Mines and Geology (DMG) to delineate Seismic Hazard Zones. The purpose of the Act is to reduce the threat to public health and safety and to minimize the loss of life and property by identifying and mitigating seismic hazards. Cities, counties, and state agencies are directed to use seismic hazard zone maps developed by DMG in their land. Publications of the California Geological Survey. Publications listed as 'out of print' may be available for download, and are available in-person in the CGS library. DOC Maps Geospatial Data and Web Maps from the California Department of Conservation. The Department of Conservation provides services and information that promote environmental health, economic vitality, informed land-use decisions, and sound management of our state’s natural resources. Prompted by damaging earthquakes in northern and southern California, in 1990 the State Legislature passed the Seismic Hazards Mapping Act. The Governor signed the Act, codified in the Public Resources Code as Division 2, Chapter 7.8 (see Appendix A), which became operative on April 1, 1991.
Mount Whitney, the highest peak in California, named after the second State Geologist
The California Geological Survey, previously known as the California Division of Mines and Geology, is the California state geologic agency.
History[edit]
Although it was not until 1880 that the California State Mining Bureau, predecessor to the California Geological Survey, was established, the 'roots' of California's state geological survey date to an earlier time. As might be expected for a state that owed its existence to the gold rush of 1849, the California State Legislature recognized that geologists could provide valuable information. In 1851, one year after California was admitted to the United States, the Legislature named John B. Trask, a medical practitioner and active member of the California Academy of Sciences, as Honorary State Geologist. In 1853 the Legislature passed a joint resolution asking him for geological information about the state. He submitted a report On the Geology of the Sierra Nevada, or California Range. About two months later, the Legislature created the first California Geological Survey headed by Trask, who retained the title of State Geologist.
William H. Brewer's 1864 field party
Within a few years the mining of placergold began to decline and mining of quartzlodes began. These changes, coupled with publication of reports by Trask, created a public clamor for a state geological survey. In 1860 the Legislature passed an act creating the Office of State Geologist and defining the duties thereof. The act named Josiah D. Whitney (for whom Mount Whitney is named) to fill the office. A Yale graduate, Whitney had worked on several surveys in the east. The act directed Whitney to make an accurate and complete geological survey of the state.
The Team[edit]
Whitney chose William Henry Brewer as chief botanist to lead the original field party. Brewer then added Clarence King, James Gardiner, topographer Charles F. Hoffmann and packer Dick Cotter. It was one of the most ambitious geological surveys ever attempted and yielded a vast amount of information about California that was hitherto unknown and unpublished. Among the natural features of California they were the first to describe Kings Canyon, which they discovered in 1864. The original California Geological Survey influenced the future of surveying and spurred the creation of the United States Geological Survey. Funding for the field work was limited and the last field work was done in 1870 by Hoffmann and W. A. Goodyear. In 1874 the Survey was officially ended due to hostility between then Governor of California Newton Booth and Whitney.
Later Organizations[edit]
Drafting Department, 1905
In 1880 the State Mining Bureau was established by the Legislature. The establishment of the Bureau was a direct action in response to the need for information on the occurrence, mining, and processing of gold in the state. Its focus was on California's mining industry and the Governor appointed the State Mineralogist. In 1891, the Bureau published the first geologic map of the state showing eight stratigraphic units in color, along with numerous blank areas where information was lacking. The second colored geologic map of the state, published in 1916, showed 21 stratigraphic units and was accompanied by an explanatory volume (Bulletin 72, Geologic Formations of California).
In 1927 the Bureau became the Division of Mines within the Department of Natural Resources. In 1928, with the hiring of the first geologist, the focus of the Division began to shift towards the gathering of basic geologic information. In 1938 a new 1:500,000-scale geologic map was published.
During the 1940s and 1950s, the Division developed as a state geological survey and two well-defined branches were established: the Mining Engineering Branch and the Geology Branch. The Division began processing numerous geological quadrangle maps and reports for publication. In 1952 the Division conducted its first public-safety related effort by documenting the impacts of the 1952 Kern County earthquake and its aftershocks.
