Mesa County USGS map
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Black Ridge Southwest Northeast Southwest Northeast Redlands Fault Monument Canyon Inflection hinge Inflection hinge COLORADO RIVER Hinge line UTE CANYON STOCK Redlands Fault Ute Canyon Ute Canyon Ute Canyon Liberty Cap Riggs Hill COLORADO RIVER Inflection hinge Hinge line Hinge line Hinge line Hinge line Hinge line Hinge line A A' B B' 1000 1500 2000 1000 1500 2000 METERS METERS 1000 1500 2000 7000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 1000 1500 2000 METERS METERS FEET 7000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 FEET Xm Xm Xm dc dc Jwg Jwg Jwg Jk Jk Qal Jwe Jwe Jmt Jmt Jms Jms Jms Jmb Jmb Jmb Kb Kd Kd Km Qse Qse Qlso Qlso Qr Qc Qc Qsw Qlg Qlg Qaso Qaso Qvf Jk Jwe Jms Kb Kb Kd Km Qfp Qfy Jmt dc Xm Xm Xm Xi Xi dc dc dc Jwg Jwg Jwg Jwg Jwg Jwg Jk Jk Jk Jwe Jwe Jmt Jmb Kb Km Qse Qse Qse Qal Qr Qr Qr Qr Qr Qc Qvf Qvf Qvf Qrg Jwg Jk Jk Jwe Jmt Jmt Kd Qse Qaso Qrg Qfp Jk dc dc dc Qse Qaso Kb Kd Xm Xi Yl dc Jwg Jwek Jk Jwe Jes Jeb Jw Jmt Jms Jmb Kb Kd Km Qcg Qse Qe Qsw Qlso Qlsy Qr Qc Qlg Qaso Qasy Qfy Qrg Qvf Qfp Qal af Yl Xm Xi dc Jwg Jwek Jk Jwe Jes Jeb Jw Jmt Jms Jmb Kb Kd Km Qse Qe Qlso Qlsy Qr Qc Qlg Qaso Qasy Qfy Qvf Qfp Qal af 73 73 a 72 50 15 84 4 79 90 79 Qrg Qsw Qcg ? ? ? Artificial-fill deposits Alluvial deposits Major angular unconformity Major angular unconformity Alluvial and colluvial deposits Colluvial deposits Eolian deposits Eolian and colluvial deposits Marsh deposits latest Holocene middle Pleistocene late Pleistocene Holocene Pleistocene Upper Cretaceous Lower Cretaceous Upper Jurassic Middle Jurassic Lower Jurassic Upper Triassic Middle Proterozoic Early Proterozoic QUATERNARY CRETACEOUS JURASSIC TRIASSIC PROTEROZOIC CORRELATION OF MAP UNITS DESCRIPTION OF MAP UNITS SURFICIAL DEPOSITS BEDROCK UNITS Artificial-fill (latest Holocene)—Compacted and uncompacted silt, sand, MMand rock fragments Alluvium (Holocene)—Chiefly stream-channel deposits Flood-plain and stream-channel deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene) MM—Chiefly gravel in a sand matrix Valley-fill deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene)—Chiefly fine sand MMand silt in stream-terrace alluvium River-gravel deposits (late? and middle Pleistocene)—Chiefly gravel in a MMsand matrix Young fan-alluvium and debris-flow deposits (Holocene)—Chiefly silty MMsand and lenses of gravel Younger alluvial-slope deposits (late Pleistocene)—Chiefly silty sand and MMlenses of gravel Older alluvial-slope deposits (late Pleistocene)—Chiefly gravel layers and MMsilty sand layers Local gravel deposits (late? To middle Pleistocene)—Gravel consisting MMchiefly of locally derived clasts of metamorphic and igneous rocks Colluvium, undivided (Holocene and Late Pleistocene)—Gravel in a silty MMsand matrix derived from steep slopes Rockfall deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene)—Boulders and associa- MMted debris deposited chiefly at base of cliffs of Wingate Sandstone Younger landslide deposits (Holocene)—Mostly active earth-block slides MMon steep bluffs along the Colorado River Older landslide deposits (late to middle? Pleistocene)—Chiefly unstrati- MMfied rock debris having hummocky topography and generally involving MMthe Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Fromation and younger strata Sheetwash deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene)—Light-gray sandy MMclay and silty clay deposited on very gentle slope north of the Colorado MMRiver, derived from the Mancos Shale Eolian sand (Holocene and late Pleistocene)—Wind-blown silty very fine MMto fine sand that commonly blankets the uplands Eolian sand and sheetwash deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene)— MMChiefly silty very fine to fine sand that includes clasts of bedrock units MMexposed upslope Cienaga deposits (Holocene)—Silty sand chiefly of eolian and (or) sheet- MMwash origin that accumulated in marshy areas Mancos Shale (Upper Cretaceous)—Chiefly medium-dark-gray, dark-gray, MMbrownish-gray, and brownish-black fissile shale that weathers light gray Dakota Formation (Upper and Lower? Cretaceous)—Sandstone and con- MMglomerate that form prominent ridges and gray mudstone and minor coal Burro Canyon Formation (Lower Cretaceous)—Sandstone, pale-red and MMpale-green mudstone, and conglomerate Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic)— MMChiefly multicolored mudstone and minor sandstone that are commonly MMinvolved in landslides Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic)—Prom- MMinent sandstone layers and intervening mudstone layers Tidwell Member of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic)—Multi- MMcolored mudstone, sandstone, and limestone Wanakah Formation (Middle Jurassic)—Lower red mudstone and upper MMgreenish gray mudstone; interbedded with thin sandstone "Board beds" unit of the Entrada Sandstone (Middle Jurassic)—Inter- MMbedded ledge-forming sandstone and slope-forming mudstone; MMan informal unit Slick Rock Member of the Entrada Sandstone (Middle Jurassic)— MMOrange-pink to pale-reddish-orange sandstone that weathers to form MMsmooth, rounded benches or cliffs Wanakah Formation and Entrada Sandstone, undivided (Middle MMJurassic)—In