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Summary: Remnant deposits of the auriferous gravels that fueled the California Gold Rush were used to reconstruct their original extent during the Eocene and Early Oligocene. We find that large swaths of the northern Sierra Nevada were buried under broad alluvial plains during this time period. Moreover, gravels found on two high peaks in the Feather River watershed suggest that the deposits buried the Feather River watershed up the range’s modern crest. Finally, we estimate a minimum volume of ∼200 km³ for the gravel deposits.

Image description: Reconstruction of the original extent of the Tertiary auriferous gravels in the northern Sierra Nevada (CA). The reconstruction (yellow) was based on the locations and positions of the remnant deposits (green). (See paper by Tipp and Gabet, p. 815–850 in this issue).