Southern Ute Reservation Upper Menefee UT CO AZ NM Lower Menefee
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Southern Ute Indian Reservation occurs throughout the coal seams underlying the Reservation. The coal, estimated to be in excess of 200 million tons of strippable coal, General Setting is high quality (10,000 BTUs per lb.) and with low sulfur content. U T A H C O L O R A D O The Southern Ute Indian Reservation is in southwestern Colorado Leasing of minerals and development agreements on the UTE MOUNTAIN UTE adjacent to the New Mexico border (Figs. SU-1 and -2). The reser- Southern Ute Indian Reservation are designed in accordance with the vation encompasses an area about 15 miles (24 km) wide by 72 miles Indian Mineral Development Act of 1982, and the rules and (116 km) long; total area is approximately 818,000 acres (331,000 regulations contained in 25 CFR, Part 225 (published in the Federal SOUTHERN UTE ha). Of the Indian land, 301,867 acres (122,256 ha) are tribally Register, March 30, 1994). The Tribe no longer performs lease owned and 4,966 acres (2,011 ha) are allotted lands; 277 acres (112 agreements under the old 1938 Act (since 1977). NAVAJO ha) are federally owned (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1974). The The 1982 Act provides increased flexibility to the Tribe and TAOS JICARILLA rest is either privately owned or National Forest Service Lands. The developer to tailor their agreements to the specific needs of each APACHE TAO Tribal land is fairly concentrated in two blocks; one in T 32-33 N, R party. It also allows the parties to draft agreements based on state-of- PICURIS 1-6 W, and the other in T 32 N, R 8-13 W and T 33 N, R 11 W. the-art oil and gas agreements used in industry rather than standard SAN JUAN Most of the allotted land is along or near Los Pinos River. This Bureau of Indian Affairs forms. The Act also contains sections which SANTA CLARA POJOAQUE NAMBE “checker-boarding” has had a profound effect on the development of set forth the responsibilities of BLM and MMS offices. The SAN ILDEFONSO HOPI the Southern Ute people. Unlike many tribes where they are isolated regulations contain a 21 point check list for matters which should be JEMEZ COCHITITESUQUE from outside influence, the Southern Utes have lived alongside non- considered, and if appropriate, included in any mineral agreement. SANTA DOMINGO Indians since the late 1800’s. Inquiries regarding new leasing should be directed to Robert ZIA SAN FELIPE The Tribal headquarters are located 1 mile north of the town of Santistevan, Director of Energy Resources, Red Willow Production NAVAJO I R LAGUNA SANTA ANA SANDIA Ignacio (Fig. SU-2). The city of Durango is located just outside the Company at: RAMAH north boundary of the Reservation, 24 miles northwest of Ignacio. ZUNI NAVAJO CANONCITO The population of the Tribe is currently 1,135 people. The Tribe Red Willow Production CO ACOMA ISLETA is growing rapidly with over half of the population under the age of Production Operating/Acquisition A R I Z O N A LAGUNA I R 25. Approximately 25 percent of the membership lives off the Reser- P.O. Box 737 N E W M E X I C O vation, mostly in larger metropolitan areas such as Denver, Albu- Tribal Annex bldg., 2nd Fl ALAMO NAVAJO querque, and Phoenix. There are 300 Tribal members in the local Ignacio, CO 81137 work force. In addition to Tribal Members, there are approximately Figure SU-1. Location of Southern Ute Indian Reservation with respect to other Indian Reservations (modified after Indian Land Areas, 1993). 30,000 people living in La Plata County. Tel: (970) 563-0140 Topography of the reservation is generally rugged. West of Ani- Fax: (970) 563-0398 mas River, the eastern flank of Mesa Verde is cut by numerous small 10900' canyons. Eastward the hills become more rounded and timber cov- 10830' 10800' 10730' 10700' 10630' ered. Elevations range from about 6,000 feet along La Plata River DOLORES CO AHUT SAN JUAN CO Needle near the southwest corner and along the San Juan River near Arboles, MONTEZUMA CO Stoner LA PLATA CO Mountains r ive to 8,551 feet at Piedra Peak (sec 24, T33N, R6W). Principal streams COLORADO McPhee R Dolores Resevoir on the Reservation are the San Juan, Piedra, Animas, Florida, and La 3730' Rands Gulf No. 1 Dolores Plata Rivers. The Navajo Reservoir, formed by Navajo Dam in New r J.A. Fulks x ve La Plata R i Mountains a Mexico, forms a significant body of water on the San Juan River and McElmo Canyon