Mineral Appraisal of State Lands Within the Navajo Indian

REPORT OF INVESTIGATION NO. 21

UTAH GEOLOGICAL AND. MINERALOGICAL SURVEY

MINERAL APPRAISAL OF STATE LANDS WITHIN THE NAVAJO INDIAN RESERVATION, SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH and comparison with MINERAL APPRAISAL OF POSSIBLE EXCHANGE LANDS IN GRAND AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES, UTAH

Robert E. Cohenour

December 21, 1965

Prepared at the request of the Utah State··land Board Summary and Recommendations

The exchange of 31,371.65 acres of State lands within the Navajo Indian Reserva tion in San Juan County for 31,213.29 acres of selected government lands within Grand and San Juan Counties is recommended.

The mineral potential, not the dollar value, of the State lands is rated as 1/2 the mineral potential of the selected government lands.

Since none of the lands, either within the Indian Reservation or those selected for exchange, has any known recorded mineral production it would be impossible to attach a realistic dollar value to them. There fore the comparison of the lands has been made by mineral potential as summarized on the following table.

Table I-COMPARATIVE MINERAL POTENTIAL

Acres with Acres with· Acres with Gas Total Acres Urani urn Potentia l Potash Potential & Oil Potential State Lands on Indian Reservation to 31,371.65 8,136.00 zero 31,371.65 be Exchanged

Government Lands to be 31,213.29 16,124.68 31,213.29 31,213.29 Acquired

The breakdown of mineral potential, summarized in Table II, is explained as follows:

1. Uranium potential weighs slightly in favor of the government lands beca use a large proportion of the government lands are on structural trends within an area noted for large uraniferous ore bodies, and contain more strata capable of containing uranium mineralization than are present in State lands on the Navajo reservation. Howe ver most of the fa vorable strata are very deep and as a result the potential is poor.

2 . Potash potentia 1 weighs in favor of the government land I beca use there is no potash or sa line facies of the Paradox sa It zone present beneath the State lands on the Indian

Re serva tion I wherea s the Paradox sa Lt zone is everywhere present on the government lands considered for exchange. Much of the government land is defin itely above the potash

zone i but some of the government lands are on fringes of the potash zone and are assigned a poor status, rather than "no potential" because there is a general paucity of subsurface information in the marginal area. In the development of potash other factors must be considered, among them is the a vailabiLity of water for solution mining of potash and other soluable salts, because these beds lie between 3500-4500 feet beneath-t~ sur face, and possibly deeper" which limits conventional mining. The water s itua tion on the Colorado River is such that unless water can be released for deep solution mining the present potash value based on present mining technology is zero.

3. Oil and gas potential weighs in favor of the government land, although there is oil and gas potential over all lands of both catagories. However, almost 3/4 of the State lands have poor potential whereas about 3/4 of the Federal lands have good to very good potential. Thus the selected government lands are along petroleum trends on or near well defined structures. The State lands, though some are on structures, are not extensions of recognized petroleum trends and there are no nearby oil shows or seeps. There is a general absence of subsurface infor mation from nearby wells on all parcels of State and Federal lands with the exception of those government lands on Bluff Bench in T. 40S, R. 21 and 22E, where there are we ll-defined oil and ga s shows on adj acen t properties. The value of the government lands js at least twice that of the Sta te . Table II-COMPARISONS O¥.. MINERAL POTENTIAL

Sta te la nds on Selected Government Na vaj 0 Reservation lands for· Exchange

Uranium Acres Acres None 23,235.65 15,088.61 Poor o 7,635.00 Fair 4,254.08 5,534.72 Good 3,881.92 2,954.96 Tota l Acre s with Urani urn Potentia l 8,136.00 16,124.68

Potash

None 31,371065, 0 Poor 0 9,549.96 Fair 0 21,663.33 Good 0 0 Excellent 0 0 Total Acres with Potash Potential 0 31,213.29

