Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Photographer: Barry Swackhamer
Taken: June 29, 2017
Caption: A Tale of the Tailings Marker
Additional Description: Captions: (top left) The Sumpter Valley dredge moved and average of 10 acres each month; over its lifetime it covered about 1,100 acres, or 6 1/2 miles.; (bottom left) Beavers are helping to build a wetland habitat as they gnaw on young trees and build their dams, creating a nutrient-rich environment. Otter, beavers, muskrats, even trout are thriving here, and micro-habitats provide food and shelter for frogs and invertebrates. ; (top right) As the snow melts in the spring, it brings sediment downstream, to the tailings in the old riverbed. Wetland plants move in to grow on the sediment, contributing organic material that enriches the soil even further. Wetland and riparian trees - willows, cottonwoods, and redosier dogwood - are replacing the old conifer forest.; (bottom right) Wildlife is moving in to take advantage of the new resources, the small hidden ponds tucked away between piles of rock are perfect resting places for waterfowl during migration.
Submitted: December 9, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
Database Locator Identification Number: p407567
File Size: 3.574 Megabytes

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