cross sections only Kayenta Formation (Lower Jurassic)—Chiefly reddish-orange sandstone, MMconglomerate, and mudstone that form a resistant cap on cliffs Wanakah Formation and Entrada Sandstone (Middle Jurassic) and MMKayenta Formation (Lower Jurassic), undivided Wingate Sandstone (Lower Jurassic)—Chiefly cross-bedded orange-pink MMto reddish-orange sandstone and minor mudrock that form major cliffs MMin the map area Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic)—Interbedded red mudstone, sandstone, MMconglomerate, and limestone Lamprophyre dikes (Middle Proterozoic)—Dark greenish gray to green- MMish black, containing biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene Meta-igneous gneiss (Early Proterozoic)—Biotite-bearing granitic rock MMhaving a weak foliation and locally containing large feldspar phenocrysts Migmatitic meta-sedimentary rocks (Early Proterozoic)—Chiefly a mix- MMture of schist and migmatitic pegmatite Contact High-angle reverse fault—Dashed where approximately located, dotted MMwhere concealed, teeth on upthrown side, arrow and number indicate MMdip of fault plane Normal fault—Dashed where approximately located, dotted where con- MMcealed, bar and ball on downthrown side; arrow and number indicate MMdip of fault plane, diamond and number indicate trend and plunge MMof slickenlines Area of alkali deposit on Cienaga deposits Breakaway scarp of landslide—Hachures face landslide Strike and dip of inclined beds Strike and dip of overturned beds Strike and dip of inclined bed—Calculated from map outcrop-pattern MMgeometry Horizontal beds—Calculated from map outcrop-pattern geometry Strike and dip of inclined foliation of metamorphic rocks Vertical foliation of metamorphic rocks Trend and plunge of fold axes or mineral lineations of metamorphic rocks Prospect pit Radiometric date sample location Hinge line Foot trail Ephemeral artificial pond Monument boundary [See accompanying pamphlet for detailed descriptions of map units and geologic history of Colorado National Monument] C10 Bedrock and surficial mapping by Robert Scott and William Hood in 1998; map digitizing by Anne Harding and Robert Scott in 1998 and 1999; description of sedimentary units by Rex Cole and William Hood in 1998 and 1999; description of metamorphic units by Richard Livaccari in 1999; description of surficial units by James Johnson and Ralph Shroba in 1998, 1999, and 2000; early mapping by Robert Dickerson in 1986; additional GIS work by Paco VanSistine, Nancy Shock, and Alex Donatich in 2000 MAGNETIC NORTH 11˚ APPROXIMATE MEAN DECLINATION, 2001 TRUE NORTH Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey Digital Line Graphs (DLG): Colorado National Monument, Glade Park, 1998. Lambert Conformal Conic projection, standard parallels 39° 45' N. and 38° 27' N., central meridian 105° 30' W. Latitude of projection's origin 00° 00' 00" 7000 FEET 1000 1000 0 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 .5 1 KILOMETER 1 0 SCALE 1:24 000 1/2 1 0 1 MILE CONTOUR INTERVAL 20 FEET NATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929 COLORADO MAP LOCATION Any use of trade names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey For sale by U.S. Geological Survey Information Services Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 This map is also available as a PDF file at http://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov Design, original artwork, and digital layout by Carol A. Quesenberry Digital cartography by Springfield and Springfield Edited by F.C. Brunstein Manuscript approved for publication, August 24, 2000 Printed on recycled paper The Human Story We don’t know how long ago Archaic Indians began to hunt in the canyons of Colorado National Monument, but one of their tools used to scrape hides was found in sediments in No Thoroughfare Canyon just below a piece of charcoal dated at 5,600 years old. The Archaic Indians were eventually succeeded by the Fremont Indians, who hunted and grew corn in addition to gathering piñon nuts and other wild foods. In turn, the Fremont culture vanished about 1,250 to 1,300 years ago to be replaced by the Ute Indians. The Utes lived a more nomadic life and depended upon their horses for hunting and traveling. Europeans began to arrive during the early 1800’s; fur traders and explorers came first. An adventuresome Frenchman, Antoine Rubidoux, built a trading post in Grand Valley by 1838, but this did not last. When Captain J.W. Gunnison and Lt. E.G. Beckwith arrived during their quest for a transcontinental railroad route, the only inhabitants they found were Utes. Beckwith described the Grand Valley of 1853 as “very barren [with] a meagre supply of grass, cotton-wood, and willow.” When the first party of the Hayden Survey arrived in 1875 to record the topographic and geologic character of the West for the U.S. Government, the party had a confrontation with the Utes that cut short the survey’s field season. Ultimately, the treaty that followed the Meeker massacre of 1879, which occurred about 70 miles northeast of the Monument, forced the Utes from their homeland onto a reservation in Utah in 1881. Beginning in 1881, permanent settlers rushed to the region, and by that fall Grand Junction was founded. The next year, the narrow-gauge