Oil & Gas

Poor 24,343.45 o Fair 2,553.60 o Good 3,834.60 6,994.96 Very good o 22,538.33 Excellent 640.00 1,680.00 Tota 1 Acre s wi th Oil & Gas Potential 31,371.65 31,213.29

The detailed report follows:

TABLE OF CON,TENTS Pages Summary 1-3 Appraisal of State lands on the Navajo Indian Reservation Reservation, San Juan County 4-19 Appraisal of Selected Government Lands in Grand and San Juan Counties 20-25 APPRAISAL OF STATE LANDS WITHIN THE NAVAJO INDIAN RESERVATION

SAN JUAN COUNTY I UTAH

T. 41 SOl R. 13 E.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5600 feet. Rocky mesa - irregular. Access i.s poor .. Geology Surface - Jurassic Navajo (50%) and Kayenta (50%) Sandstones. Potential 2 miles southerly from Whirlwind Mine (uranium) - fair potential but ex tenSively prospected in 1950 1 s .. 1~ miles northeast of Moonlight Wash anticlinal nose - oil and gas poten tial fair to good" No water ..

Section 32 -- 640 .. 00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4000 to 4200 feetG In steepwalled canyon - Copper Canyon

Access is poor 0 Geology

Surface - Trias sic Moenkopi Formation (25%) p Shinarump Conglomerate (75%) • Potential Copper Canyon - connotates mineralization and since copper and uranium

are commonly associated in some of the channel uranium deposits I the

uranium potential is fair to good 0 Land is straddle the Moonlight Wa shanticlinal nose - potential good to excellent ..

Section 36 -- 640000 acres

PhYSiography - upland desert Elevation 4100 feet. Rocky gulch.

Good - road to Whirlwind Mine passes over land 0 Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (100%) •

4 Potential No uranium potential - productive strata eroded" Oil and ga s potential is poor - area is in synclinal trend between' Moon-~ light Wash and Organ Rock anticlines"

Section 2, Lots 102030 4 o StNto st -- 634060 acres 0

PhYSiography - upland desert Elevation 4400 feet ..

Rocky mesa 0

Acces spoor e Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (100%) • Potential

Uranium - none 0 Oil and gas potential - fair to good - axis of Organ Rock anticline cros,ses

NE corner of section 0

Section 16 -- 640000 acres

PhYSiography - upland desert Elevation 4200 feet"

Rocky mesa 0 Access poor .. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (100%) • Potential Uranium - none" Oil and gas - poor.

Section 32 -- 640" 00 acres

PhYSiography - upland desert Elevation 4400 feet" Rocky mesa .. Access - poor" Geology

Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (100%) 0 Potential

Uranium - none 0 Oil and gas - poor.

5 Section 36 -- 640000 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4600 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - fair. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (l 00%) • Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - potential good - axis of Organ Rock anticline traverses section from north to south.

T. 41 S., R. 15 E.

Section 2, Lots 1, 2,3,4, StNtg st - 638.72 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4800 feet. Rocky mesa. Acces s - poor. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa S-andstone (100%) • Potential Uranium - none. Oil and ga s - poor.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4700 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - poor. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (100%) • Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 32 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4650 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - poor.

6 Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (100%). Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 36 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5200 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - poor. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (100%) • Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

T.41S.,R.16E.

Section 2, Lots 1,2,3,4, stNi, st -- 636.08 acres

Physiography - upland desert Eleva tion 5400 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - poor. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (100%) • Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - fair, 2 miles SW of axis of Slickhorn Gulch anticline.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5400 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - poor. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone (100%) • Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

7 Section 32 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert

Elevation 5400 feet 0 Rocky mesa.

Access - poor 0 Geology Surface - thin colluvial. (rocky) cover over Permian Cedar Mesa Sand stone. Potential

Uranium - none 0 Oil and gas - poor.

Section 36 - 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5600 feet. Rocky mesa. Acces s - poor .. Geology Surface - thin colluvial cover (50%) over Permian Cedar Mesa Sand stone. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

T.42S.,R.IIE.