The 1960s were years of development of new programs and modernization of long-standing programs. In 1962, eighty-one years after its creation, the Division of Mines was renamed the Division of Mines and Geology (DMG). Its focus had shifted from an organization that was primarily mine-oriented to one responsible for a broader range of practical applications of geology, especially geologic hazards and seismic hazards. A highlight of the decade was the completion in 1966 of the geologic mapping program.
From the early 1970s to the present, Division programs have expanded often due to the passage of legislation. Following earthquakes and landslide damage during the 1970s and 1980s, legislation passed which clearly focused DMG's authority on several fronts, including:
- Establishing the Strong-Motion Instrumentation Program to obtain statewide records of the response of rock, soil, and structures to ground motion caused by earthquakes.
- Enacting the Alquist Priolo Special Studies Zone Act, mandating the delineation of zones along traces of hazardous faults.
- Enacting the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act to ensure that significant mineral deposits are identified and protected and the reclamation of mined lands.
- Declaring that the California Department of Conservation is the primary state agency responsible for geologic hazard review and investigation.
- Enacting the Seismic Hazards Mapping Act, establishing a program to identify and map seismic hazard zones.
Language was also added which outlined DMG's responsibilities as encompassing:
- Hazard assessment – identification and mapping of geologic hazards and estimates of potential consequences and likelihood of occurrence.
- Information and advisory services including maintenance of a geologic library, public education program, maintenance of a geologic data base, review functions, and expert consulting to federal, state and local government agencies.
- Emergency response including monitoring and assessment of anomalous geologic activity, and operation of a clearinghouse for post-event earth science investigations.
- Development and application of mitigation methods, including identifying state research needs, facilitating needed research, and expediting the application of new research results to public policy.
Naming history[edit]
The California Geological Survey has had many names over its history. The original Geological Survey of California was replaced in April 1880 by the new California State Mining Bureau. This was renamed the Division of Mines in 1927. In 1962 the division's name was expanded to be California Division of Mines and Geology, a name that lasted until August 2006, when the state legislature renamed the division the California Geological Survey.[1]
See also[edit]
- James M. Hyde, metallurgist and curator of the Mining Museum, 1900
References[edit]
- ^'History of the California Geological Survey'. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
Resources[edit]
California Mines And Geology Formerly Dmg Map
- History of the Sierra Nevada by Francis P. Farquhar, University of California Press, 1965
External links[edit]
- Survey of California;idT=UCb108795846 Geological Survey of California. Correspondence on the geological survey of California, 1861–1866 at The Bancroft Library.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=California_Geological_Survey&oldid=915790683'
Agency overview | |
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Headquarters | 801 K Street, MS 24-01, Sacramento, California |
Annual budget | $1 billion (2007) |
Agency executives |
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Parent agency | California Natural Resources Agency |
Website | http://www.conservation.ca.gov |
The California Department of Conservation is a department within the government of California, belonging to the California Natural Resources Agency. With a team of scientists, engineers, environmental experts, and other specialists, the Department of Conservation administers a variety of programs vital to California's public safety, environment and economy. The department's mission is to manage California's working lands. It regulates oil, natural gas and geothermal wells; studies and maps earthquakes and other geologic phenomena; maps and classifies areas containing mineral deposits; ensures reclamation of land used for mining; and administers agricultural and open-space land conservation programs. A division within the department dedicated to encouraging beverage container recycling has been moved into the newly created Department of Resources Recovery and Recycling (CalRecycle). Despite the similar name, the Department of Conservation should not be confused with the California Conservation Corps, another department within the Natural Resources Agency, which provides work experience for young adults. The Department of Conservation often collaborates with its federal equivalents, such as the U.S. Geological Survey.
The department's director is David Shabazian.
Divisions[edit]
The Department of Conservation is divided into five divisions to oversee its various responsibilities.
California Geological Survey (CGS)[edit]
The California Geological Survey provides scientific analysis of the state's geology, seismic hazards, and mineral resources. Historically, CGS began as a short-lived California Geological Survey (1860–1874). In 1880, the California Legislature created the State Mining Bureau, which focused solely on mining and mineral resources and reported directly to the Governor. The Bureau gradually added authority to regulate oil and gas development, as well as forestry (timber to support mining was a major issue of the day). In 1927, as California Government grew, the Bureau became the Division of Mines within the State's Department of Natural Resources. About the same time, responsibilities for forests were given to a new Division of Forestry, and oil and gas to a new Division of Oil and Gas, both in the Department of Natural resources.
