:Sfn

The headwaters of the main Creek are on the south slope of Thornberry Mountain at Шаблон:Convert above sea level, and its course downstream is overall in a south-westwards direction to the San Joaquin with a fall of Шаблон:Convert along its length downstream of its tributaries.Шаблон:Sfn

• Its major permanent tributaries are:
  • Little Fine Gold Creek — a fork whose headwaters are on the western slope of Goat Mountain, with a fall of Шаблон:Convert along its length and flowing south-eastwards for Шаблон:Convert then southwards for Шаблон:Convert then south-westwards for its remaining Шаблон:ConvertШаблон:Sfn
  • North Fork Fine Gold Creek — a Шаблон:Convert long fork whose headwaters are west of Thornberry Mountain at Шаблон:Convert above sea level, with a fall of Шаблон:Convert along its length and flowing south-eastwardsШаблон:Sfn

Its minor tributaries are largely ephemeral, drying up in the summer.Шаблон:Sfn Most of its length comprises long lengths of sand-bottomed creek bed connecting a few rocky pools, which are between 1 and 2 metres deep in the summer months.Шаблон:Sfn

The total area of the Creek drainage basin is Шаблон:Convert, and the basin's northern boundary is at Шаблон:Convert above sea level.Шаблон:Sfn

A reservoir on the Creek was considered in 2005, with water to be pumped from Millerton Lake or the San Joaquin, or even through a tunnel from Kerckhoff Lake, and supplemented by the inflow from Fine Gold itself.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Madera Irrigation District had considered a similar project in 1991, and discarded it because of the pumping requirement.Шаблон:Sfn

Ecology

The environs of Fine Gold comprise woodland foothills, mainly oak, digger pines, and willows, interspersed with occasional grassland and riparian habitat that includes Fraxinus latifolia, and various Populus, Salix, and Cephalanthus species.Шаблон:Sfn This is fairly well developed at the upstream end of the Creek.Шаблон:Sfn

Vegetation to be found in the streambed includes Polypogon monspeliensis, some Mimulus and Cyperus species, Mentha pulegium, and clover.Шаблон:Sfn Fish are mainly non-native species in the Creek basin, with the Sacramento sucker and hitch and the California roach found in the Creek.Шаблон:Sfn

The river banks have been damaged by grazing in places, and the grazing, local roads, and the construction of the Millerton Lake, from which fish like the green sunfish invade the Creek, have reduced the Creek's biodiversity.Шаблон:Sfn The whole watershed had been designated an Aquatic Diversity Management Area of the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project.Шаблон:Sfn At the mouth of the Creek, where it is inundated by Millerton Lake, the river banks are moderately steep.Шаблон:Sfn

There are eight special status plant species in the Creek watershed, and Ambystoma californiense, western spadefoot, and western pond turtle have been recorded there.Шаблон:Sfn

Demographics and transport

The Creek watershed is sparsely populated, with access roads to farms, and scattered housing with mostly single-family homes.Шаблон:Sfn It is traversed by Hidden Lake Boulevard, Ralston Way, and County Road 210.Шаблон:Sfn Where it joins Millerton Lake, County Road 216 provides access to a small residential area named Hidden View, and Hidden Lake Estates.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

Native people

The lower part of the Creek is part of the traditional territory of the Mono Native American people of North Fork, with the upper part in traditional Chukchansi Yokuts territory although the Chukchansi largely live nowadays in the Picayune Rancheria area at Coarsegold.Шаблон:Sfn There were Mono hamlets in the lower part.Шаблон:Sfn The Dalinchi Yokuts's traditional territory encompassed lower Fine Gold, O'Neals, and part of Coarse Gold Gulch, and the Dumna Yokuts's traditional territory ran along the north bank of the San Joaquin and included the mouth of Fine Gold.Шаблон:Sfn

Archaeology

There are three known archaeological sites on the Creek, one a standing two-story house.Шаблон:Sfn

Mining

Mining in the area is documented in Robert A. Eccleston's diary of the Mariposa War, and Eccleston himself mined there shortly after the war.Шаблон:Sfn Eccleston recorded little success, unlike N. H. Stockton who in September and October 1850 claimed to have made more than Шаблон:USD per day some days in his journal.Шаблон:Sfn

Fine Gold Creek divided the Hildreth Mining District on the west from the Fresno Mining District on the east.Шаблон:Sfn

In an 1894 survey, the California State Mining bureau recorded, amongst others:

• Quartz mines:
  • the Bessie H. Mine on Fine Gold operated by E. Wright of PollaskyШаблон:Sfn
  • the Columbus Mine on North Fork operated by J. Morrison and F. Nimes of CoarsegoldШаблон:Sfn
  • the Crabtree Mine on North Fork operated by T. Jones of CoarsegoldШаблон:Sfn
  • the Fine Gold Mine and the Starbuck Mine on Fine Gold operated by Mark Anderson of O'Neals, the former Шаблон:Convert to the north-east of the O'Neals post officeШаблон:Sfn
  • the Henrietta Mine and Lottie K Mine on Fine Gold owned by J. A. Harris and W. Reed of PollaskyШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
  • the Margarite Mine on Fine Gold owned by Charles Baker et al. of O'NealsШаблон:Sfn
  • the Pray Mine on Fine Gold owned by D. McLellan and Charles Melvin of CoarsegoldШаблон:Sfn
• Placer mines:
  • the Achsah D. Mine on Fine Gold operated by C. B. Holstead of PollaskyШаблон:Sfn
  • the Bowdler Mine on Fine Gold operated by J. M. Bowles of HildrethШаблон:Sfn
  • the Combination Claim on Fine Gold operated by J. W. Strathan of HildrethШаблон:Sfn
  • Little Willie's Mine on Fine Gold owned by G. P. Gunter of PollaskyШаблон:Sfn

Sources

• Шаблон:Cite encyclopaedia
• Шаблон:Cite book (Шаблон:Internet Archive)
• Шаблон:Cite encyclopaedia
• Шаблон:Cite encyclopaedia
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book

Further reading

• Шаблон:Cite book