 At the proposed dam site , the river is 1 @,@ 300 feet ( 396 m ) wide and has an elevation of 183 feet ( 56 m ) above sea level . On the south bank , the land rises sharply to a ridge 1 @,@ 500 feet ( 457 m ) high . North of the river , the bank rises to 1 @,@ 200 feet ( 366 m ) before ascending gradually northwest to the Ray Mountains . Below the surface of the ground are patches of permafrost , and the area is seismically active . An earthquake measuring 6 @.@ 8 on the Richter Scale struck the region in 1968 , and a 5 @.@ 0 earthquake hit the area in 2003 . Geologically , igneous rock predominates , and quartz can be seen in places . 