Section 32 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5000 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - poor. Geology

Surface - Colluvium I 10%; Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, 75%; and Triassic-Jurassic Kayenta Formation, 15%. West half of section contains 2 north-trending normal faults of small displqcement. Potential Uranium - fair to poor - Shinarump Conglomerate if present is 1,000 feet below the surface. Oil and gas - poor.

8 T. 42 S., R. 12 E.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4800 to 5800 feet. North-south cliff line in western half of section. Access - poor. Geology Surface - Jurassic-Triassic Kayenta Formation 10%; Triassic Wingate Sandstone, 10%; Triassic Chinle Formation, 80%. Potential Uranium - fair to poor - Shinarump Conglomer.ate 200 to 400 feet beneath surface. Oil and gas - fair to good - axis of Balanced Rock anticline parallels eastern margin of section.

Section 32 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 6100 feet. Rocky mesa. Access good -Piute Mesa Trial t mile west of section. Geology Surface - Jurassic-Triassic Kayenta Formation. Potential Uranium - fair to poor - Shinarump Conglomerate if present is 1,000 feet below the surface. Oil and gas - fair, section is 1 mile east of Piute Mesa anticline.

Section 36 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5000 feet. East slopes of Nakia Canyon. Acces s - poor. Geology Surface - Triassic Chinle Formation, 80%; Triassic Shinarump Conglomerate, 20%. Potential Uranium - good to fair - area probably heavily prospected in 1950's.

Oil and gClS - poor I in synclinal trend between Piute Mesa and Balanced Rock anticlines.

9 T. 42 S. I R 0 13 E ..

Section 29 Lots 1 u 2 u 3 8 4 u StNt u st -- 640.72 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5400 feet .. Cliffs ..

Access - good 0 Geology Surface - Shinarump Conglomerate! 30%; Triassic Moenkopi Formation, 10%; Alluvium 50%. Potential Uranium - fair to good .. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4200 feet .. Dry wash ..

Acces s - fair Q Geology Surface - Alluvium 100% over Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone Potential Uranium - none - uraniferous strata eroded .. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 32 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5000 to 6000 feet.

Rocky mesa Q

Acces s good 0 Geology

Surface - Triassic Chinle Formation Q 100% .. Potential Uranium - good to fair - uraniferous strata 400 feet below surface. Oil and gas - good - axis of Moonlight Wash Anticline crosses section

from south to northwest 0

Section 36 -- 640000 acres

Phys iography - upland des er t Elevation 5000 feeto Rocky mesa.

Access - fair 0

10 Geology

Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone I 100%. Normal faults from southwest to northeast. Potential

Uranium - none 0 Oil and gas - poor - in syncline.

T. 42 SOl R. 14 E.

Section 2! Lots I, 2, 3, 4, StNt i st -- 637.52 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4800 feet. Rocky mesa. Access good. Geology

Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone I 100%. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - fair - an extension of Organ Rock anticline.

Section 16 -- 640000 acres

Physiography - upland des ert Elevation 4800 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - good. Geology

Surface - Permian Organ Rock Sandstone I 15% I Permian Cedar Mesa Sand

stone, 85% 0 Normal faulting southwest to northeast - small displacement. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor - in synclinal trend - faulted.

Section 32 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4800 feet.

Rocky mesa 0 Access - good - road crosses section. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, 100%. Normal faulting - east to west - small displacement.

11 Potential Uranium - hone. Oil and gas .... poor - in synclinal trend.

T. 42 S., R. 15 E.

Section 2, Lots I, 2, 3 I 4 I S~Nt ,S~ - 638.60 acres

Physiography - upland desert Eleva tion 5000 feet. Rocky mesa. Acces s - poor. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, 100%. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 480 feet. Rocky mesa.

Access - poor 0 Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, 100%. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and ga s - poor.

Section 32 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4800 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - fair. Geology Surface - Colluvium 100% - over Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 36 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5000 feet.