Denver and Rio Grande Railroad reached Grand Junction. Ranchers constructed cattle trails to the grassy Uncompahgre highlands at Glade Park. In 1882, the Grand Valley Irrigation Company dug irrigation ditches from the Colorado River to the Palisade area. In 1886, farmers built irrigation systems at Fruita for their orchards, and ranches flourished at Glade Park. In 1907, Fruita residents constructed the Fruita Dugway to bring mountain water in wooden pipes from the Uncompahgre highlands to Fruita. Later, cattlemen drove their herds along the narrow dugway trail, which was cut into the precipitous cliffs. Also that year, the Gunnison River was dammed to divert water through the Redlands Power Canal to an electrical generator, and by 1917, the Redlands Irrigation Company sent water down irrigation canals, which can still be seen in the Redlands area. Now, the Redlands area is a growing suburb of Grand Junction. Many citizens and civic organizations championed the scenic wonders of the Monument area. The most colorful promoter, John Otto, took up residence in Monument Canyon in 1906 and dedicated himself to saving the area as a National Park. The next year, local community organizations, John Otto, and Judge Sullivan petitioned the U.S. Department of Interior and requested that the area be preserved as a National Park. Colorado’s U.S. Senator Guggenheim and Representative Taylor were also highly influential in promoting the Monument. During the four years it took for Otto’s dream to come true in 1911, he laboriously carved numerous foot trails up the sheer canyon walls. Starting in 1913, Glade Park ranchers and local promoters raised money for a road, and by 1922 they contracted with a company to complete the 54 switchbacks of Serpents Drive, joining Grand Junction to the Monument and Glade Park. In 1961 this road became a foot trail. The National Park Service provided John Otto with the job of caretaker of the Monument for $1 per month until 1927. In 1931 during the Great Depression, many unemployed men including local residents began work in local and Federal programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, to hew a road that began at the eastern end of the Monument using hand drills, dynamite, picks, shovels, hand carts, and trucks. In one dramatic accident, nine local experienced men (LEMs) were killed when a poorly designed tunnel collapsed. After the delay caused by World War II, National Park-funded crews finally finished Rim Rock Drive in 1951, connecting the Fruita and Grand Junction entrances of the Monument. History Ecology Geology Rich Life in an Arid Land The Grand Valley has an arid climate, averaging less than 10 inches of precipitation each year. Summer days commonly exceed 100° F, and relatively mild winters with little snow can be interrupted by short periods of intense subzero cold. Without irrigation, the valley would be nearly barren. The cooler and wetter climate of the Monument highlands sustains more abundant plant life, and springs supplement intermittent streams that are used by a varied animal population. Most of the precipitation falls in late summer when large thunderstorms can create sudden flash floods that rush through narrow canyons in the Monument. Water in these narrows can rise several feet in a few minutes and has the force to tumble boulders 5 feet in diameter down the streams! Piñon-juniper forests with an understory of mountain mahogany, serviceberry, sagebrush, and grasses cover most of the highlands above elevations of about 5,800 feet in the Monument. Where fine sand and silt floor the canyons, sagebrush, cacti, and Gambel’s oak grow, and cottonwood trees border intermittent streams. But on nearly bare Proterozoic basement rock, sparse vegetation struggles to live. A surprisingly diverse population of larger mammals inhabits the canyons and highlands: mule deer, mountain lions, bobcats, gray foxes, coyotes, bears, and ringtails. Occasionally, reintroduced desert bighorn sheep can be spotted. The many smaller mammals that form the base of the predator food chain include cottontail and jackrabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, packrats, and multitudes of mice. Raucous scrub jays, piñon jays, and magpies, tiny rock wrens and titmice, house finches, dark-eyed juncos, mourning doves, Gambel’s quail, melodious canyon wrens, and even broad-tailed and black-chinned hummingbirds flit about the trees, grasses, and flowers. Golden eagles and red-tailed hawks soar in and above the canyons and great-horned owls silently search for prey. Peregrine falcons are particularly fond of the rock doves (pigeons) that also nest on the cliffs. Violet-green swallows swoop playfully past visitors near cliff edges. Ravens and turkey vultures make wide sweeps of the skies in search of carrion. Several species of lizards scurry about the rocky terrain but visitors are most impressed with the colorful collared lizards. Although gopher snakes are more common, faded midget rattlesnakes also inhabit the Monument along with spadefoot and red-spotted toads, tree frogs, and clouded tiger salamanders. (Above left) Riding down through “The Crack” from the southwest side of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Photograph by C.B. Hunt, 1929. (USGS