Pine forests extend across much of the interior plateau of southern British Columbia where they are the
principal commercial tree species. These forests are infested by the Mountain Pine Beetle, and it is estimated that by 2016
less than ~10% of the already diminished 2006 volume of pine will be left standing. Economic welfare of the many
forestry-dependent communities in the Beetle Infested Zone (BIZ) will be severely impacted. Anticipating an economic downturn
in the forestry sector, the Provincial Government is supporting economic diversification throughout the region via stimulation
of other industries. Work presented in Open File 2007-6, Riske Creek Geology, is a part of that provincial effort, and is
aimed at stimulating new jobs in the high-paying mineral exploration industry.
Centered approximately 30 km southwest of Williams Lake, the Riske Creek area is part of the Interior Plateau where it is
dissected by the Fraser River. It is underlain by oceanic crustal, and sedimentary rocks of the Cache Creek complex, and
Eocene felsic volcanic strata. Poorly lithified gravel, basalt hyaloclastite and lavas of the Chilcotin Group mantle the older
rocks. Regional geochemical stream sediment data from the area are elevated in copper (94th percentile), zinc (96th
percentile), and gold (>99th percentile), with respect to the remainder of the 50 000 samples collected throughout the
province. As a consequence, this area was chosen for additional sampling and geological mapping.
Open File 2007-6 presents a new version of the geology of this important area, covering about 200 km2. It outlines belts of
carbonate, serpentinite and basalt not previously recognized on earlier geological maps. Geochemical data are available as
part of Geofile 2007-5.
For more information on mines and exploration projects see
BC Mineral
Exploration Review 2006, Information Circular 2007-1 (PDF,
2.6 MB).
