According to this 1919 survey, the primary flood plain of Parks Creek is composed of Conejo clay loam, with gravel deposits on the upper portion of the creek south of the railroad tracks. The article goes on to state that Parks Creek and the Shasta River have dissected this region to a depth of about 50 feet. The moraines near Edgewood, which are just to the east of the study area, mark the extent of the Shasta glaciers. The moraines are about 3,000 feet in elevation at their base and rise around 700 feet above the valley floor. The study area is located on sheet 29.
Drainage is slow above the hardpan and rapid below it.
There are few trees in the study area, probably due to the hardpan layer a couple feet below the surface. The mounds are covered with grasses and forbs, many species of which are introduced. The land is mostly used for grazing, apparently not being economically suited for much else. Some land has been de-stoned and is planted to pasture but the low permeability of the soil makes it difficult to build on these soils. Problems with septic tanks and leach fields, as well as subsidence, may occur if special steps are not taken to prevent these problems.