Dane 426) (Above) John Otto, dedicated promoter of Colorado National Monument with his beloved burros and horse. Sometime between 1906 and 1927. Photograph courtesy of Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce. Collared lizard. Photograph by A.E. Harding, 1988. (Top) Petroglyphs highlighted by chalk on desert varnish on the Wingate Sandstone in No Thoroughfare Canyon. The human figure in the foreground is about 6 inches tall. Photograph by T.R. Giles, 1978. (USGS Lohman 105cp) (Middle) View uphill during the winter of 1940, showing Civilian Conservation Corps men cutting the roadway through sandstone on the switchback leading to the upper entrance of the tunnel at the east end of the Monument. Photograph from Monument Superintendent’s Monthly Report, April 8, 1940. (Left) Winter work on the road in No Thoroughfare Canyon in 1940. High cliffs of Wingate Sandstone are in the background. Photograph from Monument Superintendent’s Monthly Report, April 8, 1940. (Above) Close-up of Piñon pine branch. Photograph by F.C. Brunstein, 1999. (Above Middle) Piñon pine. Photograph by Robin Taush, 1999. (Right) Juniper. Photograph by F.C. Brunstein, 2000. Independence Monument is an erosional remnant of a wall of Wingate Sandstone that once separated the North Entrance from the East Entrance of Monument Canyon. A resistant cap of silica-cemented Kayenta Formation helps protect the towering structure from erosion. Photograph by W.C. Hood, 1998. (Right) Window Rock formed by selective erosion along a crack in the Wingate Sandstone. The resistant capping layers are the Kayenta Formation. View toward the northeast across Grand Valley shows the distant Book Cliffs overlain by the light-colored Green River Formation. Photograph by S.W. Lohman. (USGS Lohman 139cp) (Below) Devil’s Kitchen in No Thoroughfare Canyon showing erosional remnants of caps of Kayenta Formation on pedestals of the Wingate Sandstone. View is to the north. Photograph by T.F. Giles. (USGS Lohman 148cp) The “Coke Ovens” are remnants of Wingate Sandstone that have lost their cap of resistant Kayenta Formation. View is to the north. Photograph by S.W. Lohman. (USGS Lohman 109cp) View to the southeast across the Coke Ovens. Above the cliffs of Wingate sandstone and its cap of Kayenta Formation is a ribbon of pale-orange Slick Rock Member of the Entrada Sandstone. Photograph by R.B. Scott, 1998. (Large black and white above) View within Colorado National Monument in 1925. Photograph by W.T. Lee. (USGS Lee 2944) (Above right inset) Independence Monument. View to the northeast across the distant Grand Valley. Rock-fall deposits cover most of the red Chinle Formation at the base of the cliffs of Wingate Sandstone. The Kayenta Formation caps the cliffs with resistant silica-cemented rocks. Dark purple Proterozoic rocks are on the canyon floor. Photograph by R.B. Scott, 1998. Some of the photographs used in this publication are from the U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library in Lakewood, Colorado. For example, a photograph caption that has “(USGS Lee 2944)” indicates photograph 2944 from the Lee collection. Geologic Map of Colorado National Monument and Adjacent Areas, Mesa County, Colorado By Robert B. Scott, 1 Anne E. Harding, 1 William C. Hood, 2 Rex D. Cole, 3 Richard F. Livaccari, 3 James B. Johnson, 3 Ralph R. Shroba, 1 and Robert P. Dickerson 1 2001 Geologic Investigations Series I-2740 (Pamphlet accompanies map) Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service and the Colorado National Monument Association U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO 80225 2 515 Dove Court, Grand Junction, CO 81503 3 Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Mesa State College, Grand Junction, CO 81502 6800 6500 6000 6400 6400 6200 6600 7000 6800 7000 7000 7000 7000 6800 7000 7000 6900 6700 6900 6900 6800 6500 6400 6200 6100 5700 6300 4900 6500 6600 6200 4800 4900 6000 6100 4700 4800 5800 5900 6100 6200 6700 6600 6500 6400 6300 6500 4700 4600 5500 5300 5400 4500 5100 5200 5000 4800 6100 6200 6600 6700 6600 6500 6300 6200 6100 6000 5900 5700 6300 6400 6500 6600 5500 5400 5300 5700 5800 5900 7000 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 30 31 36 35 34 33 32 13 18 17 16 15 14 6 7 23 22 21 24 25 36 1 6 12 7 13 24 18 19 17 20 16 21 15 22 14 23 13 24 31 11 2 30 35 19 34 18 26 27 27 28 29 T 1 N T 1 N T 11 S T 1 S R 101 W R 1 W R 2 W R 1 W T 1 N T 11 S T 1 S T 12 S R 1 W R 101 W T 11 S T 12 S T 11 S T 12 S R 102 W R 101 W Gravel pits Gravel pits Gravel pits Gravel pits Gravel pits Gravel pits Gravel pits 39˚07'30" 5' 2'30" 39˚00" 39˚07'30" 5' 2'30" 39˚00" 108˚45" 108˚37'30" 42'30" 40' 108˚45" 108˚37'30" 42'30" 40' 22 85 70 20 55 18 18 70 11 4 12 72 79 90 8 75 10 90 59 35 72 72 4 1 15 89 9 13 64 31 43 52 50 69 68 26 85 7 73 73 59 80 53 82 70 90 70 70 83 29 66 19 46 42 35 14 15 16 17 14 12 18 5 5 10 5 7 5 4 6 4 10 7 13 25 25 16 9 17 16 26 18 50 77 73 11 11 8 9 9 7 2 11 68 14 64 4 85 82 77 90 80 47 20 14 71 3 26 31 25 25 20 7 7 6 35 27 21 36 21 17 10 12 30 20 23 21 11 19 18 25 8 62 23 16 18 3 11 4 13 8 4 7 4 9 8 10 9 8 21 69 86 86 69 69 72 75 74 80 76 79 84 12 49 79 11 69 51 70 80 77 80 68 75 42 80 2 75 27 47 75 47 80 38 61 3 84 82 80 42 53 71 76 78 61 58 82 80 71 2 83 15 71 14 5 74 80 55 74 65 31 