12 Rocky mesa. Acces s - poor. Geology

Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone I 100%. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

T. 42 S. I R. 16 E.

Section 2 I Lots 1 g 2 p 3 i 4, StNt I st - 641 .44 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5100 feet. Rocky mesa. Acces s - poor. Geology

Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone I 100%. Potential

Uranium - none 0 Oil and gas - poor.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5300 feet. Rocky mesa.

Acces s - poor 0 Geology

Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone I 80%; Colluvium I 20%. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 32 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4800 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - poore Geology

Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone I 100%. Potential

Uranium - none 0 Oil and gas - poor.

13 Section 36 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4900 feet. Rocky mesa. Acces s - poor. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, 1 00%. Normal fault - southeast to northwest. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

T. 43 S., R. 11 E.

Section 32, Nt I Lots I, 2, 3, 4 -- 413.36 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4600 - 5200 feet. Rocky gulch - ephemeral stream.

Acces s - poor 0 Geology Surface - Triassic Chinle Formation, 80%; Jurassic-Triassic Kayenta Formation, 20%. Potential Uranium - fair - 200 to 400 feet beneath surface to uraniferous forma tions . Oil and gas - poor - in synclinal trend between Hawkeye and Piute Mesa anticlines.

T. 43 S., R. 12 E.

Section 2 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5000 feet. Rocky canyon. Acces s - poor. Geology Surface - Permian-Triassic Hoskinnini Member of Moenkopi Formation, 60%; Trias sic Moenkopi Formation, 20%; Triassic Shinarump Cong lomerate, 20%. Potential Uranium - fair to good. Oil and ga s - poor to fair, clos e to trend of Balanced Rock anticline.

14 T. 43 S., R. 13 E.

Section 2 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland des ert Elevation 5000 - 5500 feet. Butte" Acces s - poor. Geology Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, 70%; Permian Organ Rock Sandstone, 20%; Triassic Moenkopi Formation, 10%. Normal fault - northwest to southeast. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4800 - 5600 feet.

Gulch and cliffs 0 Access - poor. Geology

Surface - Alluvium I 70%; Trias sic Moenkopi Formation and

Shinarump Conglomerate I 30%. Potential Uranium - fair - uranium prospects within a mile of section. Oil and gas - poor to fair - near proj ected trend of Moonlight Wash anticline.

Section 32 I Nt, Lots 1 f 2 I 3! 4 -- 399.33 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5200 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - pooro Geology Surface - Triassic Shinarump Conglomerate, 100%. Normal fault along east section line. Potential Uranium - good to fair - uraniferous formation at surface. Oil and gas - poor - in projection of synclinal trend ..

15 T. 43 S., R. 14 E.

Section 36, NEt I EtNwi I swt Nwi , NtSt, Lots I, 2 I 3, 4 -- 602.60 acres

Physiography - upland des ert Elevation 5200 feet. Butte - and cliffs.

Acces s - poor 0 Geology

Surface - Triassic Shinarump Conglomerate I 100%. Potential Uranium - good. Oil and gas - poor.

T. 43 S" R. 15 E.

Section 2 -- 640.00 acres

Phys iography - upland desert Elevation 5000 feet. Rocky mesa. Acces s - poor. Geology

Surface - Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone I 75%; Colluvium I 25%. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5000 - 5600 feet. Alluvial gulch and cliffs - edge Olj eto Mesa. Access - good. Geology

Surface - Colluvium I 75%; Permian Organ Rock Sandstone through

Triassic Moenkopi Formation I 25%. Potential

Uranium - good I 25% of section. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 32 I Nt I NtSt I Lots I, 2 I 3 I 4 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5200 - 5600 feet.

16 Alluvial gulch and cliffs. Access - excellent~ Geology Surface - Colluvium! 75%; Permian Organ Rock Sandstone through Triassic Moenkopi Formation, 25%. Potential

Uranium - good i 25% of section ~ Oil and gas - poor.

Section 36 1 Nt I NtSt u Lots I, 2 I 3 I 4 -- 635.64 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5000 feet" Alluvial gulch and cliffs. Access - good. Geology Surface - Permian Organ Rock Sandstone through Moenkopi

Formation, 100% 0 Potential Uranium - none - uraniferous formations eroded. Oil and gas - poor.