Although mining remained the focus of the Division of Mines, emphasis began to grow in basic geologic products through the 1940s and 1950s. In 1961, the name was changed to Division of Mines and Geology (DMG), with a greater emphasis on environmental geology in urban areas. Following the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, DMG was authorized to delineate regulatory zones along faults and install instruments to record earthquake strong motion. In 1976, it was authorized to help assure reclamation of mined lands, and in 1990 to delineate regulatory zones for liquefaction, earthquake-triggered landslides, and tsunamis. In January 1991, reclamation-related responsibilities were moved to a new Office of Mine Reclamation. In 2002, the Division unofficially began using the name California Geological Survey, a change that was formally authorized in 2006 by the California Legislature.[3]
Division of Land Resource Protection (DLRP)[edit]
Promoting conservation, the Division of Resource Protection oversees studies regarding urban sprawl, the use of farmland, and regularly monitors and maps the loss of farmland to urban growth.
Division of Mine Reclamation (DMR)[edit]
The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA) gave the Department of Conservation responsibilities related to reclamation of mined lands. Initially these responsibilities were allocated to the Division of Mines and Geology, working in concert with the State Mining and Geology Board and local governments. In 1991, those responsibilities were transferred to the Division of Mine Reclamation. DMR is involved in every mining operation within the state, studying the ability of mining operations to restore land to its previously unaltered state following the cessation of mine operations.
Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM, formerly DOGGR)[edit]
The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) prioritizes protecting public health, safety, and the environment in its oversight of the oil, natural gas, and geothermal industries, while working to help California achieve its climate change and clean energy goals. To do that, CalGEM uses science and sound engineering practices to regulate the drilling, operation, and permanent closure of energy resource wells.[4]
CalGEM also maintains a database of active wells, expired wells, surveyed lands and leases on California land, coastal waters (0–3 miles) and federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). When a well is no longer needed, either because the oil or gas reservoir becomes depleted, or because no oil or gas was found (called a dry-hole), the well is plugged and abandoned. A well is plugged by placing cement in the well-bore or casing at certain intervals as specified in California laws or regulations. The purpose of the cement is to seal the wellbore or casing and prevent fluid from migrating between underground rock layers. Cement plugs are required to be placed across the oil or gas reservoir (zone plug), across the base-of-fresh-water (BFW plug), and at the surface (surface plug). Other cement plugs may be required at the bottom of a string of open casing (shoe plug), on top of tools that may become stuck down hole (junk plug), on top of cut casing (stub plug), or anywhere else where a cement plug may be needed. Also, the hole is filled with drilling mud to help prevent the migration of fluids.
In 2014 DOGGR (now CalGEM) officials admitted that for several years they had 'inadvertently' permitted companies to inject potentially hazardous wastewater from fracking and other oil production operations 'into hundreds of disposal wells in protected aquifers' in violation of federal law. The oversight was attributed to 'haphazard record-keeping and antiquated data collection.'[5]
In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom fired director Ken Harris over allegations of conflict of interest.[6]
State Mining and Geology Board[edit]
The State Mining and Geology Board is granted certain autonomous responsibilities and obligations under several statutes within the Department of Conservation. The board's general authority requires its nine board members to 'represent the general public interest.' The board serves as a regulatory, policy and appeals body representing the state's interest in geology, geologic and seismologic hazards, conservation of mineral resources, and reclamation following surface mining activities.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^California Department of Conservation. 'David Shabazian Bio'. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
- ^California Department of Conservation. 'Jason Marshall Bio'. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
- ^California Geological Survey (2007). 'History of the California Geological Survey'. Author. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^[conservation.ca.gov/calgem 'Geologic Energy Management Division'] Check
|url=
value (help). Dept of Conservation. Retrieved 2 January 2020. - ^Cart, Julie (March 29, 2015). 'Lawmakers slam oil regulator'. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. p. B4.
- ^'Gov Newsom Fires Top Oil Regulator & Institutes Sweeping Ethics Review of Agency In Response To Watchdog Report of Conflicts | Consumer Watchdog'. www.consumerwatchdog.org. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=California_Department_of_Conservation&oldid=933741939'