31 55 29 47 43 43 56 18 27 67 4 82 52 55 64 66 27 76 61 8 14 5 55 41 58 68 31 26 58 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Qc Qc Qc Qc Qc Qc Qlg Qlg Qlg Qlg Qaso Qlso Qaso Qe Qaso Qaso Qaso Qaso Qaso Qaso Qaso Qasy Qlsy Qfy Qfy Qrg Qrg Qrg Qlg Qvf Qvf Qvf Qvf Qvf Qvf Yl Yl Qvf Qvf Qvf Qvf Qvf Qvf Qvf Qvf Qvf Qfp Qfp Qfp Qfp Qfy Qfp Qal Qal Qal Qal Qal af af af af af af af af af af dc dc dc dc dc dc dc dc dc dc af Qal Qal Qal Qal Qal Qal Qal Qvf Qvf Qrg Qrg Qlg Qc Qc Qc Qc Qlsy Qe Qse Qse Qse Qse Km Km Km Kd Kd Kd Kd Kd Kb Kb Jmb Jmb Jmb Jmb Jmb Jms Jms Jms Jms Jms Jmt Jmt Jmt Jw Jw Jw Jw Jw Jw Jeb Jeb Jw Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jes Jwek Kd Qrg Qrg Qrg Qrg Qrg Qrg Qrg Jms Jwek Jk Jk Jk Jk af af af af af Jes Jes Jk Jk Jk Jk C1 K98.8.10F NT11C REDLANDS FAULT REDLANDS FAULT REDLANDS FAULT REDLANDS FAULT Kodels Canyon Fruita Canyon North Canyon Lizard Entrance East Entrance West Entrance Colorado National Monument East Entrance Colorado National Monument Colorado National Monument Headquarters BROADWAY H ROAD 21 ROAD A' COLORADO RIVER 23 ROAD B' Independence View Grand View Independence Monument Monument Canyon Gold Star Canyon Coke Ovens Artists Point Squaw Fingers SOUTH BROADWAY LIBERTY CAP TRAIL Highland View Overlook Mesa Monument Ute Canyon Stock Liberty Cap Canyon Ute ROAD CAMP Red Canyon Overlook Red Canyon Columbus Canyon Cold Shivers Point SERPENTS TRAIL Devils Kitchen No Thoroughfare Canyon FAULT PARK GLADE C13 C4 C3 C2 C10 C11 C5-9 LITTLE PARK ROAD Glade Park UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU REDLANDS COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT Riggs Hill GRAND VALLEY B Fallen Rock Overlook BROADWAY A Ridge Black 22 ROAD G ROAD 70 70 Ute1 a a
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Can yon21 ROADJk30Qe Jes20 55 72 22 12 8 13Jeb18Jw af15 18 3522 ROADU.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological SurveyGeologic Investigations Series I-2740 (Pamphlet accompanies map)Qr108˚45" 39˚07'30"Jwg42'30"Qaso Jmt Jmb Jms Qaso15 1640'Gravel pitsQc12 18A'25QswR2WR1WKd Kb Jmb Qaso14Gravel pitsQfp108˚37'30" 39˚07'30"292827NorthGeologic Map of Colorado National Monument and Adjacent Areas, Mesa County, ColoradoBy Robert B. Scott,1
Transcript of Mesa County USGS map
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Artificial-filldeposits
Alluvial deposits
Major angular unconformity
Major angular unconformity
Alluvial andcolluvial deposits
Colluvial deposits Eoliandeposits
Eolian andcolluvial deposits
Marshdeposits
latestHolocene
middlePleistocene
latePleistocene
Holocene
Pleistocene
UpperCretaceous
LowerCretaceous
Upper Jurassic
Middle Jurassic
Lower Jurassic
Upper Triassic
MiddleProterozoic
EarlyProterozoic
QUATERNARY
CRETACEOUS
JURASSIC
TRIASSIC
PROTEROZOIC
CORRELATION OF MAP UNITS
DESCRIPTION OF MAP UNITS
SURFICIAL DEPOSITS
BEDROCK UNITS
Artificial-fill (latest Holocene)—Compacted and uncompacted silt, sand,MMand rock fragments
Alluvium (Holocene)—Chiefly stream-channel deposits
Flood-plain and stream-channel deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene)MM—Chiefly gravel in a sand matrix
Valley-fill deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene)—Chiefly fine sandMMand silt in stream-terrace alluvium
River-gravel deposits (late? and middle Pleistocene)—Chiefly gravel in aMMsand matrix
Young fan-alluvium and debris-flow deposits (Holocene)—Chiefly siltyMMsand and lenses of gravel
Younger alluvial-slope deposits (late Pleistocene)—Chiefly silty sand andMMlenses of gravel
Older alluvial-slope deposits (late Pleistocene)—Chiefly gravel layers andMMsilty sand layers
Local gravel deposits (late? To middle Pleistocene)—Gravel consistingMMchiefly of locally derived clasts of metamorphic and igneous rocks
Colluvium, undivided (Holocene and Late Pleistocene)—Gravel in a siltyMMsand matrix derived from steep slopes
Rockfall deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene)—Boulders and associa-MMted debris deposited chiefly at base of cliffs of Wingate Sandstone
Younger landslide deposits (Holocene)—Mostly active earth-block slidesMMon steep bluffs along the Colorado River
Older landslide deposits (late to middle? Pleistocene)—Chiefly unstrati-MMfied rock debris having hummocky topography and generally involvingMMthe Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Fromation and younger strata
Sheetwash deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene)—Light-gray sandyMMclay and silty clay deposited on very gentle slope north of the ColoradoMMRiver, derived from the Mancos Shale
Eolian sand (Holocene and late Pleistocene)—Wind-blown silty very fineMMto fine sand that commonly blankets the uplands
Eolian sand and sheetwash deposits (Holocene and late Pleistocene)—MMChiefly silty very fine to fine sand that includes clasts of bedrock unitsMMexposed upslope
Cienaga deposits (Holocene)—Silty sand chiefly of eolian and (or) sheet-MMwash origin that accumulated in marshy areas
Mancos Shale (Upper Cretaceous)—Chiefly medium-dark-gray, dark-gray,MMbrownish-gray, and brownish-black fissile shale that weathers light gray
Dakota Formation (Upper and Lower? Cretaceous)—Sandstone and con-MMglomerate that form prominent ridges and gray mudstone and minor coal
