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UTAH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SURVEY NOTES Volume 34, Number 2 June 2002 S AN R AFAEL S WELL TABLE OF CONTENTS Cache Valley Sensitivity and The Vulnerabilty to Pesticides . 1 New Publications . 4 GeoSights: Little Egypt . 5 Director’s Landslide Damaged Six Layton Homes . 6 Perspective Glad You Asked: What are minerals used for? . 8 by Richard G. Allis San Rafael Swell Proposed as New National Monument . 9 Energy News: Growing Importance of Coalbed Gas in Utah . 12 n an eleventh-hour decision as the assumed to be the exact way the Act will actually be administered. A Survey News . 13 Utah legislature ended its session Ithis March, the “Professional Geolo- license will be required for all geologi- cal work relevant to public welfare, or Design by Vicky Clarke gist Licensing Act” was passed, and it has subsequently been signed into law. safeguarding the life, health, property and the environment in Utah. Among Cover: San Rafael Swell, photograph courtesy Utah becomes the 31st state to require of Utah Travel Council. professional geologist licensure, and it several exclusions are subordinates of is the 27th to adopt the National Asso- a licensed professional geologist, indi- State of Utah ciation of State Boards of Geology viduals engaged in teaching or Michael O. Leavitt, Governor (ASBOG) exam as the standard for research in the physical or natural sci- Department of Natural Resources Robert Morgan, Executive Director licensure. The relatively rapid passing ences who are not otherwise engaged UGS Board of the Act is a tribute to the energy, in practicing geology before the public, Robert Robison, Chair enthusiasm and lobbying skills of prac- employees of companies if their work Geoff Bedell Craig Nelson ticing geologists in Utah. This Act is solely for internal use, and licensed E.H. Deedee O’Brien Charles Semborski professional engineers and land sur- Steve Church Ron Bruhn should have a major, long-term impact Stephen Boyden (Trust Lands Administration-ex officio) on the practice of geology before the veyors not intentionally representing UGS Staff Utah public by requiring minimum themselves as professional geologists. Administration professional standards to be met, and All final versions of geologic work pre- Richard G. Allis, Director providing recourse for aggrieved sented to a client or a public authority Kimm Harty, Deputy Director John Kingsley, Assoc. Director clients. will require the seal of a professional Daniel Kelly, Acct. Officer geologist. Reciprocity with similar In Utah, the Act will be administered Becky Wilford, Secretary/Receptionist licenses in other states will apparently Cheryl Ostlund, Admin. Secretary by the Division of Occupational and be recognized. Linda Bennett, Accounting Tech. Professional Licensing (DOPL, part of Michael Hylland, Tech. Reviewer the Utah Department of Commerce), At the time of writing this piece, we at Survey Notes Staff Editor: Jim Stringfellow with the assistance of a five-member the UGS are trying to figure out Editorial Staff: Vicky Clarke, Sharon Hamre board appointed by the Governor. The whether we should make it mandatory Cartographers: Patricia Speranza, board will consist of three professional for all geologic staff above a certain James Parker, Lori Douglas geologists, one member representing level (e.g., our project geologist level) Geologic Hazards Gary Christenson William Lund, Barry Solomon, the general public, and the State Geol- to be licensed, or require it only for Francis Ashland, Richard Giraud, ogist. Details of the Act, associated those “practicing before the public.” Greg McDonald, Neil Storey rules, and the time frame for getting Also we have not yet decided whether Energy and Mineral Resources David Tabet the Act up and running are contained we are required to, or should, use the Robert Gloyn, Robert Blackett, Roger Bon, Thomas Chidsey, Bryce T. Tripp, Craig Morgan, on DOPL’s website (see below). Pro- seal on our publications that fit the J. Wallace Gwynn, Jeff Quick, Kevin McClure, fessional licensure for practicing geolo- definition “public geologic practice,” Sharon Wakefield, Carolyn Olsen, Cheryl gists will be required by January 1, or whether supervision by a licensed Gustin, Tom Dempster, Mike Kirschbaum, Brigitte Hucka 2003, and after January 1, 2004, appli- professional geologist is adequate. Geologic Mapping Grant Willis cations for a license in Utah will Hopefully the rules that are presently Hellmut Doelling, Jon King, Bob Biek, require the ASBOG exam to be passed. being drafted for this Act will clarify Kent Brown, Michael Wright, the role of public authorities that carry Basia Matyjasik, Douglas Sprinkel Here are some of the general points out geologic work in Utah. Geologic Information and Outreach