OCR Text |
Show IWATER I ( WATER SUPPLIES FROM WELLSIN WELLS WELLSI WELLSIN I IN SOUTHEAST UTAH DISCUSSED I I ( In ' \ MCW view lew of the proram program pro ) ? am of ofI of'Hlter ofwater ofMater 'Hlter Hlter water ' cleeJopmentwhich developmentwhich development cle\eJopment cle eJopment \ which has hasbeen hasbeen hasbeen I been Hunched in m SoutheasternUtah Southeastern SoutheasCern SoutheasCernI SoutheasCernUtah I Utah bv by b the Division of Gra7- Gra7 Grai- Grai Gra7I Gra7mgthls Grairrrgthis Gra7-ingr Gra7 ingr - mg-thls mg thls rrrg-this rrrg this - this progrim prognm program including mcJuwng the thedf1llJDg thedrilling thedrilling I df1llJDg drilling of , " wells "ells ells , developing de'felopmg defelopmg ' of ofI ofsprmgs ofsprings ofsprings I sprmgs springs ind 'tnd tnd and ' building bUlldmg ( of If ree reser- reser reservoirsthe reser reservoirs ; r- r ri rVOlrsthe - - VOlrs-the VOlrs the voirs-the voirs voirs - the following followmg article re- re reJeael'd released re released - - i leased Jeael'd Jeaeld ; ' by the Geological Sur- Sur - Surcv Survey - vey , ' \ lev cv . , Department of the Interior , Mill "III III will " In hi he * ' of particular interest mterest at atthle atthis this thle ; time hme The authors are G Aarmg A1larmg A ) \ "Uaniiff Uaniiff \armg armg 1larmg " and amI amI1 " \ "M M \1 1 " \ M 1\1 1 Knechtel Knechtclvbo , who \ bo conducted conuctt'd conucttd ( ] ' a witcr w\ter w ter water ' \ eurvey survey eurveyof surveyof ; surveyof of this tins rpglonEdItor's region-Editor's region Editor's Editors region rpglon -EdItor's EdItor's EdItors - Editor's Editors ' ' Note ) - The Thc "United United Umted " States Geological GeologicalSm GeologicalSurrey GeologicalSuivev Sm Surrey : \ e Department of the Interiorhas Interior , , has 1 recently completed completf'd completfd ' a recm- recm reccn- reccn reccnnaissance recmn1ssance reccn-missance reccn missance : - n\1ssance n 1ssance naissance ] ' \ of the water supplies suppl1cs suppliesfrom suppliesfrom 1 -from from - wells wclls and , > springs plings In south- south southeastern snuth-eastein snuth eastein - eastem eastern < Utah Ubh Utahrind ind 'lnd lnd rind ' SOl1tIw southwestern southwesternColorado southwesternColorado . eterr : . Colorado Coloradond I ' \ ind \nd nd and of the pro1 prospects > pects of ofdeveloping ofdevelophrg ofdeveloping developing develophrg < additional v . watel water atel suppliesin suppliesrut supp1ies supplies 111 rut ] . this tIus arid region csipecnily cspecl111y especially from fromdeep fromdeepseated fromdeep-seated fromdeep seated deepeated deep-seated deep seated deep- deep ( - eated artesian formationsThis formationsThis formations formationsThIs ThIs . is one of a series selies of studies of ofground ofgroundrater ofground-water ofground water ground-\ ground groundatcr ground-rater ground rater I - , \ atcr resources rcsources made withfunds with withfunds withfunds funds j allotted by the Public 'Vorks Vorks Works 'VorksAministrahon Works.ministration ' WorksAministration withI I . Aministrahon .ministration ministration . The icsults lCSUItS results havebeen have havebcen havebeen bcen been I compiled compllecl in m a report of 137 137pages 137pages 137pages pages I with 'with ' seveial sevelnl several maps and otherrhutrations other otherl11ustHl.tlons otherillustiatlons l11ustHl.tlons l11ustHltlons rhutrations ] . This report contains containsdctmled containsdetailed containsdetailed dctmled detailed c information infonnation on Q.t1 Qt1 . the wellsand wells wellsand wellsand and I springs in the region and gives giveschemical giveschemical giveschemical chemical ( nnalses analyses ) cf of the waters watersthat watersthat that watersjthat weie "ele ele were " sampled sampJed It his Ins not watersj yet yetbecn yetbeen yetbeen becn been published 'Publlshed Publlshed ' , but typ typewritten typewrittencopies wr1tten wr1ttenCOPICS ( copies COPICS can be . consulted .consulted Fonsulted by the pub- pub - | lic lie at the offices ofIlces of or the Geo'oglcal Geooglcal Geological Geo'oglcalSurvey GeologicalSurvey Geo ' gicalI llie Survey in Washington Washingtcn D C and andi andin andin i in the Federil Feder1.l Feder1l Federal . Building Buildll1g in Salt Lake LakeCity LakeCitySoutheastern * . I ICltV CltV City CltVSoutheastern CitySoutheastern Southeastern Utah ' ind 'lnd lnd and south south- southwestern southwestern southwestern - western Coloiado ColOlado Colorado fcrm form part of a agreat ai agreat agreat great uplind uphnd area 5000 5 000 to 600Q 6 00q 000 feet feetI feetabove feetabove feetabove I i [ above sea level lcvel lcvelhlCh \ y\hich y hich \\hlCh hlCh which \ lies hes between betweeII betweenI betweeIIi I the Rocky Rock\ Rock Rocks RockMountains , \ Mountains on 011 the east- east eastand eastand east-and east and - - and the Great Basin on the west westBecau westBecause westBecause Becau Because e it is dinned dlmed drained dl \med med ' \ by the Cola- Cola Colo-- Colo ColaI Colardo Colorado Colo - - - I ndo rdo rado , nvci river .In In . el ind 'lnd lnd and ' its tributaries tflbutaries , it is isknown is isknown : known n as the Colorado Plateau re- re rei region re region - - i gion glon This Plateau is cut by deep- deep deepcanyons deepcanyons deep-canyons deep canyons - - - . , canyons in which WhlCh the river and its- its itsI itspnnelP'll itsprincipal itypnncipil - pnnelP'll pnnelPll principal ' tnbutanes tubutal1es tributaries now flow In . , , .the-nortneast .thenortneast .the the nortneast thq , ' " - * I nortneast northeast the La Sal MountainsI Mountainsrise Mountainsrise Mountains I rise to more than 13 13000 000 feet above abovese1 abovesea se1 sea . level and about 50 .miles miles . . , farw farwther far ; . : : ther south the Abijo Ab\Jo Ab Jo Abajo ' \ or Blue Mountains Mbun- Mbun Moun- Moun Mountains Mbuntains - tains 1 leach reach each ' < ) an n altitude altltude of 11,445feet 11,445feet 11,445 11445 , feet - , . / ' Wherever 'Vherever Vherever there was "I1S I1S vvas " farming farmmg land Iand Iandthe landthe landthe the I1 nvci riven vel valley vallevs ? , \ weie wcte \ CI e early settledprincipally settled settledprJnclpal1y settledprincipally prJnclpal1y principally by IoI1uon Iffornon Mormon ( colonists COlQUlSts colpnists in inUtah inUtah inUtah Utah and by others othcrs m In soutl1west- soutl1west southwest- southwest soutl1westCl southwester southwest-cin southwest cin - Cl er n Colorado , and irrigation bas lras baslong lraslong haslong long been cirried c'uried curied carried ' on a'ong aong arong a ' ong portions-of portions of portIOnsof portIOns - of the Green and Dolores ri\ ri rivers riCTS \ CTS . In Inmost Inmost Inmost most of the 1 legion egion region the streims stre'll1lS strell1lS stre'ims ' ' are aretoo aretoo aretoo too deeply decply entrenched to be readily readilydiverted readilydiverted readilydiverted diverted for irrigation , but dur.lng durlng during dur.lngthe duringthe duringthe . the last 30 years e ex-tenslvc ex tenslvc .icnsivc icnsivc extensive > . - storage storagesnd storageand storageend snd and distribution systems have hnve been beenconstructed beenconstructed beenconstructed constructed , and n.nd nnd . much bench benchjiancthas . , mIld land mIldhas landhas has been brought under lrr1gationThe Irrigation- Irrigation bTlg'atfoII bTlgatfoII lrr1gation- lrr1gation IrrigationThe ' - The rocks of most of tha the region regloir regioncensist regloirconsist regionconsist censist consist of sandstone and shale shaIe thatContinued that- that thatContinued " - . ) ( Continued on last page ) t , , , - . , WATER ATEA SUPPLIES SUPPUES DISCUSSED DISCUSSEDContinued DISCUSSEDContinued ( Continued Ccntinued fiom flom from first cage tJage page ) I I II Irange range from Carboniferous Carbomferous Pen- Pen ( - Penn53hanian ( PenI Penns Pen-nsvlvamin Pen nsvlvamin - I ns n53hanian h am'1.n am1.n am1n ' . ) to Tertiary ( Eocene Eocenein ) m in age In the La Sil