The region is underlain mainly by the Paleozoic to Tertiary Coast Plutonic Complex consisting predominantly of crystalline rocks which exhibit a variety of fabrics ranging from pre- to post- kinematic. Paragneisses of (?)Paleozoic age, younger deformed metasediments and volcanics related to the Stikinia Terrane are interspersed within the plutonic complex. The northeastern part of the Bella Coola map area is underlain primarily by mafic volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Jurassic Hazelton Group. These rocks are variably deformed containing both northeast and northwest trending structures.

Between the Hazelton Group of the Stikinia Terrane to the east and the Coast Plutonic Complex with its deformed metasedimentary terrane to the west, is a belt of dominantly mafic rocks. These rocks are probably of volcanic origin and may be part of the Hazelton Group.

The nature and geological setting of the Smitley River showing is not clear. Its location places it within rocks of possibly deformed and metamorphosed Hazelton Group equivalent on the western margin of the Coast Plutonic Complex. A sample collected in 1926 is reported to contain 891.4 grams per tonne silver, 3 per cent copper, 12 per cent lead and 10 per cent zinc (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1926, page A68).

Old staking records show that the Smitley River occurrence was staked in 1926 by P. Jacobsen and has been staked several times since. It was covered by the Nomack claims in 1944, the Lead and Copper claims in 1956 and the TK claims in 1984.