Show Will mill Little Cottonwood 4 Canyon Lose To Bulldozer By A A. A J. J EARDLEY Reprinted from the Utah Ge Geological Geological Geological Ge- Ge and vey Quarterly Review Recent newspaper articles describe a proposed new subdivision subdivision subdivision vision development at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon and the opposition to it IN TERMS of natural history the author considers this canyon It the most significant square mile in the state Utah has ri no similar area to compare with it In crispness crispness crispness crisp- crisp ness clarity and majesty of the geological features More than this no city and A America merica can boast such sucha a lavish display of natures nature's craft manship man man- ship in its own backyard It should be preserved Here and here only valley glaciers pushed down from the high peaks to the Bonneville basin to leave a record of the I related histories of Lake Bonneville Bonneville Bonneville Bon Bon- i neville and glacial Ice Little Cottonwoods Cottonwood's moraines and shoreline deposits were de deciphered deciphered deciphered de- de ciphered recently by Dr Roger Morrison geologist US U.S. Geological Geological Geological Geo Geo- logical Survey who recorded a astory a stor story so significant geologists throughout the world are reading reading reading read read- ing it HERE TOO THE master crack the Was Wasatch a t c h fault whose last movement oc occurred occurred occurred oc- oc only a few centuries ago is displayed so si simply any schoolboy can see it and wonder about it Its features in photographs photographs photographs photo photo- graphs and texts are known to geologists every everywhere w her e for formost formost formost most college textbooks describe the fault and the assoc associated i ate d dI moraines I Just within the canyon is the vivid contact of the Cottonwood intrusion with the country rock The granite intrusion one of the youngest on record in the West has been dated by radioactive radioactive radioactive radio radio- active Isotopes The country rock metamorphic layers of ancient sedimentary rocks and related structures and minerals have been studied extensively Contacts of this sort generally must be ferreted out In remote wilderness areas LITTLE Cottonwood Canyon is the home of the granite quarry from which rock for Salt Lakes Lake's Temple and State Capitol was quarried Two ton 50 monoliths monoliths monoliths mon mon- of granite stand at the triangular road intersection at atthe atthe atthe the mouth of the canyon and these contain the trademarks of the early stone masons Both quarry and monoliths are part of Utah's history and should be preserved but so are all the glacial that strew the slopes These are priceless relics of the once great gla gla- ciers Dr Walter P P. P Cottom botanist botanist botanist bot bot- bot- bot anist and professor emeritus U U. U of U. U has worked out a story of the glacial climate that existed exist exist- ed during the last advance of the Ice As the glacier descended descend descend- ed from higher altitudes quaking quaking ing aspen marched down d wn the slopes and covered the mor mor- aines LOOKING OVER the morain- morain al slopes today one can imagine their resplendent beauty In the I autumn sun a few thousand years ago A few aspen stands survive at unusually low altitudes I Here too one finds the larg larg- I est crystal clear stream of the Wasatch Range Certainly with all the Inroads of pollution that beset us as our urban areas grow we must watch this stream and guard it energetic energetic- ally THE SQUARE mile area at atthe atthe atthe the mouth of Little LUtIe Cottonwood Canyon the writer proposes as asa asa asa a lasting monument would Interfere in interfere interfere in- in with no natural resource development Such a monument would conflict In no way with the mineral industry nor concern the highway builders The few homes that now exist in Little Cottonwood have not impaired the canyons canyon's natural features more certainly will Immediate Immediate- steps should be betaken betaken betaken taken by the city county and state to preserve this area 1 |