Pass (jfUidM Rnnlc., ( J^Cl> DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Dieectok Water-supply Paper 333 GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES UTAH BY EVERETT CARPENTER WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1913 / DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH. Director / ^Z' Water- StTPPLiY Paper 333 /rf GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES UTAH BY EVERETT CARPENTER WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1 1) 1 ."> fi <> D. OF D. ^ CONTENTS. Page. Introduction 7 Physiography , 7 General feat\ires 7 Stream topography 9 Lake topography 9 Geology i) Formations 9 Structure 12 Geologic history 12 Pre-Pleistocene time ^ 12 Pleistocene epoch 12 Recent epoch 14 Climate 16 Temperature 10 Precipitation 17 Records 17 Annual variation 18 Seasonal variation 19 Relation of rainfall to dry-farming -. 21 Vegetation 21 Soil 22 Streams 22 Industrial development 23 Occurrence of ground water 28 Bedrock 23 Unconsolidated sediments 25 S(mrce and disposal of ground water 26 Artesian conditions 27 Bedrock 27 Unconsolidated sediments 27 Springs 29 Mountain springs 29 Valley springs 29 Hot springs :',0 Quality of ground water ;iO Substances contained in water 80 Method of analysis 31 Substances dissolved in waters of northwestern Utah 32 Relation of dissolved substances to domestic use 32 Relation of dissolved substances to use in irrigation 34 Source of alkali 34 Limits of alkali in so\\ 34 Limits of alkali in water 36 3 CONTENTS. Water supply by areas 37 Malad and lower Bear River valleys 37 Topography 37 Geology ^. 38 Bedrock 38 Unconsolidated sediments- 38 Surface water 39 Streams 39 Quality of surface water 39 Irrigation with surface water 41 Ground water 42 Springs .■ 42 Artesian wells 42 Nonflowing wells ' 42 Quality 43 Pumping tests 49 Irrigation 50 Blue Spring and Pocatello valleys 50 Topography and geology 50 Development 51 Springs and streams 52 Ground water 52 Quality of water 53 Irrigation with ground water 55 Hansel Valley 55 Physiography 55 Geology 56 Vegetation 56 Development ' 56 Springs 56 Wells 57 Quality of water •. 58 Curlew Valley 58 Topography 58 Geology 59 Precipitation 60 Development 60 Vegetation 60 Streams and springs 60 Wells , 61 Quality of water 62 Irrigation with ground water 64 Park Valley 64 Topography and geology 64 Vegetation 65 Streams 66 Springs , 66 Flowing wells 66 Nonflowing wells 67 Quality of water ' 68 Irrigation 70 Grouse Creek valley and Pilot Mountain area 71 Topography and geology 71 Precipitation and vegetation 72 CONTENTS. 5 Water supply by areas — Continued. Grouse Creek valley and Pilot Mountain area-- Continued. Page. Streams and springs 72 Wells - 73 Quality of water 73 Ground -water prospects 75 Tooele and Rush valleys 75 Topography and geology 75 Streams and springs 77 Flowing wells 78 Nonflowing wells 78 Ground-water prospects 79 Skull Valley 79 Topography and geology 79 Precipitation 80 Vegetation 8] Streams and springs 82 Ground water 82 Watering places on routes of travel 83 Boxelder County 83 Railway stations and their connections 83 Wagon roads 84 Brigham to Kelton via Promontory 84 Brigham to Kelton via Snowville 84 Kelton to Lucin 84 Kelton to Park Valley, Raft River valley, and Snowville 85 Park Valley to Grouse Creek and Junction Creek 85 Snowville to east and west arms of Curlew Valley, Raft River valley, and Park Valley , 85 Lucin to Wendover and Ibapah 8G Lucin to Grouse Creek 86 Tooele County 86 Railway stations and their connections 80 Wagon roads 86 Index '. 80 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. Plate I. Map of Boxelder County, Utah In pocket. II. Map of eastern part of Tooele County, Utah 76 Figure 1. Map of Utah and a portion of Idaho, showing areas investigated 8 2. Map of Boxelder and Tooele counties, Utah, showing area covered by Lake Bonneville 13 3. Diagram showing fluctuations of water surface of Great Salt Lake. . 15 4. Diagram showing decrease in precipitation in Boxelder County, Utah, from east to west 19 5. Diagram showing annual precipitation at six stations in Boxelder and Tooele counties, Utah 20 6. Diagram showing average monthly precipitation at six stations in Boxelder and Tooele counties, Utah 21 7. Perspective view and diagrammatic cross section of a typical valley, showing relation of alluvial slopes and central fiats to water table. 