In the Gold Rush era of mid-19th-century California, certain Placer mining activities took place in the Rancho Cordova environs, some traces of which disturbance are extant. The elevation of the generally level terrain is approximately above mean sea level. Lone Star Gravel Company and other companies have historically extracted younger gravels at depths of 30 to without encountering groundwater, which is characteristically found at about . Partially confined groundwater generally flows to the southwest.