The first words of the opening paragraph of the proclamation explained why the land warranted preservation, and read, «Whereas certain public islands lying off the coast of Southern California contain fossils of Pleistocene elephants and ancient trees, and furnish noteworthy examples of
ancient volcanism, deposition, and active sea erosion, and have situated thereon various other objects of geological and scientific interest...»
«As far as we know, this is the most acidic lake and groundwater system ever found outside of a volcanic area,» she says, adding that there's no evidence of
ancient volcanism in the U.S. Midwest.