Burro Canyon Formation (Lower Cretaceous)—Sandstone, pale-red andMMpale-green mudstone, and conglomerate
Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic)—MMChiefly multicolored mudstone and minor sandstone that are commonlyMMinvolved in landslides
Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic)—Prom-MMinent sandstone layers and intervening mudstone layers
Tidwell Member of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic)—Multi-MMcolored mudstone, sandstone, and limestone
Wanakah Formation (Middle Jurassic)—Lower red mudstone and upperMMgreenish gray mudstone; interbedded with thin sandstone
"Board beds" unit of the Entrada Sandstone (Middle Jurassic)—Inter-MMbedded ledge-forming sandstone and slope-forming mudstone;MMan informal unit
Slick Rock Member of the Entrada Sandstone (Middle Jurassic)—MMOrange-pink to pale-reddish-orange sandstone that weathers to formMMsmooth, rounded benches or cliffs
Wanakah Formation and Entrada Sandstone, undivided (MiddleMMJurassic)—In cross sections only
Kayenta Formation (Lower Jurassic)—Chiefly reddish-orange sandstone,MMconglomerate, and mudstone that form a resistant cap on cliffs
Wanakah Formation and Entrada Sandstone (Middle Jurassic) andMMKayenta Formation (Lower Jurassic), undivided
Wingate Sandstone (Lower Jurassic)—Chiefly cross-bedded orange-pinkMMto reddish-orange sandstone and minor mudrock that form major cliffsMMin the map area
Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic)—Interbedded red mudstone, sandstone,MMconglomerate, and limestone
Lamprophyre dikes (Middle Proterozoic)—Dark greenish gray to green-MMish black, containing biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Meta-igneous gneiss (Early Proterozoic)—Biotite-bearing granitic rockMMhaving a weak foliation and locally containing large feldspar phenocrysts
Migmatitic meta-sedimentary rocks (Early Proterozoic)—Chiefly a mix-MMture of schist and migmatitic pegmatite
Contact
High-angle reverse fault—Dashed where approximately located, dottedMMwhere concealed, teeth on upthrown side, arrow and number indicateMMdip of fault plane
Normal fault—Dashed where approximately located, dotted where con-MMcealed, bar and ball on downthrown side; arrow and number indicateMMdip of fault plane, diamond and number indicate trend and plungeMMof slickenlines
Area of alkali deposit on Cienaga deposits
Breakaway scarp of landslide—Hachures face landslide
Strike and dip of inclined beds
Strike and dip of overturned beds
Strike and dip of inclined bed—Calculated from map outcrop-patternMMgeometry
Horizontal beds—Calculated from map outcrop-pattern geometry
Strike and dip of inclined foliation of metamorphic rocks
Vertical foliation of metamorphic rocks
Trend and plunge of fold axes or mineral lineations of metamorphic rocks
Prospect pit
Radiometric date sample location
Hinge line
Foot trail
Ephemeral artificial pond
Monument boundary
[See accompanying pamphlet for detailed descriptions of mapunits and geologic history of Colorado National Monument]
C10
Bedrock and surficial mapping by Robert Scott and William Hood in 1998; map digitizing by Anne Harding and Robert Scott in 1998 and 1999; description of sedimentary units by Rex Cole and William Hood in 1998 and 1999; description of metamorphic units by Richard Livaccari in 1999; description of surficial units by James Johnson and Ralph Shroba in 1998, 1999, and 2000; early mapping by Robert Dickerson in 1986; additional GIS work by Paco VanSistine, Nancy Shock, and Alex Donatich in 2000
MA
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Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey Digital Line Graphs (DLG): Colorado National Monument, Glade Park, 1998. Lambert Conformal Conic projection, standard parallels 39° 45' N. and 38° 27' N., central meridian 105° 30' W. Latitude of projection's origin 00° 00' 00"
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.5 1 KILOMETER1 0
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CONTOUR INTERVAL 20 FEETNATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929
COLORADO
MAP LOCATION
Any use of trade names in this publication is fordescriptive purposes only and does not imply
endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey
For sale by U.S. Geological Survey Information ServicesBox 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225
This map is also available as a PDF file at http://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov
Design, original artwork, and digital layout by Carol A. QuesenberryDigital cartography by Springfield and Springfield
Edited by F.C. BrunsteinManuscript approved for publication, August 24, 2000
Printed on recycled paper
The Human StoryWe don’t know how long ago Archaic Indians began to hunt in the canyons of Colorado National Monument, but one of their tools used to scrape hides was found in sediments in No Thoroughfare Canyon just below a piece of charcoal dated at 5,600 years old. The Archaic Indians were eventually succeeded by the Fremont Indians, who hunted and grew corn in addition to gathering piñon nuts and other wild foods. In turn, the Fremont culture vanished about 1,250 to 1,300 years ago to be replaced by the Ute Indians. The Utes lived a more nomadic life and depended upon their horses for hunting and traveling.
