GEOLOGICAL FIELD RESEARCH AND SERVICE LEARNING: THE MCKENZIE CONSERVATION AREA, SPOKANE COUNTY, WASHINGTON

The 421 acre McKenzie Conservation Area is part of the Spokane County Conservation Futures program and is located along the NW shore of Newman Lake in eastern Spokane County. Project goals included, mapping of the bedrock geology (and creation of a geologic map) along with a summary report highlighting field observations. The map and report are then submitted to the County Parks and Recreation Department for potential use in public education.

The McKenzie project area occurs within the southeastern part of the Spokane dome within the Priest River metamorphic complex. Field mapping has identified one major bedrock unit, the Newman Lake Gneiss (NLG). The NLG is a well-foliated (and lineated) coarse-grained to megacrystic orthogneiss, containing orthoclase megacrysts (up to 10 cm), plagioclase, quartz, and biotite. The average strike of foliations is 210^o, with dips ranging between 20-45^oNW. Lineations plunge gently (4-11^o) at either 075^o or 250^o. Throughout the park, the NLG exhibits pervasive mylonitization with localized high strain zones (< 1 m) approaching ultramylonite. Other features identified include ice-rafted erratics, spheroidal weathering, and groundwater springs.

From this project, students gained valuable field experience. The submitted map and report are intended to be used by the County for the development of earth science educational opportunities via informational displays, which could be viewed by the general public that utilize the park.