Public invert fossil collecting sites in Bakersfield area?

[Wendell Ricketts]

Dear FFers:

 

I’ll be in Bakersfield for the week before Christmas, spending some time looking for shark teeth on the hill and doing some research and reporting for Fossil News magazine.

 

I was wondering whether anyone would be willing to share me any information about publicly accessible invert sites within an hour or so of there. I have a vague memory of reading that there were some road cuts with freshwater and marine mollusks, but I’ve no specific information.

 

I was also wondering whether it was still possible to get permission from Chevron to visit the Kettleman Hills site. Does anyone know?

 

I’d be up for a collecting buddy, too, if anyone’s available during that busy week!

 

Wendell

[caldigger]

Wendell from what I have learned, the Chevron owned Kettleman Hills site is strictly off limits with no permission being granted to anyone. 

I don't know of any invert sites around Bakersfield. Not saying there aren't any, I just haven't heard of any.

[Wendell Ricketts]

Ah, I'm  not surprised about Kettleman. I was there once a very long time ago with a group, and it was already like getting into Ft. Knox! Thanks for letting me know.

W

[siteseer]

On 12/17/2019 at 9:28 AM, Wendell Ricketts said:

Dear FFers:

 

I’ll be in Bakersfield for the week before Christmas, spending some time looking for shark teeth on the hill and doing some research and reporting for Fossil News magazine.

 

I was wondering whether anyone would be willing to share me any information about publicly accessible invert sites within an hour or so of there. I have a vague memory of reading that there were some road cuts with freshwater and marine mollusks, but I’ve no specific information.

 

I was also wondering whether it was still possible to get permission from Chevron to visit the Kettleman Hills site. Does anyone know?

 

I’d be up for a collecting buddy, too, if anyone’s available during that busy week!

 

Wendell

 

Hi Wendell,

 

If you're collecting on the Ernst property, you might be able to access the upper Olcese Sand for inverts and shark teeth.  The problem is that where you would need to dig is likely overgrown.  The last time I was there in 2007, it was overgrown.  The layer is below the STH Bonebed so you'd have to find a low spot in the area you're allowed to dig.  There are sites in the area for the Olcese but you'd have to know property lines for that.

 

You can try asking someone at the California Living Museum (CALM).  I don't know if there's a paleontologist at the Buena Vista Museum.  You can look for this publication for more background

 

Jess

:

 

Addicott, W.O.  1970.

Miocene gastropods and biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California.  Geological Survey Professional Paper 642.

 

[AncientEarth]

Last I knew (3 years or so back) there is a gentleman named Jordan who is one of the paleontologists at Buena Vista. Really nice guy. 
 

[siteseer]

On 12/17/2019 at 9:51 AM, Wendell Ricketts said:

Ah, I'm  not surprised about Kettleman. I was there once a very long time ago with a group, and it was already like getting into Ft. Knox! Thanks for letting me know.

W

 

In the Kettleman Hills I think it was JP Oil, which had an agreement with Chevron to drill there, used to let schools in.  I went in with a group from UC Berkeley in the early 90's and groups were still let until about 2005, which was when I was there last.  Chevron took over and stopped letting people in.  That was a great place - actually several sites of different ages from late Miocene to Pleistocene.  It was mostly surface collecting.  One area had tons of sand dollars (Dendraster gibbsi).  I found part of a dolphin radius there once.  Another had Dendraster in matrix.  A late Pliocene locality had smaller sand dollars, Merriamaster arnoldi, plus a chance at a shark tooth or beaver tooth of all things.

 

There is a paper on a site for crabs out there and we looked for it but didn't find any. 

 

One time, we spotted a pipe leaking oil and we notified someone there.  They appreciated it.

 

Jess