Show USPS Millard County Thurs Od II 1984 - Page 11 ' Desert’ shore lime Editors note: Chronicle newspaper founder Frank Beckwith had a lifelong passion for the study of ancient lands and people of Millard County The following is taken from his writings on one of his favorite geologic subjects the Lake Bonneville Terraces J if Pah I t I I Frtnk noquint To understand the famous Lake Bonneville Terraces which are so easily observed in our area it helps to understand the language of the Paiutes The original keepers of this land said the words pah gariri to mean “water standing still”and “water resting after work sit- ting still” Now to the Indian the opposite to pah gariri was pah noquint or “running water” and they used to say that a running stream is precisely like a man: It tires and when tired sits down for a rest-a- nd becomes pah gariri or the man (water) sitting still resting after labors And here in the Paiute language is the key to the Bonneville terraces: the pah noquint came from the mountains to become pah gariri And what does a man (water) do who sits down to rest? Why he whittles of course And in this case he whittled on the slopes bordering the lake to form terraces The great Lake Bonneville at different times in its ancient history sat and whittled a terrace in the mountain And when we talk of whittling don’t confuse it with the cutting action of pah noquint the running stream carrying scouring matter pebbles and its own volume of movement Rather this whittling was a wave action beating pounding hurling itself forcibly against the land If the lake level was constantly moving up or down it would obliterate a wavecut terrace as fast as made but let it remain sitting still for hundreds of years and it then forms a wave-cterrace which remains until eroded away Lake Bonneville pah gariri whittled as it rested White men like Frederick J Pack who turned their attention to the study of Lake Bonneville said it more prosaically than the Paiute: “For the s&ke of clarity let it be stated that the formation of a terrace is possible only at times when the lake level is stationary” And you only have to go up the road a ways to Leamington to get a clear view of what we are talking about The Shore Line at Leamington Consult your road map Take any route you wish to go to The view of the shore line may be seen from any Leamington point on the town’s main street free from buildings and trees This terrace is probably the “Bonneville Level” From any ground high enough you can follow this shore line into “the narrows” and pic-- ' it up again on the opposite bank of the Sevier River (south bank) until it is lost It is distinctly grayer in color against the darker shade of the hills The ancient Sevier River larger than it is now made a large delta from Leamington far southhe present river trenches that delta in a southerly direction and flows into the Sevier Lake Basalt Butte In 1927 I took Dr Fredrick J Pack Deseret Professor of Geology U of U to the basalt butte beyond the Hot Springs north of Delta to show him the shore lines to be found there In Pack’s book “Lake Bonneville” he says:“At the north end of the Sevier Desert fifteen terraces occur within a vertical range of two hundred feet” which acCount the terraces caught in the airplane snap-shcompanies this article and which was taken in the same vicinity is the is south Hot The of view The pictured Spring westerly area while the Hot Plug is southwest The Flock of Terraces At Tatow Knobs On the eastern horizon of the 8400 foot high Tatow Knobs 0- gariri-Pa- r 1' i f O I £&&& ti - ifT‘ 1 'J4 wf® tZ tA $$££ V i- U U' ’) y ' Above: View from Leamington of Bonneville Lake terraces north of the Sevier River west of Delta the airborne observer can easily see alluvial fans issuing from the openings of the mountains From the air you can quickly spot a dim road near the base of the mountains to your left (east) and another road to your right closer to the white bottom of White Valley It is generally speaking between those two roads that you should fly Scrutinize the edges of the alluvial fans and the instant you pick up alternate light and dark bands so instruct the pilot as to height and distance that you get them into the field of view of your camera and of the size you want It is suggested that you fly at a preliminary height of about 600 to 800 feet above the ground to change as soon as necessary The flocks of water terraces are in three places the first one you will meet will be fairly close to the northern knob In one of those “flocks of terraces” from the air I counted From climbing the lower hills on an auto trip I got twenty-fou- r into position to catch nine of them The terraces should become evident from sufficient distance that you have time to instruct the pilot Then one will follow the other quickly I had good success with a cut film camera by working fast and keeping exposed film entirely seperate from that not exposed Don’t hesitate to ask the pilot to tip the wing on that side if it is necessary You will have to work fast It may be that circling around and passing over them several times will be to best advantage It is not necessary for me to point out how enthu:astic I am about these large groups of terraces It is evident They tell a wonderful story Instructors in geology and students as well will find much in them More Tatow Knobs Terraces There are three groups of shore lines from near Tatow Knobs to the Dome Canyon road From the ground they are faintly visible as markings through unsatisfactory as a picture On a trip by auto three of us went nearly to Tatow Knobs and after driving the jeep as far as practical went afoot to the lower edge of the base of mountains By climbing we got into position of moderate height and below us to the southwest nine terraces were visable The camera was in the car so no picture Below: Aerial view of basalt Bonneville Lake terraces I have seen the shore lines from an afternoon sun - visible plainly the air they take very satisfactory a height and distance as dictated butte the air in both a morning and as dark and light bands From pictures Fly low and choose by the finder ATTENTION Patrons of West Millard CO-O- P Oct 11 thru 20 1984 r 5 Contest Big Buck AND Deer Hunting Sale - 2sPrincep1® Caliber-9- 0 FIRST PRIZE a granular form of Princep that pours completely out of Ruger 22 Automatic Rifle the bag No wasting the product your crop gets all the herbicide you pay for Also very little dust easy to get rid of bag and all that weed-killinactive ingredient which power — 90 means less product to handle less back work more time for you Princep and Caliber" are trademarks Come in and shop the specials of West Millard CO-OAnnual Deer Hunt Sale While you are here sign up for the BIG BUCK CONTEST P Gott Coolers 10 of Insulated Coveralls Off $4495 Geyser Dump Pumps ATTENTION ALFALFA GROWERS $6570 Batteries 10 Steve Regan Co 67 No 300 W - Delta Anti Freeze $330 per gal in Case Lot OFF Starting Fluid $135 Coils of Rope Sale $100 Car Chemicals 10 off WE ALSO CARRY: Gloves Rubber Boots - 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