T. 43 S. I R. 16 E.

Section 2 -- 640 g 00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5400 feet. Rocky mesa. Access - fair. Geology

Surface - Colluvium I 100% lover Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 16 -- 640.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5200 feet. Alluvial slopes. Access - good. Geology

Surface - Colluvium I 100% ,over Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone.

17 Potential

Uranium - none 0 Oil and gas - poor.

Section 32, Nt, NtSt I Lots I, 2, 3, 4 -- 632.96 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5200 feet. Alluvial gulch. Access - excellent - State Highway 47 crosses section It miles east of Goulding Trading Post. Geology Surface - Alluvium, 100%, over Permian Organ Rock Sandstone. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

Section 36 I Nt I NtSt, Lots I, 2, 3, 4 -- 632.00 acres

Physiography - upland des ert Elevation 5600 - 6300 feet. Alluvial gulch and butte - edge of Sentinel Mesa in eastern quarter of section. Acces s - fair. Geology Surface - Colluvium, 30%; Permian Organ Rock Sandstone through Triassic Moenkopi Formation, 70%. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

T. 43 S., R. 17 E.

Section 16, EtNEt I NWt , st -- 560.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5200 feet. South slopes of Eagle Rock Wash. Access - good - 1 mile east of State Route 47. Geology Surface - Halgaito Member of Permian Cutler Formation, I 00%. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor"

18 Section 32 I Nt I NtSt, Lots I, 2, 3, 4 -- 627.56 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 5100 feet. Rocky slopes. Acces s - fair. Geology Surface - Permian Halgaito Member of Cutler Formation, 10%; Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, 80%; Colluvium, 10%. Potential Uranium - none. Oil and gas - poor.

19 APPRAISAL OF SELECTED GOVERNMENT LANDS,

GRAND AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES I UTAH

T. 24 S. I R. 21 E.

Section 4 903 .68 acres Section 17 640.00 acres Section 5 904 .36 acres Section 18 637.28 acres Section 6 -- 900.97 acres Section 19 63 7 . 5 6 acre s Section 7 636.92 acres Section 20 640.00 acres Section 8 -- 640.00 acres Section 21 640.00 acres Section 9 -- 640.00 acres Section 22 640.00 acres Section 10 -- 640.00 acres Section 28 640.00 acres

Section 11 8 wt I SEt ~- 480.00 acres Section 29 640.00 acres Section 14 -- 640.00 acres Section 30 -- 637.96 acres Section 15 -- 640.00 acres Section 31 -- 639.88 acres

Physiography - desert Elevation 4600 to 5000 feet. In low and moderate relief in Salt Valley. Access - fair to excellent: State Route 93 (to Arches Nat. Monument) traverses south half of area and joins U.S. Highway 160 approxi mately 2t miles west of the west township line. Geology The axis of the Salt Valley anticline trends northwesterly along the northeast edge of the area. This structure is highly faulted by normal faults in response to salt flowage. The faults are essentially parallel to one another and to the trend of the axis of the anticline. The saline facies of the Paradox Formation is exposed at the crest of the faulted anticline. The area is on the west flank of the anticline.

The surface rocks are mainly Jurassic and Triassic strata I ranging from the Chinle Formation to, the Salt Wash member of the Morrison Formation. Potential

Uranium - is fair for s mall portions of sections 7 I 18 I 19 and 30

where the Morrison Formation is present. However I the total potential area is about 250 acres. Oil and gas - potential is very good - the potential is related to

the Pennsylvanian Paradox and older formations; however I the density of wells is not sufficient to rate the potential particularly high. The salt and potash strata of the Paradox Formation are everywhere present beneath the sections apprais ed. Proj ection of subsurface data indicates that up to 100 feet of potash-rich salts may be present

beneath the entire group of sections. However I the average depth 20 RANGE 21 £Clst