28 8. Diagram showing relation of precipitation at Grouse Creek and Lucin, Utah 72 9. Diagram showing relation of precipitation at losepa and Government Creek (James ranch), Utah 81 6 GROUND AVATRR IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. By Everett C-arpenter. INTRODUCTION. The area covered by this report iiKdiules Boxelder County, Utah, the eastern part of Tooele C^ounty, Utah, and some small tracts in southern Idaho. It comprises about 9,500 square miles, or more than the combined area of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It lies between 40° and 42° north latitude and 112° and 114° west longi- tude. (See fig. 1.) Insufficient rainfall and the rapid settling of the country have created a demand for an investigation to determine the feasibility of irrigating by the use of underground water. In response to this demand and in order to classify the land under the enlarged home- stead act, the writer made an investigation covering a period of four months dunng the summer and fall of 1911. The greater part of this time was spent in Boxelder County, but two weeks at the close of the season were devoted to a reconnaissance in Tooele, Rush, and Skull valleys, in Tooele County. W. B. Ileroy, of the United States Geological Survey, collected most of the data presented for southern Idaho. PHYSIOGRAPHY. GENERAL FEATURES. The area under consideration lies almost entirely in the Great Basin and includes most of Great Salt Lake. West and southwest of the lake and only a few feet above it stretches a vast, flat, barren alkali tract known as the Great Salt Lake Desert. North and south of the flat and lake are isolated mountain ranges, which trend in a general north-south direction and attain elevations of 8,500 to 9,500 feet above sea level, or 4,300 to 5,300 feet above the level of the lake. These ranges are separated from one another by broad, open struc- tural valleys which ascend gradually from the lake or desert, into which they drain. On the east side of the area the lofty Wasatch Mountains rise precipitously to a height of 9,500 feet above sea level and separate this area from Cache Valley and the eastern plateau . The most pronounced of the larger topographic features are the steep mountahi walls that border some of the valleys, the ])ink and 7 8 GEOUND WATER IK BOXELDER AKD TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. gray colors of the outcropping ledges being plainly visible to the naked eye for miles. These escarpments have evidently been produced Area covered in this report Area covered in Water- Area covered in Water- Supply Paper 277 Supply Paper 217 Area covered inWater- Area cover edinWaAer- Supply Paper 199 Supply Paper 157 Figure 1.— Map of Utah and a portion of Idaho, showing areas investigated. through extensive faulting movements whereby the earth's crust has been broken into great blocks that were upheaved, tilted, and folded. GEOLOGY. y This faulting was probably the most important single factor in the development of the present relief of the region and in the production of the system of more or less parallel mountain ranges and structural valleys. STREAM TOPOGRAPHY. Superimposed on the features resulting from the diastrophic move- ments are tlioso produced by running water. The intermittent and permanent mountaui streams have given rise to two sharply con- trasted types of topography — one the result of erosion and the other of deposition. In their upper courses, where their gradients are steep, the streams erode rapidly and create intricately carved sur- faces, but in their lower courses, where they are more sluggish and their waters arc dissipated by percolation and evaporation, they deposit the sediments which they have taken from the mountains and build gently sloping alluvial fans. LAKE TOPOGRAPHY. The forms produced by faulting and folding and by running water have been modu1.ed by those which have been created by the waves of an ancient lake and which present a bold contrast to the oblique lines produced by stream action. iVlong the mountain sides and on the alluvial slopes are cliffs, terraces, beaches, bars, and spits that could have been produced only by standing water. These shore features were formed at every level at which the lake stood long enough to produce them, but they are most prominent at two hori- zons known as the Bonneville and Provo levels, about 1,100 and 625 feet, respectively, above