implied by the Act, based on my initial Sandra Eldredge, William Case Christine Wilkerson, Mage Yonetani, interpretation; they should not be Patricia Stokes, Mark Milligan, Carl Ege, Rob Nielson, Jo Lynn Campbell, Jeff Campbell Official progress on implementing the Act at DOPL’s website: Environmental Sciences Michael Lowe http://www.dopl.utah.gov/licensing/geologist.html David Madsen, James Kirkland, Charles Bishop, Martha Hayden, Janae Wallace, Hugh Hurlow, Survey Notes is published three times yearly by Utah Geological Survey, 1594 W. North Temple, Suite 3110, Salt Lake City, Utah Kim Nay, Dave Schmitt, Jason Kneedy, 84116; (801) 537-3300. The UGS is an applied scientific agency that creates, evaluates, and distributes information about Utah’s Don DeBlieux, Matt Butler geologic environment, resources, and hazards to promote safe, beneficial, and wise use of land. The UGS is a division of the Department of Natural Resources. Single copies of Survey Notes are distributed free of charge to residents within the United States and Canada and reproduction is encouraged with recognition of source. S URVEY N OTES 1 Cache Valley Study Kicks Off New Cooperative Effort to Evaluate Utah’s Ground-water Sensitivity and Vulnerability to Pesticides by Ivan D. Sanderson, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, and Mike Lowe, UGS Introduction extensive agricultural activity. Cache Discussion of Pesticide Issue Valley, in northern Utah, is the first of The U.S. Environmental Protection In many rural areas, ground water is these valleys to be mapped; maps are Agency (EPA) is recommending that the primary source of water for also being developed for Utah, states develop Pesticide Management human consumption, irrigation, and Goshen, and Pahvant Valleys, with Plans for four agricultural chemicals animal watering. Therefore, the others to follow. that in some areas impact ground- occurrence of agricultural pesticides water quality. These chemicals—her- Sensitivity to pesticides is determined in ground water represents a threat to bicides used in production of corn by assessing natural factors favorable public health and the environment. and sorghum—are alachlor, atrazine, or unfavorable to the degradation of The rise of the United States as the metolachlor, and simazine. All four ground water by pesticides, whereas world’s foremost producer of agricul- chemicals are applied to crops in vulnerability to pesticides is deter- tural products since the end of World Utah. In some areas of the United mined by assessing human-induced War II may be attributed, to a signifi- States where these crops are grown factors and their response to natural cant extent, to widespread use of pes- extensively, these pesticides have factors. Sensitivity incorporates ticides. Control of insect pests that been detected as contaminants in hydrogeologic setting including verti- would otherwise devour the develop- ground water. Such contamination cal ground-water gradient, depth to ing crop, together with control of poses a threat to public health, ground water, and presence or weeds that interfere with growth and wildlife, and the environment. In absence of confining layers, along optimum crop development, permit many rural and agricultural areas with the soils’ vertical hydraulic con- higher quality commodities in greater throughout the United States—and ductivity (a factor influencing the rate abundance at lower net cost. Effective particularly in Utah—ground water is at which water moves downward use of pesticides often means the dif- the primary source of drinking and through the aquifer material) and ference between profitability and irrigation water. other physical properties. Sensitivity financial ruin for an agricultural also includes the influence of pesti- enterprise. The state of Utah is committed to pre- cide properties such as the capacity of serving the quality of its ground- molecules to adsorb to organic carbon When evidence shows pesticides are water resources. To aid in this effort, in soil and the degradation (chemical degrading the environment, harming the Plant Industry Division of the breakdown) rate of a pesticide under sensitive wildlife, or posing a public Utah Department of Agriculture and typical soil conditions. Vulnerability health threat, two regulatory courses Food and the Utah Geological Survey includes human-controlled factors of action are available: (1) ban further are producing maps to provide feder- such as whether agricultural lands are use of the offending chemical, or (2) al, state, and local government agen- irrigated, crop type, and amount and regulate it so that judicious use miti- cies and agricultural pesticide users type of pesticide applied. We use and gates the degradation or threat. Since with a base of information concerning interpret existing