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L _ _ __ ,_ J _ ,___ : __ 1 _ :.._ J . ~ l", ___ ~ ___ , I '_ _1. __ l__ __,j __ L __ L _ _ ,J _ _ __..J Stilt ~_ MERIDIAN Gr.QntL-__ COUNTY N ~~e. ___ ..tc:rf. _. ~(Jn_ AREA r------, i! 1i ST ATE LAN DS ___ __, ______L ___ -1 '---I -1 I I LJ FED ERAL LANCli. .. _.__ ! -- l ___--..J

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, , I PATENTED LAND.S.. _____ .__ i I I__ -..J L ______....l to these potash-rich zones may be near 4000 feet from the

surface I the shallowest being near 3300 feet. In any case the plasticity of the saline zones precludes any commercial pos sibilities for production by conventional underground methods, therefore exploitation of any commercial thicknes s of potash will be by solution mining practices.

T. 23 S.( R. 20E.

Section 19 -- 644072 acres Section 26 640.00 acres Section 20 -- 640. 00 acres Section 27 640.00 acres Section 21 640.00 acres Section 28 640.00 acres Section 22 -- 320.00 acres Section 29 640. 00 acres Section 25 -- 320.00 acres Section 30 -- 320.00 acres

Physiography Elevation 4600 to 5000 feet. In moderate to low relief in Salt Valley. Access - excellent: Denver and Rio Grand Western R.R.' Moab Branch crosses sections 19 and 30. U. S. Highway 160 parallels th e ra ilroad . Geology The surface rocks -are strata of the Triassic, Jurassic and

Cretaceous Periods I the Chinle Formation (oldest) to the Mancos Shale (youngest). Some Quaternary collu:vium along the western edge of the area. The structure is the moderately southwest-dipping flank of the Salt Valley anticline. The crest of the anticline and its attendant parallel normal faults trend northwesterly near the northea s t portion of the area. Potential Uranium - fair for sections 19,20,21,28,29 and 30. Oil and gas - very good - see T. 24 S., R. 21 E. appraisal above and memo 10-30-63. Potash - very good - see T. 24 S. , R. 21 E. appraisal above.

-+ . 25 S. , R. 20 E.

Section 1, Lots 9, 10, 13, 14, IS, 16, NEiswi ,sEi -- 440.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4800 feet. Sandy and rocky. Access - very good - U.S. Highway 160 is i mile southwest of SW corner of section.

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rCKM il' - 1 - 63; . UiAH GE( LOGICAL SURVEY Geology Surface - parcels described are on the Moab Sandstone Tongue of the Jurassic Entrada Sandstone. Main Moab fault crosses close to southwest corner of section. Potential Uranium - poor Oil and gas - very good to excellent - land previously

recommended as I first preference I oil and gas potential (Memo 10/30/63). Potash horizon expected by projection 4500 feet below surface. Potash zone in exces s of 100 feet in thicknes s - solution mining problem.

Section 12 I Et I NEt -- 80.00 acres

Appraisal identical with adjacent section - See section 1 above.

T8 25 S., R. 21 E.

Section 6 I Lots 5, 6, 7, EtWt I WtEt, SEt SEt -- 400.00 acres

Appraisal identical with west-lying section - See section 1, T, 25 S. , R. 20 E. Oil and gas potential very good to excellent. Potash potential excellent (by solution mining) .

Section 7 I Lots I, 2 I 3, EtWt, WtEt ~ SEt SEt -- 480.00 acres

See section 6 above - identical appraisal. Access - less than 3/4 mile from U. S. Highway 160.

Section 18, NEt I NWt , NEt I NtSEt -- 280.00 acres

See section 6 above - identical appraisal Access - less than t mile from U. S. Highway 160.

T.22S.,R.19E.

Section 34 I Et I swt -- 480.00 acres

Physiography - upland desert Elevation 4600 feetQ Young alluvium and pos sible dry farm land

22 Access - Uo S. Highway 160 crosses area from north to south. Geology Surface - Principally young alluvium and scattered outcrops of Mancos Shale (Cretaceous) . Potential Uranium - poor to fair - if present is very deep. Oil and gas - fair to very good (see Memo 10/30/63) on west flank of Salt Valley anticline ~ Potash - excellent - over 200 feet of potash salts may be expected about 3400 feet below the surface. Section is approximately 4 miles from section 4 where the Reeder # 1 well drilled by the U .S . Bureau of Mines in 1942 encountered 220 feet of carnallite.