Salt Lake. The alkali flat or desert which is so prominent in Boxelder and Tooele counties is the floor of the ancient lake. Since the desiccation of the lake the topographic features^have l)een but slightly modified, practically the only changes having been wrought by the stream action that has dissected the upper parts of the alluvial slopes, and in some places by recent laulthig. GEOLOGY. FORMATIONS. The rocks exposed in this region range in age from pre-C'ambrian to Recent. In Boxelder County quartzites, mica-bearing schists, and gneiss, which are probably of pre-Cambrian age, are exposcnl in Promontory, Black Pine, and Raft River mountains. In the northern Wasatch Range Paleozoic formations consisting chiefly of limestone and quartzite but including also shales and snnd- lO GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. stones are well developed, and apparently all the Paleozoic systems are represented. In the section of these mountains studied by Blackwelder ^ the Cambrian system consists of 2,000 to 6,000 feet of limestone, shale, and quartzite separated by an unconformity from an older quartzite, presumably of Algonkian age; the Ordovician, of about 1,500 feet of quartzite and limestone; the Silurian, of about 400 feet of limestone; the Devonian, of about 750 feet of limestone; and the Carboniferous, of about 4,000 feet of limestone, chert, and shale, representing the Mississippian, Pennsylvanian, and Permian series. Paleozoic rocks, consisting chiefly of limestone and quartzite, constitute the greater part of the mountain ranges of Boxelder County, but in several places they have been intruded and partly concealed by eruptive rocks of later age. These rocks were studied prior to 1872 by Hague and Emmons,^ who give a section of Paleozoic rocks consisting mainly of quartzites and limestone and having a thickness of 20,000 to 36,000 feet. In Tooele County the Paleozoic rocks are exposed in the Oquirrh, Onaqui, and Cedar mountains and are in general similar to those in the Wasatch region. In the Oquirrh Mountains limestones, quartz- ites, and sandstone of Cambrian and Carboniferous age are exposed, but the other Paleozoic systems are unrepresented.^ The Paleozoic strata are cut by many dikes of porphyry and monzonite. The Paleozoic rocks m the Tintic mining district,^ somewhat south of the area described in this report, are described as follows: The Paleozoic section in the Tintic Mountains includes 7,000 feet of Cambrian quartzite capped with clay slates and 6,650 feet of limestone with a very few sandy beds, of which the upper 5,150 feet are determined from fossil remains to belong to the Carboniferous. This sequence in the Paleozoic strata is similar to that which has been studied in the Oquirrh Mountains, which form the continuation of this range to the north. In the Oquirrh Mountains, however, the upper p®rtion of the series is much more fully represented, indicating an erosion of many thousand feet of strata in the Tintic Mountains. Mesozoic strata have not been found in these counties, but they are known to occur in the plateau region to the east and their presence in this area also may be revealed when a more detailed study has been made. 1 Blackwelder, Eliot, New light on the geology of the northern Wasatch Range: Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. 21, 1910, pp. 517-542. See also Boutwell, J. M., Geology and ore deposits of the Park City mining district, Utah: Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 77, 1912. Blackwelder, Eliot, Phosphate deposits east of Ogden, Utah: Bull. U. S, Geol. Survey No. 430, 1910, pp. 536-551. Richards, R, W., and Mansfield, G. R., The Bannock overthrust: Jour. Geology, vol. 20, No. 8, Nov .-Dec., 1912, pp. 681-709. 2 Hague, Arnold, and Emmons, S. F., Rept. U. S. Geol. Expl. 40th Par., vol. 2, 1877, p. 340. 3 Emmons, S. F., Keith, Arthur, and Boutwell^ J. M., Economic geology of the Bingham mining district, Utah: Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 38, 1905, p. 33. 4 Tower, G. W., Smith, G. O., and Emmons, S.F., Tintic special folio (No. 65), Geol. Atlas U. S., U. S. Geol. Survey, 190C. GEOLOGY. 