DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FRANKLIN K. LANE, Secretary UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director Bulletin 680 A GEOLOGIC RECONNAISSANCE FOR PHOSPHATE AND COAL IN SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO AND WESTERN WYOMING BY ALFRED REGINALD SCHULTZ WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1918 in 0 Q CONTENTS. Page Introduction.............................................................. 7 Purpose of investigation............................................... 7 Earlier work.......................................................... 9 Geography................................................................. 10 Itinerary.............................................................. 10 Topography and settlement............................................. 1.1 Geology.................................................................. 12 Stratigraphy.......................................................... 12 General section.................................................... 12 Pre-Cambrian to Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian series, inclusive).... 16 General features............................................... 16 Pre-Cambrian rocks............................................ 17 Cambrian system.........;..................................... 17 Flathead quartzite........................................ 18 Gros Ventre formation..................................... 18 Gallatin limestone .......... v ............................ 19 Oraovician system............................................. 19 Bighorn dolomite........................................... 19 Silurian system................................................ 20 Devonian system............................................... 20 Three Forks formation and Jefferson limestone............... 20 Carboniferous system.......................................... 21 Mississippian series........................................ 21 Madison limestone (lower Mississippian).........'........ 21 Brazer limestone (upper Mississippian)................... 21 Pennsylvanian series....................................... 22 Wells formation....................................... 22 Late Carboniferous (Permian series) to Recent....................... 22 Formations included........................................... 22 Carboniferous system.......................................... 23 Permian series............'................................. 23 Phosphoria formation.................................. 23 Triassic system................................................ 24 Woodside formation........................................... 24 Thaynes limestone........................................ 24 Ankareh shale............................................. 25 Jurassic system............................................... 25 Nugget sandstone.......................................... 25^ Twin Creek limestone..................................... 25 Beckwith formation........................................ 26 Cretaceous system............................................... 27 Upper Cretaceous series.:.................................. 27 Bear River formation... .............................. 27 Aspen formation....................................... 28 Frontier formation...................................... 28 Hilliard and Adaville formations (?)..................... 29 3 4 CONTENTS. Geology Continued. Stratigraphy Continued. Late Carboniferous (Permian series) to Recent Continued. page. Cretaceous or Tertiary system.................................. 30 Evanston formation (?).......!............................. 30 Tertiary system. ............................................... 30 Eocene series (Wasatch group).............................. 30 Almy formation........................................ .-30 Knight formation............'........................... 30 Pliocene (?) series......................................... 31 Quaternary system.............................................I 31 Glacial deposits........................................... 31 Spring deposits. ........................................... 31 Alluvium and terrace gravels.............................. ' 33 Igneous rocks................................................. 34 Snake River basalt........................................ 34 Structure............................................................ 35 General features................................................... 35 Caribou Range................................................... 35 Snake River and Salt River ranges................................ 35 Bighole Mountains and Wyoming Range............................ 36 Teton Mountains................................................. 37 Mineral deposits.......................................................... 37 Phosphate............................................................ 37 General features................................................... 37 Distribution of phosphate deposits by structural districts............. 39 General conditions............................................ 39 Caribou Range, Idaho........................................ 39 Snake River and Salt River ranges............................. 40 General distribution....................................... 40 Pine Creek................................................. 41 Rainy Creek............................................. 42 Palisade Creek........................................... 44 Elk Creek................................................ 45 Indian Creek: .......................................:..... 46 Snake River.............................................. 47 Bighole Mountains and. Wyoming Range............... J........ 50 General features...............:......:.................... 50 Wyoming Range southeast of Snake River, in the vicinity of Bailey Creek............................................ 50 Wyoming Range in the vicinity of Snake River............. 51 Bighole Mountains south of Victor, Idaho................... 52 North end of Bighole Mountains........................... 53 Teton Mountains............................................. 56 Jackson Hole and vicinity.................................... 58 Development of phosphate deposits................................. 59 Utilization of rock phosphate...................................... 60 Analyses of phosphate rock......................................... 61 Coal...........................................:...-::.........-.... 64 General occurrence. ............................................... 64 Willow Creek and Grays Lake area. L .....<.,..: ;..L ................ 65 Pine Creek and Greys River area............. .:". .................... 66 Teton Basin and McDougal area......:............................. 67 CONTENTS. 5 Mineral deposits Continued. Coal Continued. Page. Sections of the coal beds........................................... 72 Character of the coal.......'...................'.................... 76 Gold and other minerals.............................................. 79 Water power............................................................. 81 Index.................................................................... 83 ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATE I. Map of a part of southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming showing the distribution of phosphate and coal deposits................ 12 II. A, Burlap tables arranged for saving fine gold near the mouth of McCoy Creek on Snake River, Idaho; B, Public school building at Irwin, Idaho, constructed of rhyolite blocks quarried in the .vicinity; C, Auriferous gravels and alluvium carrying fine flakes of gold...................................................... 78 FIOUEE 1. Map showing areas examined by the United States Geological Survey and the extent of phosphate reserves in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming on July 1, 1914..................................... 8 2. Map showing traverse along Pine Creek, Tps. 2 and 3 N., Rs. 43 and 44 E., Idaho.................................................. 42 3. Map showing traverse along Rainy Creek, T. 2 N., Rs. 44 and 45 E., Idaho........................................................ 43 4. Map showing traverse along Elk Creek, T. 1 S., R. 46 E., Idaho, and T.39N., R.118W.,Wyo...................................... 45 5. Map showing traverse along Indian Creek, T. 2 S., R. 46 E., Idaho, and T. 38N.,R. 118 W.,Wyo.................................. 47 6. Map showing traverse along Snake River canyon, Tps. 37 and 38 N., Rs. 116,117, and 118 W., Wyo.................................. 48 7. Map showing outstanding coal withdrawals July 1, 1914, and the approximate location of the coal-bearing formations in the area examined in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming............... 65 8. Section from the north end of the Bighole Mountains, Idaho, across Teton Basin to the Teton Mountains in the vicinity of Grand Teton, Wyo.................................................. 69 A GEOLOGIC RECONNAISSANCE FOR PHOSPHATE AND COAL IN SOUTHWESTERN IDAHO AND WESTERN WYOMING. By ALFEED REGINALD SCHULTZ. INTRODUCTION. PURPOSE 'OF INVESTIGATION. A reconnaissance examination of a part of southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming lying between meridians 110° 45' and 112° and parallels 43° and 44°, comprising an area of approximately 2,000 square miles in the vicinity of Big Bend of South Fork of Snake River, was undertaken in 1912, for the purpose of collecting data for the elimination of lands from existing phosphate reserves if it was found that they contained no valuable deposits of phosphate. The writer spent three weeks in the region