The Tertiary rivers existed millions of years ago and many of them had large quantities of gold within their gravels. Because of that, they are known as the "Ancient Rivers of Gold." Each ancient river is discussed below.
Information on this page is based on the classic work of Waldemar Lindgren of the United States Geological Survey and by study of Big Tens California Gold Map 5, which shows the relationship of the ancient rivers to landmarks, such as roads, creeks and towns in the region.