11 Thick beds of soft, white, marly limestone, containing abundant fossils of Tertiary age, were found in the Wasatch Range east of Plymouth settlement. They occur high up on the side of the pass and have given rise to great bowlders that have rolled down the mountain side. Heavy beds of conglomerate, limestone, and clays, probably of Tertiary age, are exposed in Park Valley. Sediments consisting chiefly of clay, sandstone, and volcanic ash, and referred to the Pliocene by the King Survey, are exposed in Grouse Creek valley. Stream, lake, and wind deposits, consisting chiefly of unconsoli- dated sands, clays, and gravels, lie beneath the alluvial slopes and desert flats, where they extend to an unknown depth. Coarse stream deposits are found along the mountain borders, and fine sediments, chiefly lake deposits, lie in the central parts of the valleys. Wind deposits, consisting of loose sandy material, are found in Curlew Valley near Holbrook, Idaho, and in a few other localities, but they are not prominent in this region. These unconsolidated sediments, which are collectively known as valley fill, are probably Tertiary, Pleistocene, and Recent in age. They no doubt rest unconformably on the older strata which outcrop in the mountain areas. The follow- ing incomplete log of a well near Farmington furnishes a typical section of the valley fill: ^ Log of the Guffey t(r Galey well, 1 mile southwest of Farmington, Davis County, Utah. Clay and sand, occasional wood Sand and gravel ( Jreenish micaceous sand and gravel Fine gray claj' with fresh-water shells Fresh-water shells Fine sand Coarse gravel, one-half to 1 inch In diameter, from igneous rocks Coarse sand, partly from schists Coarse gravel and fine sand : Angular fine gravel (rreenish cemented gravel and micaceous sand CJreen sand, coarse watorworn gravel, with blackened wood (Jreen sand and rounded gravel Sand and giavel Rounded giavel, quartz sand, occasionally cemented by pyrite. wood fragments. Angular gravel, quartz sand, with pyrite and many bits of wood Brown earthy micaceous sand, possibly some gypsum Angular quartz sand Fine sanely olive-colored clay (ireenish gravel and sand (iravel. quartz, and micaceous sand lirown earthy clay and sand ()li\T-colored clay, sand, and gravel (Ireen clay, fine waterworn gravel Greenish clay Tine quartz sand, with pyrite and mica Brown earthy micaceous sand Pinkish clay and sand Fine sand. ." " Bowlders " Thick- Fcet. 170 30 100 70 Depth. 60 30 30 40 25 90 300 50 50 100 110 15 35 10 20 13 10 20 40 10 5 10 10 20 Feet. 170 200 400 490 500 570 660 730 770 795 900 1.200 1.250 1,300 1.400 1,510 1,525 1,560 1,570 1.590 1.610 1.620 1.760 1,830 1.840 1,845 1,855 1,875 1,895 2.000± J BoutwcU, J. M., Bull. U. S. Geo!. Survey No. 260, 1904, pp. 471-472. 12 GKOUND WATER IN BOXELDEE AND TOOELE COUNTIES^ UTAH. Lava flows, usually associated mth Paleozoic rocks but in some localities in contact with Pleistocene deposits, are found in Hansel, Curlew, and Park valleys. They appear to belong to the Tertiary period. STRUCTURE. Tne larger structural features exhibited in northwestern Utah have been produced mainly by block faulting, a fault scarp being present on one or both sides of most of the mountain ranges. This kind of faulting, which is present in most of the Great Basin, has produced the type of structure known as ^^ basin ranges." The block faulting has been accompanied in many places by folding and thrust faulting, which has rendered the geology very complex. GEOLOGIC HISTORY. PRE-PLEISTOCENE TIME., Rocks contaming marine fossils of Paleozoic age are found in many places over the area described ui this paper, and it is therefore certain that this part of the State was covered by the ocean during at least a part of Paleozoic time. Mesozoic rocks are not known in this area, but are found in the plateau to the east, and it is therefore probable that this part of the basin emerged from the sea before the beginning of the Mesozoic era. Tertiary beds are found in parts of the area, especially in Malad, Curlew, Park, and Grouse Creek vaUeys, and their occurrence shows that the region was at least partly subject to lake or river deposition in the Tertiary period. The diastrophic movements which were instrumental in creating the relief of northwestern Utah probably extended over long periods. They may have had their beginning in the Paleozoic era and perhaps occurred also in the Mesozoic, but the youthful topography and lacustrine history of the region indicate that the present relief was chiefly produced more recently, probably in late Tertiary time. PLEISTOCENE EPOCH. During the Pleistocene epoch western Utah held a great inland sea or lake which has been studied and described by G. K. Gilbert,^ who named it Lake Bonneville, after the man who made the first exploration of the region. (See fig. 2.) When at its highest stage, this ancient lake stood about 1,000 feet above the present level of Great Salt Lake, or approximately 5,200 feet above the present sea level and had a length of 346 miles and a breadth of 145 miles. Its shore line, exclusive of the islands, was 1 Lake Bonneville; Mon. U. S. Geol. Survey, vol. 1, 1890. GEOLOGY. 