Cortez Animas City Pedr ARCHULETA CO CONEJOS CO the lower Piedra River in the eastern part of the reservation (Fig. SU- x Mountain Durango Pagosa Springs 2); water surface is at an elevation of about 6,100 feet. Bayfield erde Ignacio, with a population of 613 in 1970, is the largest town on SleepingMountain Ute Ignacio AN CO the reservation, and site of the Southern Ute Indian Agency. The ners Mesa v mor nearest large town is Durango, Colorado with a population of 10,333. SAN JU Four Corplatf Chromo It is about 5 miles north of the reservation (Fig. SU-2). Farmington, 3700' COLORADO SAN JUAN CO RIO ARRIBA CO NEW MEXICO New Mexico, with a population of 21,979 (1980), lies to the south Cedar Hill Dulce CHE CO about 29 miles from the reservation boundary. AAP San J r Archuleta Arch uan k Monocline ve The climate is temperate with an annual average of 16 inches of Ri Navajo Reservoir a s Hogbac im rainfall. The growing season is about 109 frost free days between River An Figure SU-2. Index map showing Farmington May and September. the Southern Ute Indian The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is blessed with an abundance of Reservation and adjacent areas San Juan Basin N 0 10 20 valuable natural resources. A major source of revenue for the Tribe (modified after Condon, 1992). ARIZONA MILES is the production of oil and natural gas. Recent drilling and 3630' NEW MEXICO production activity has focused on coal-bed methane gas which SOUTHERN UTE INDIAN RESERVATION Overview 1 COLORADO 112 111 110 109 108 107 Geology 41 EXPLANATION WYOMING WYOMING 41 The Southern Ute Indian Reservation is on the northern margin of UTAH COLORADO Monocline or steep limb of fold 0 8 16 32 48 64 Miles with direction of dip U TA UPLI the San Juan Basin, a large circular structural depression whose IN FT 0 8 16 32 48 64 80 96 Kilometers Crestal line of anticline, arch, uplift, up- SCALE center is some 50 miles southeast of Durango (Fig. SU-3). The warp, or swell, with direction of plunge XA IA VERNAL L Troughal line of syncline, basin, or sag sedimentary layers that fill the San Juan Basin dip gently toward its with direction of plunge F OLD center. Their outcrop pattern around the basin is a series of High-angle fault, with downthrown side UINTA ELB T concentric bands, with the younger rocks toward the center and the 40 R MEEKER E Thrust fault, with updrawn side R 10900' 10830' C 10800' 10730' 10700' 10630' IV 40 R older rocks toward the margin. Nearly all the rocks exposed at the A WHITE Boundary of tectonic division S A RIVER UT AH BASIN L surface on the Reservation are sedimentary rocks of Late Cretaceous G UPLIFT DOLORES CO 0 10 20 0 10 20 UT AH 30 U SAN JUAN CO Needle COLORADO Uplift IVR E PRICE O R MONTEZUMA CO D LA PLATA CO Mountains CAS T L E V A L L E Y SA G Stoner MILES KILOMETERS or Early Tertiary age (Fig. SU-4). PICEANCEO r AD CARBONERA CARBOND 6000 ve L i OR COLORADO McPhee C L ores R La Plata Basin L l O 7000 8000 Do San Juan E SAG Resevoir Geologic Structure BASIN 3730' Mountains N FA E L S W ALE Dome EN E JUNCTION BENCH R Dolores La Plate The Southern Ute Indian Reservation is located in the northern part G Gulf No. 1 Rands L r E Dome e 39 BASIN K McElmo Canyon J.A. Fulks x iv GREEN GR. U 39 4 10,000 R of the structural and sedimentary San Juan Basin. The present struc- RA RIVER JUNCTION P a N UNCOMPAHGRE UPLIFT L UTE Cortez Animas City dr CONEJOS CO I Pe ARCHULETA CO A F S P T x Mountain ture was largely shaped by Laramide (Late Cretaceous through Eo- TEA US ARADOX DOME 80009000 GUNNISON UPLIFT 6000 Durango LA SAL MONTROSE SA Pagosa Springs cene) and later tectonic activity. The area was also on the edge of CAPIT 7000 DOME Bayfield FOLD BEL O 5000 REEF MOAB D L e OL O GUNNISON 5000 FA R erd 4000 San Juan Sag the older Paleozoic Paradox Basin during deposition of the sedi- E S T ULT AND AN CO ROCKIES ners Mesa v 6000 ments of the Pennsylvanian Hermosa Group (Condon, S.M., 1992) H FOLD G E orm N R Y E our Cor Figures SU-3, -4, and -5 show various structural elements in BELT SAN JU 2 5000 HIGH PLA HENR F platf 38 OP Chromo SA L 38 Y DOMES 3700' 4000 COLORADO R southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The struc- S NJUAN 2000 I V WILSON SAN SAN JUAN CO CIRCLE CLIFFS UPLIFT N E 3000 RIO ARRIBA CO NEW MEXICO B O DOME A R San Juan Cedar Hill Dulce Y ture contours in Figures SU-4 and -5 show effects of Laramide de- S A N ABAJO IN W S A JICO CHE CO P DOME 1000 JUAN A C DOME AP A R G 1000 2000 formation.