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Headwaters Province - Idaho and Montana: Earth Science Studies in Support of Public Policy Development and Land Stewardship Completed

By Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center March 4, 2007

The Headwaters Province project provided geoscience data and interpretations to the Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMA) that were basic to sound policy and land-stewardship practices. 

packbridge over river in mountains
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Stoddard packbridge, main Salmon River. Prominent north-dipping metamorphic layering in Mesoproterozoic biotite metasandstone on skyline.

Overview

The Headwaters Province project provided geoscience data and interpretations to the Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMA) that were basic to sound policy and land-stewardship practices. U.S. Forest Service (USFS) National Forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Area Management Plans for the Headwaters Province were in revision, with completion dates from 1999-2003. USFS Regions 1 and 4 made National Priority Requests for the Mineral Resources Program (MRP) to provide interim products that help them meet their planning cycles. MRP provided geologic maps and topical studies to meet longer range goals of integrating geoscience into decision making. This project emphasized development of digital geoscience data, GIS analyses, and interpretations to ensure that geoscience data were available for GIS-based science integration and planning.

The interrelated goals of the project were designed at complimentary scales:

  • Provide digital geoscience databases for the province, at scales appropriate now and in the future, and applicable to local and regional questions.
  • Advance understanding of mineral resources in a geologic, economic, and environmental context.
  • Establish geologic context for ecosystem structure and function.
  • Use new understanding of processes and new GIS databases to develop GIS-based approach to forecast types and locations of near future mineral exploration and development.

Project Tasks

  • GIS-Based Digital Geoscience Database Development
  • Geologic, Economic, and Environmental Context of Province's Mineral Deposits
  • Geologic Framework for Ecosystem Structure and Function
  • Digital Geologic Map Integration and Analysis
  • Assessment of Potential for Development
water flowing over rocks
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Color Creek falls, tributary to Middle Fork Salmon River. Flowing across Mesoproterozoic muscovite-biotite schist.
Middle fork Salmon River
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Rattlesnake Camp, Middle Fork Salmon River. Outcrops of Mesoproterozoic biotite metasandstone are prominent. Boat in mid-foreground is part of USGS–USDA Forest Service baseline geochemical characterization study of the river basin.

Return to Mineral Resources Program | Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

Earth science studies in support of public policy development and land stewardship — Headwaters Province, Idaho and Montana

The USGS Headwaters Province project in western Montana and northern and central Idaho was designed to provide geoscience data and interpretations to Federal Land Management Agencies and to respond to specific concerns of USDA Forest Service Regions 1 and 4. The project has emphasized development of digital geoscience data, GIS analyses, topical studies, and new geologic interpretations. Studies w
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Geology of the Payette National Forest and vicinity, west-central Idaho

Before the Late Cretaceous, the eastern and western parts of the geologically complex Payette National Forest, as divided by the Salmon River suture, had fundamentally different geologic histories. The eastern part is underlain by Mesoproterozoic to Cambrian(?) rocks of the Laurentian (Precambrian North American) continent. Thick Mesoproterozoic units, which are at least in part equivalent in age
By
Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Earth science studies in support of public policy development and land stewardship — Headwaters Province, Idaho and Montana

The USGS Headwaters Province project in western Montana and northern and central Idaho was designed to provide geoscience data and interpretations to Federal Land Management Agencies and to respond to specific concerns of USDA Forest Service Regions 1 and 4. The project has emphasized development of digital geoscience data, GIS analyses, topical studies, and new geologic interpretations. Studies w

Copper-silver deposits of the Revett Formation, Montana and Idaho: Origin and resource potential

The Revett Formation of northern Idaho and western Montana contains major stratabound copper-silver deposits near Troy, Rock Creek, and Rock Lake, Montana. To help the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) meet its goal of integrating geoscience information into the land-planning process, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists recently completed a compilation of regional stratigraphy and mineralogy of the

Stratabound copper-silver deposits of the Mesoproterozoic Revett formation, Montana and Idaho

The western Montana copper belt in western Montana and northern Idaho contains several large stratabound copper-silver deposits in fine- to medium-grained quartzite beds of the Revett Formation of the Mesoproterozoic (1,470-1,401 Ma) Belt Supergroup. Production from the deposits at the Troy Mine and lesser production from the Snowstorm Mine has yielded 222,237 tons Cu and 1,657.4 tons Ag. Estimate
By
Mineral Resources Program

Mineral resources research supports land-use planning in the northern Rocky Mountains

USGS Headwaters Province project, Idaho, Montana, and Washington - an overview of publications supporting land-use planning in the northern Rocky Mountains

Mining Claim Activity on Federal Land for the Period 1976 through 2003

Previous reports on mining claim records provided information and statistics (number of claims) using data from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Mining Claim Recordation System. Since that time, BLM converted their mining claim data to the Legacy Repost 2000 system (LR2000). This report describes a process to extract similar statistical data about mining claims from LR2000 data using

Spatial databases for the geology of the northern Rocky Mountains — Idaho, Montana, and Washington

No abstract available.

Mineral and energy resource assessment of the Gallatin National Forest (exclusive of the Abasaroka-Beartooth study area), in Gallatin, Madison, Meagher, Park, and Sweet Grass counties, south-central Montana

By
Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Stratigraphic setting of sediment-hosted mineral deposits in the eastern part of the Hailey 1°x2° quadrangle and part of the southern part of the Challis 1°x2° quadrangle, south-central Idaho

The paper version of the Geologic map of outcrop areas of sedimentary units in the eastern part of the Hailey 1x2 Quadrangle and part of the southern part of the Challis 1x2 Quadrangle, south-central Idaho was compiled by Paul Link and others in 1995. The plate was compiled on a 1:100,000 scale topographic base map. TechniGraphic System, Inc. of Fort Collins Colorado digitized this map under co

Map showing geologic terranes of the Hailey 1°x2° quadrangle and the western part of the Idaho Falls 1°x2° quadrangle, south-central Idaho

The paper version of Map Showing Geologic Terranes of the Hailey 1x2 Quadrangle and the western part of the Idaho Falls 1x2 Quadrangle, south-central Idaho was compiled by Ron Worl and Kate Johnson in 1995. The plate was compiled on a 1:250,000 scale topographic base map. TechniGraphic System, Inc. of Fort Collins Colorado digitized this map under contract for N.Shock. G.Green edited and prepared

Mineral production and mining trends for selected non-fuel commodities in Idaho and Montana, 1905-2001

Idaho and Montana state mining statistics were obtained from historical mineral production records and compiled into a continuous record from 1905 through 2001. To facilitate comparisons, the mineral production data were normalized by converting the units of measure to metric tons for all included commodities. These standardized statistical data include production rates for principal non-fuel mine

Below are partners associated with this project.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

U.S. Forest Service (USFS)