Europeans began to arrive during the early 1800’s; fur traders and explorers came first. An adventuresome Frenchman, Antoine Rubidoux, built a trading post in Grand Valley by 1838, but this did not last. When Captain J.W. Gunnison and Lt. E.G. Beckwith arrived during their quest for a transcontinental railroad route, the only inhabitants they found were Utes. Beckwith described the Grand Valley of 1853 as “very barren [with] a meagre supply of grass, cotton-wood, and willow.” When the first party of the
Hayden Survey arrived in 1875 to record the topographic and geologic character of the West for the U.S. Government, the party had a confrontation with the Utes that cut short the survey’s field season. Ultimately, the treaty that followed the Meeker massacre of 1879, which occurred about 70 miles northeast of the Monument, forced the Utes from their homeland onto a reservation in Utah in 1881.
Beginning in 1881, permanent settlers rushed to the region, and by that fall Grand Junction was founded. The next year, the narrow-gauge Denver and Rio Grande Railroad reached Grand Junction. Ranchers constructed cattle trails to the grassy Uncompahgre highlands at Glade Park. In 1882, the Grand Valley Irrigation Company dug irrigation ditches from the Colorado River to the Palisade area. In 1886, farmers built irrigation systems at Fruita for their orchards, and ranches flourished at Glade Park.
In 1907, Fruita residents constructed the Fruita Dugway to bring mountain water in wooden pipes from the Uncompahgre highlands to Fruita. Later, cattlemen drove their herds along the narrow dugway trail, which was cut into the precipitous cliffs. Also that year, the Gunnison River was dammed to divert water through the Redlands Power Canal to an electrical generator, and by 1917, the Redlands Irrigation Company sent water down irrigation canals, which can still be seen in the Redlands area. Now, the Redlands area is a growing suburb of Grand Junction.
Many citizens and civic organizations championed the scenic wonders of the Monument area. The most colorful promoter, John Otto, took up residence in Monument Canyon in 1906 and dedicated himself to saving the area as a National Park. The next year, local community organizations, John Otto, and Judge Sullivan petitioned the U.S. Department of Interior and requested that the area be preserved as a National Park. Colorado’s U.S. Senator Guggenheim and Representative Taylor were also highly influential in promoting the Monument. During the four years it took for Otto’s dream to come true in 1911, he laboriously carved numerous foot trails up the sheer canyon walls. Starting in 1913, Glade Park ranchers and local promoters raised money for a road, and by 1922 they contracted with a company to complete the 54 switchbacks of Serpents Drive, joining Grand Junction to the Monument and Glade Park. In 1961 this road became a foot trail. The National Park Service provided John Otto with the job of caretaker of the Monument for $1 per month until 1927.
In 1931 during the Great Depression, many unemployed men including local residents began work in local and Federal programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, to hew a road that began at the eastern end of the Monument using hand drills, dynamite, picks, shovels, hand carts, and trucks. In one dramatic accident, nine local experienced men (LEMs) were killed when a poorly designed tunnel collapsed. After the delay caused by World War II, National Park-funded crews finally finished Rim Rock Drive in 1951, connecting the Fruita and Grand Junction entrances of the Monument.
History
Ecology
Geology
Rich Life in an Arid LandThe Grand Valley has an arid climate, averaging less than 10 inches of precipitation each year. Summer days commonly exceed 100° F, and
relatively mild winters with little snow can be interrupted by short periods of intense subzero cold. Without irrigation, the valley would be nearly barren. The cooler and wetter climate of the Monument highlands sustains more abundant plant life, and springs supplement
intermittent streams that are used by a varied animal population. Most of the precipitation falls in late summer when large thunderstorms can create sudden flash floods that rush through narrow canyons in the Monument. Water in these narrows can
rise several feet in a few minutes and has the force to tumble boulders 5 feet in diameter down the streams!
Piñon-juniper forests with an understory of mountain mahogany, serviceberry, sagebrush, and grasses cover most of the highlands above elevations of about 5,800 feet in the Monument. Where fine sand and silt floor the canyons, sagebrush, cacti, and Gambel’s oak grow, and cottonwood trees border intermittent streams. But on nearly bare Proterozoic basement rock, sparse vegetation struggles to live.
A surprisingly diverse population of larger mammals inhabits the canyons and highlands: mule deer, mountain lions, bobcats, gray foxes, coyotes, bears, and ringtails. Occasionally, reintroduced desert bighorn sheep can be spotted. The many smaller mammals that form the base of the predator food chain include cottontail and jackrabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, packrats, and multitudes of mice.
Raucous scrub jays, piñon jays, and magpies, tiny rock wrens and titmice, house finches, dark-eyed juncos, mourning doves, Gambel’s quail, melodious canyon wrens, and even broad-tailed and black-chinned hummingbirds flit about the trees, grasses, and flowers. Golden eagles and red-tailed hawks soar in and above the canyons and
great-horned owls silently search for prey. Peregrine falcons are particularly fond of the rock doves (pigeons) that also nest on the cliffs. Violet-green swallows swoop playfully past visitors near cliff edges. Ravens and turkey vultures make wide sweeps of the skies in search of carrion. Several species of lizards scurry about the rocky terrain but visitors are most impressed with the colorful collared lizards. Although gopher snakes are more common, faded midget rattlesnakes also inhabit the Monument along with spadefoot and red-spotted toads, tree frogs, and clouded tiger salamanders.