S\l S l Sal ' \ and AbaJo Abayo AbaJomountams Abayomountains Abajomountains mountams mountains theie these thel e are small m aieas areas eas of ofgramtlc ofgranitic ofgranitic gramtlc granitic rock rocks In some formatIons formatIonscspeclall formationsespecially formationsespecially cspeclall especially } ; the : Mancos shale , of ofCretaceous ofCretaceous ofCretaceous Cretaceous age , theater the \ water \\ater ater \ is lughlymmerallzed highlymineralized highly lughly highlymineralized mineralized mmerallzed In Iii mOo mo-st mo st mot > , - t of the 1l11- 1l11 uii- uii 1l11gated uiigated un-gated un gated - gated areas ditchater ditch \ water \\ater ater \ stoied stOled stored m in mf'lsterns inristems innstems f'lsterns flsterns ristems ' during dunng the spimg splmg run-off run off - , Iis is used in pieference pleference preference toell to \ well \\ell ell \ ellatel \\atel atel water waterWiter ' \ watel\V watel V Witer \ \ ) , : > ter cf better qua quality ty is obtamed obtained obtamedflOm obtainedfrom obtainedfiom flOm from beds cf of the Mesaverde Mesa\erde Mesa erde \ obtamedI forma fonna- fonna forma- fonnaIl formation formation - I ! tion Il _ Wl- Wl Wlere W11ere Where - > ere th the he Iakot ? Dakota _ _ (9) 9 ( ? " ) sand- sand sand-j sand j - okuiiL ; ia pieaeufc ui > snauow aeptllpood pood rood good water is usually found in m It 1t ItThIS 1tThis itThis ThIS formation and associated beds bedsCO bedscos bedscove CO\ CO cos COe \ e ' ' much of southwestern Colo Colo- Colorado Colorado Colorado - rado Utahthe In most of southeastern southeastel n utah the rock at the surface are older olderhan older4han olderthan 4-han 4 han than * - tne the Dakota Dakcfa ( . ? ' > ) ) sandstone 5mdstne sandstoneair : ' ) abtained'iom abtainediom abtained'tom 'alr alr ' air supples stipples ofatel of n ' \ v\atei v atei \\atel atel \ atei aie me are abtamed abtained 'tom tom ' 10m sandv sand\ sand sandy sandbeds : \ , beds of Jurassic and rria'5slC rria5slC 'riassic riassic ( andrriassic ' ' age Corbonifeious Corbomfelous Carboniferous rocks rocksire rocksire lre ire poor \ watel water \ atel bearers , and md then then"ater thenHater thenvater "ater ater Hater " is usually usualh usuall highly mmerallzed mineralized mmerallzednom mineralizeduoni mineralizednom nom uoni . the beds of oC salt svpsum spsum sypsum } and andlimestone andlImest andlimesLne lImest limesLne ne in m the formations fonnatlons formationsAt fonnatlonsAt At the ba base e of or the li3 I.J3 IJ3 La . Sal moun moun- mountains mountainS mountains - - tains several large Jargc spungs spllngs springs icsue issue icsuehlCh issuetchich i : = suewhich \\hlCh hlCh tchich \ \ aie ale are fed from the snoand snow sno\\ sno \ and andram andrain andram theba thebace thebase ram rain on the hiprhel lug-hel lug hel hrrhei - ; slopes At the bace base : e ' ) of f cliffs cbffs that border Moab Moabvalley Moabvalley valley \ alley , a few miles mlles \ west nest \ est of the themountains themountains themountains mountains theic thele there ar are othel other large largespnngs.r largesprnngs largesprings/ largesprings largespringsSeveral spnngs.r spnngsr sprnngs / . Se\ Se Several Seeral Seteral \ eral springs on the theeast theeast thecast east mountainsfurnish side of the Abajo NJaJo Abayo mountams mountains mountamsfurnIsh mountainsfurnish furnIsh a supply suppl } for the town of Monticello ofMonticello and also a so f f'r fr f"r " ' ' r conslderab'e conslderabe considerable ' irrigatIOn considerableirrigation conslderab'eirrigatIOn . . . Artesian Artc\lttn Artc lttn ' \ CondlftonsWIthm ConditionsWithin Conditions Condlftons ConditionsWithin Within WIthm the region reglOn covered there thereare thereare thereare are several areas InhlCh in \ which \\hlCh hlCh \ the lock rock labels laelS 1aeis locklabels locklaelS rock1aeis } have been deformed mto into mtosynclinal intosynclinal intosynclmal synclinal basins basms There are sufficiently suffi suffi- suffic1Cntl sufficiently - ciently c1Cntl . . extensive extens1\ extens1 extens1e . . \ . . and of . - - - - - " ' " e sufficiently sufflclentl sugiciently ' " auu V > U'llLl\lHl U'llLl UllLl lHl ; \ : } . _ _ _ .u u . _ _ , _ u _ _ _ _ ' I i : , ! _ _ _ .u u . _ _ , _ u _ _ _ _ - pentle g-cntle g cntle gentle di dips s to t.o . afford conditIOns t conditionsfavorable conditIOnsfaorable fa\orable fa orable favorable \ foi fOl for the presence of arte- arte artesi'ln artesian arte-slin arte slin - si'ln siln sian ' v.atelIn waterIn . watci v.atel vatel water watciIn In southeastern Utah one of the thestruct1.llal thestructutal thestructural struct1.llal struct1llal structutal . basins basm ! > is that in .hich hich which whichseveral , whichseveral . .hichseveral several flowmgells flowing flowmg wells \\ells ells \ ellsere \ were \\ere ere \ cbtamed obtained obtainedin cbtamedm m in the v \ vallev alley allev of the Sin S1n San Juan nVtl rivet nVtlnear rivetnear nvcinear near BluH Blur Bluf : : a numbel number ofe of \e e \ ve'rs vers veers ' ' rs ago The agoThe ctmalbasin coitalbasin central Pal paifc pact t of this thlS stn str . ' ctmal coital basin is ie iq : . . Aout .lbout lbout about 5 miles north cf Bluff Bluffhowever Bluffhoever ho\\ever ho ever however altitudeis \ , wheic whele vvheie the ; surface curface altitude is thanIn se several , eral hundred feet highci higher than in the river rner ypllev Hlle valley } The synclmal synclmalnorth synclmalnorth synclmalnorth north limb hmb of the l-nsm l nsm 1-1\5111 1 5111 i-rasin i rasin - - ' \ extends be- be beyond beyond be beyond - yond the town to\\n to n \ \ ' rf C'f Cf rr Blanding , but on onthe the higher slorrs slores an artesian head headcufIlclent headsufficient headsufficient cufIlclent sufficient ; onl only t t- t tcause , . " ' - cause the water to to115e touse touse 115e use tothe in m drilled drilleJ . \ wells \ ells part way to the expectedThe .pectedThe surface wrface is to be e expected .pected pected > . The Courthouse synclmal synchnal synclinal as de- de described described de described - scribed bv by A A Baker , is in 111 part partthe the continuation ccntmuatlOn of the zone zcne of folding offolding that 1 is < ; marked by Spanish Spanishand Spanishand Spanishand and Moab vallevs valleys A test well for foroil foroil 19E 011 oil drilled di dl tiled illed in m sec see 26 T 23 S , , R 19 E . , near the axis aX1S of the s syncline 'I1chne I1chne ' 6 6mIles 6miles 6miles mIles south of Vallev Valley JunctIon JunctIonpenetrated Junctionpenetrated Junctionpenetrated penetrated only cnl } beds of Moncos Moncosshale Moncosshale Moncosshale shale and did not encounter eIther eitheroil eitheroil 011 oil or \ water ater C T Lupton \ who \ ho e'C- e'C eC ex- ex e'Camined examined ex examined ' - - amined the ! arc-i arc i af'1 af1 area ' . - m 111 1912 COnsidered that consideredthat this v . well ell ell1 \1 1 v \ vould ould have obt.ained obtained obtainedan obt.ainedan . an artesian flow fiow if it had been drill drill- drilled drilled drilled - Dakota Dkota ed somev somewhat . hat deeper into mto the D\- D Da- Da Da ' \ - kota (9) 9 ( ? ) sandstone sande.tone sandetone : . Farther Farthcr north- north northwest north-west north west - "est est west northj"est " ahd aid pos possibjy poscibly < : iby ] within Wltlun the north-j north j same samesyncline samesyncline samesyncline syncline , , an oil 011 test ' " well ell that was w thetown drilled wasdrilled one mile southeast of the town of Gi.pnrivpi Gipnrivpi G1.pnn\ G1.pnn G1.pnnP1 Gicrnritra ( ( . . \ P1 cncountered encountered cncountered"ater encounteredwater encounteredwater "ater ater water " under a1 aitesian artesian teSla1l head at a depth adepth of about 500 5:0 50 : feet , in m the Mor- Mor Mor.l Moralcon Mor-iison Mor iison - - .l l alcon : ! . < : on formation This well1ias well \1ias 1ias was 1iasabandoned wasabandoned ' \ wasobandoned abandoned at 1 1000 000 feet but for forse forseveral forseveni slightHo\ |