The Columbia 1 tufa occurrence is located between Nixon and Little Foster Creeks, on the north shore of Kinbasket Lake and approximately 40 kilometres north west of Golden. In 2001, the Columbia 1-4 claims were staked and the area was prospected by owner F. Yacoub. In 2002, the claims were explored in conjunction with the Alpine 1 tufa occurrence, located to the south.

The area is underlain by limestone, marble, calcareous sedimentary rocks of the Middle Cambrian Kinbasket unit, and mudstone and siltstone sedimentary rocks of Tsar Creek unit, both of the Chancellor Group.

Locally, on the Columbia 1 claim, two outcrops of tufa occur, ranging from 30 to 145 metres in length, 10 to 20 metres in height, and an unknown width.

In 2001, two rock samples (TU/2001-R1, and TU/2001-R2) were collected across 145 metres and 30 metres of tufa rock exposed on old logging roads. The results, below, indicate that the tufa rock is limestone (Assessment Report 26938).

---------------------------------------------------------------------

SAMPLE # TU/2001-R1 TU/2001-R2

SiO2 % 2.49 0.87

Al2O3 % 0.62 0.25

Fe2O3 % 0.19 0.13

MgO % 1.09 0.98

CaO % 52.10 53.50

Na2O % 0.14 0.04

K2O % 0.10 0.05

TiO2 % 0.02 0.01

P2O5 % 0.03 0.01

MnO % 0.01 0.01

Cr2O3 % 0.001 0.001

Ba ppm 46 24

Ni ppm 20 20

Sr ppm 699 661

Zr ppm 10 10

Y ppm 10 10

-----------------------------------------------------------------