Prairie Creek Traditional Cache

Just a bit of info on the area you are visiting.  We found it very interesting and hope you do, too.  

The Prairie Creek lamproite is the largest of seven ultramafic vents that make up the Prairie Creek lamproite province. Diamonds were first discovered in 1906, and commercial mining continued intermittently until about 1931. The evaluation program undertaken by the Arkansas State Parks Commission in the 1990s resulted in the mapping and evaluation of four major vent facies rock types: olivine lamproite, epiclastic sediments, phlogopite-rich tuff and olivine-rich tuff. Significant diamond contents were found only within the phlogopite-rich tuff (∼0.11 carat/100 tonnes) and olivine-rich tuff (∼1.1 carats/100 tonnes).

Stratigraphic relationships indicate that the diamondiferous tuffs have undergone <50 m of erosion. Extrapolation of the surface rock units and their diamond contents to the pre-erosion surface suggests that ∼93,000 carats of diamonds were liberated and then concentrated as a natural surface enrichment. Early commercial production focused on the natural surface concentrations, an assumption supported by historic mining records. Historical grades suggest that ∼58,000 carats were contained in these surface deposits, about half of those diamonds being recovered during commercial operation. These relationships suggest that ∼35,000 carats remain as eluvial and alluvial deposits adjacent to the existing tourist area. This erosion model minimizes the prospects for either primary or alluvial commercial mining; however, it does validate early historic mining records and suggests areas for further tourist development within existing park boundaries.

You are looking for micro container hidden near this beautiful creek.  This creek drains a number of acres as far away as the Laurel Creek area.  Thge day we placed this cache it was more like a river than a creek as it washed it's way to the Little Missouri River.  Come check it out.

We hope that you enjoy this cache and give us a tale of your visit to this area.  We appreciate any assistance from our fellow geocachers on maintenance on our caches.  YOU are appreciated!!!