(Above left) Riding down through “The Crack” from the southwest side of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Photograph by C.B. Hunt, 1929. (USGS Dane 426)
(Above) John Otto, dedicated promoter of Colorado National Monument with his beloved burros and horse. Sometime between 1906 and 1927. Photograph courtesy of Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce.
Collared lizard. Photograph by A.E. Harding, 1988.
(Top) Petroglyphs highlighted by chalk on desert varnish on the Wingate Sandstone in No Thoroughfare Canyon. The human figure in the foreground is about 6 inches tall. Photograph by T.R. Giles, 1978. (USGS Lohman 105cp)
(Middle) View uphill during the winter of 1940, showing Civilian Conservation Corps men cutting the roadway through sandstone on the switchback leading to the upper entrance of the tunnel at the east end of the Monument. Photograph from Monument Superintendent’s Monthly Report, April 8, 1940.
(Left) Winter work on the road in No Thoroughfare Canyon in 1940. High cliffs of Wingate Sandstone are in the background. Photograph from Monument Superintendent’s Monthly Report, April 8, 1940.
(Above) Close-up of Piñon pine branch. Photograph by F.C. Brunstein, 1999.(Above Middle) Piñon pine. Photograph by Robin Taush, 1999.(Right) Juniper. Photograph by F.C. Brunstein, 2000.
Independence Monument is an erosional remnant of a wall of Wingate Sandstone that once separated the North Entrance from the East Entrance of Monument Canyon. A resistant cap of silica-cemented Kayenta Formation helps protect the towering structure from erosion. Photograph by W.C. Hood, 1998.
(Right) Window Rock formed by selective erosion along a crack in the Wingate Sandstone. The resistant capping layers are the Kayenta Formation. View toward the northeast across Grand Valley shows the distant Book Cliffs overlain by the light-colored Green River Formation. Photograph by S.W. Lohman. (USGS Lohman 139cp)
(Below) Devil’s Kitchen in No Thoroughfare Canyon showing erosional remnants of caps of Kayenta Formation on pedestals of the Wingate Sandstone. View is to the north. Photograph by T.F. Giles. (USGS Lohman 148cp)
The “Coke Ovens” are remnants of Wingate Sandstone that have lost their cap of resistant Kayenta Formation. View is to the north. Photograph by S.W. Lohman. (USGS Lohman 109cp)
View to the southeast across the Coke Ovens. Above the cliffs of Wingate sandstone and its cap of Kayenta Formation is a ribbon of pale-orange Slick Rock Member of the Entrada Sandstone. Photograph by R.B. Scott, 1998.
(Large black and white above) View within Colorado National Monument in 1925. Photograph by W.T. Lee. (USGS Lee 2944)
(Above right inset) Independence Monument. View to the northeast across the distant Grand Valley. Rock-fall deposits cover most of the red Chinle Formation at the base of the cliffs of Wingate Sandstone. The Kayenta Formation caps the cliffs with resistant silica-cemented rocks. Dark purple Proterozoic rocks are on the canyon floor. Photograph by R.B. Scott, 1998.
Some of the photographs used in this publication are from the U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library in Lakewood, Colorado. For example, a photograph caption that has “(USGS Lee 2944)” indicates photograph 2944 from the Lee collection.
Geologic Map ofColorado National Monument andAdjacent Areas,Mesa County, ColoradoBy Robert B. Scott,1 Anne E. Harding,1 William C. Hood,2 Rex D. Cole,3 Richard F. Livaccari,3 James B. Johnson,3 Ralph R. Shroba,1 and Robert P. Dickerson1
2001
Geologic Investigations Series I-2740
(Pamphlet accompanies map)
Prepared in cooperation with theNational Park Service and the
Colorado National Monument Association
U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey
1U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO 802252515 Dove Court, Grand Junction, CO 815033Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Mesa State College, Grand Junction, CO 81502
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C1
K98.8.10F
NT11C
REDLANDSFAULT
REDLA
ND
S
FAU
LT
REDLANDS FAU
LT
REDLANDS FAULT
Kod
els
Can
yon
Fru
ita
Canyo
n
Nor
th
Can
yon
Lizar
d
Entr
ance
East
Entrance
West EntranceColorado NationalMonument
East EntranceColorado National
Monument
Colorado NationalMonumentHeadquarters
BROADWAY
H ROAD
21 R
OA
D
A'
COLORADO
RIV
ER
23
RO
AD
B'
IndependenceView
Grand View
IndependenceMonument
Monum
ent
Canyon
Gol
dS
tar
Cany
on
Coke Ovens
ArtistsPoint Squaw
Fingers
SOUTH BROADWAY
LIBERTYCAP TRAIL
HighlandViewOverlook
MesaMonument
Ute Canyon Stock
LibertyCap
Canyo
n
Ute
RO
AD
CA
MP
Red CanyonOverlook
Red
Canyon
Col
umbu
s
Cany
on
Cold ShiversPoint
SERPENTS TRAIL
DevilsKitchen
No
Thoroughfare
Canyon
FAULT
PARKGLADE
C13C4
C3
C2
C10
C11
C5-9
LITTLE
PARK ROAD
GladePark
UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU
REDLANDS
COLO
RAD
O
NATIONA
L
MO
NU
MEN
T
RiggsHill
GRAND VALLEY
B
Fallen RockOverlook
BROADWAY
A
Rid
ge
Black
22 R
OA
D
G ROAD
70
70
Ute1
a
a