Section 35 -- 640.00 acres

Appraisal essentially as above - except that potash horizon could be as much as 1,000 feet higher.

T. 39 S., R. 22 E.

Section 7 , Lots I, 2, 3 I 4! Ei swt I NEt I EiNWt -- 476.80 acres

PhYSiography - upland desert Elevation 4900 feet. Rocky gulch - cliffs. Access - fair - Cottonwood Wash road. Geology Surface - Recapture Creek Member of Juras sic Morrison Formation. Potential Uranium - fair to good - 4 miles east of uranium-vanadium belt. Oil and gas - good - about 6 miles east of Comb Ridge monocline - section is 2 miles south of small oil production and 1 mile east of oil show in dry hole. Potash - poor on edge of potash facies which occurs several miles farther ea st.

Section 8 -- 640.00 acres

Same as section 7 above.

Section 17 I Nt I SEt I EtSWt ! SEt swt -- 600.00 acres

Same as section 7 above.

23 Section 18, Lots 1,2,3,4, NEiNWi -- 163.68 acres

Same as section 7 , above.

Section 19, Lots I, 2 I 3, 4, Etswi , SEi , SEi NEi -- 434.48 acres

Same as section 7, above.

Section 20 -- 640.00 acres

Same as section 7, above.

T. 40 S., R. 21 E.

Section 13, SEi, SEi NEi I SEi swi -- 240.00 acres Section 14, Wt. wtsEi , swi NEi -- 440.00 acres Section 15 640.00 acres Section 21 64 0 . 0 0 acre s Section 22 640. 00 acres

Section 23 I wi I W~Et, NEt SEt 520.00 acres

Section 24 I NEt NWt , NWt NEi 40 . 00 acres (? U . G . S .)

Section 27, NWt I wtswt 240.00 acres Section 28 640.00 acres

Physiography - desert Elevation 4500 feet. Gulch mesa and cliffs - Bluff Bench area Acces s - poor to fair - area is t mile north of State Route 47. Geology Surface - Quaternary colluvium over Jurassic Bluff Sandstone, some exposures of Jurassic Summerville Formation and Entrada Sand stone. Young alluvium in Cottonwood Creek bottoms. On east flank of north-trending Comb Ridge (?) syncline. Potential Uranium - poor. Potash - poor. Oil and gas - good - oil shows in dry holes within 3/4 of a mile of north, east and south margins of the area.

T. 40S., R. 22 E.

Section 5 640.00 acres Section 7 637 . 56 acres Section 6 637 .44 acres Section 8 640.00 acres

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I I L ___ L ~_ ~ _ ~_~_ L _~ _L~_ _L~ _ ~_ ~_~_~ _~_ L~ _ __ ~ Solt I.ok__ MERIDIAN Son tI~ COUNTY

N _ BlufF__ AREA ~t1tJdfILOU _Cr~L _ D STATE LANDS~ ___ D - D FEDERAL LAND-.....S"--_ _ D - D PATENTED LAND-..S'"---__ D ---

r~) RM LP - 1 - 63; . UTA.H GOOLOGICAL SURVEY Physiography - desert Elevation 4800 feet.

Stony mesa - Bluff Bench & Access - excellent - State Route 47 crosses east portion of area from north to south. Geology Surface - colluvium - the topography indicates that in the northeast portion the Jurassic Recapture Creek Member of the Morrison For mation underlies the colluvial cover whereas the remainder of the area contains the colluvial-covered Juras sic Bluff Sandstone. Potential Uranium - poor - some fair potential beneath section 5 where Re capture Member may be present. Potash - poor. Oil and gas - very good - oil shows in dry holes outside of south west corner sections 7 and 8.