13 2,550 miles long and inclosed a water surface of 19,750 square miles, or about 9 times the area of Great Salt Lake. Base from General Land Office •nap of Utah Area covered by Lake BoDneviJle Area covered by Great Salt Lake Figure 2.— Map of Boxeldor and Tooele counties, Utah, showing area covered by Lake Fionneville. (After G. K. Gilbert, Mon. U, S. Geol. Sim^ey, vol. 1, 1890.) If Lake Bonneville existed at present, the post ofhccs at Grouse Creek and Park Valley would be near its shore, Kelton, Coiinne, 14 GKOUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. Promontory Point, and Grantsville would stand in nearly 1,000 feet of water, and Old Promontory Station, Tooele, Stockton, and St. John would be covered by about 300 feet of water. The map given in figure 2 shows that at the time the lake stood at its highest level the largest body of mainland in Boxelder County was formed by the Raft River, Grouse Creek, and Goose Creek mountains, and the largest in Tooele County by the Deep Creek Mountains. It also shows that the Upper Promontory, Blue Spring, Oquirrh, and Onaqui mountains were peninsulas and that the Cedar, Lakeside, Pilot, Silver Island, Newfoundland, and Terrace mountains and the southern part of the Promontory Range were large islands. In the humid Pleistocene epoch the waters of the ancient lake rose and fell in a manner not unlike those of the present lake, but through a much wider range. When the lake reached its highest level, which is marked by the Bonneville shore line, it found an outlet at the north end of Cache Valley. The waters discharging through this outlet rapidly cut a channel through the uncemented alluvium, which is here about 375 feet thick and rests on indurated limestone. By this process the lake level was lowered about 375 feet in a comparatively short time. When the limestone was reached, however, the erosion of the outlet proceeded at an exceedingly slow rate, and consequently the lake remained at practically the same level during all the rest of the time that it overflowed, and at this level its waves formed the features of the Provo shore line. When the climate once more became so arid that the quantity of water evaporated from the lake exceeded the quantity poured into it, the lake level fell and the outlet became dry. During the remainder of the life of Lake Bonneville the water level oscillated and shore lines still plainly visible were carved at lower levels. The Bonneville and Provo shore lines, which were originally hori- zontal, are so no longer, a fact which shows that gentle deformation has occurred since they were produced. Recently formed fault scarps near Honeyville lead to the conclusion that faulting is also still in progress in western Utah. RECENT EPOCH. The present lake is but a remnant of Lake Bonneville, which, owing to the aridity of the climate that followed the Pleistocene epoch, was gradually reduced in size and depth until an equilibrium was reached between evaporation and precipitation, resulting in Great Salt Lake. As both precipitation and evaporation are variable, how- ever, the level at which the water stands is not stationary, but has fluctuated through a range of about 16 feet in the last 60 years. During most of the period since 1850 a record of the elevation of the GEOLOGY. 15 GAGE HEIGHT IN FEET CO 1 N3 < » - hi » 6. W. 0> -J 00 \a d ! :^ to M E S :::? :--=" .'.v.-' ^.. ::> ' ,..- :/---■> ,,-- --■• •> -■ , 3 ^..- -^ "^ p f" T-:-> :-^ .--. ■'r -™ ■^ r^ -j ~p> 1- ■§'- i 1 ^... .-:"-• 1^ !> ----- -V.^ V .rrrr-"" (fr ::-^ ^ ^ .3 ^ 9> 7i ,-- :.-> ^ ^ t -.-.:> ?: f ^ ..-_-. -■> -^ fe fF ^ ^ *~" ^!? 5^^ _> 1 c^ ^ r > ^ f — s 0? ^• 3 _l._ "^"~ 51^ -? 5 => ■1- i 1- C/) ^ JS" ^ A. ___,^ ■^^ '"Z ^=> ^:z > .-- — - ,.. li ,^ =5 ,; r-> "" :> :ii> "—-^ , !li;=> =* :=> ^/d-Zi a, i9 -1- ^^ — . ~ r> ■ ^ c r . ^ — ^ ^ 287°— wsp 333—13- 16 GEOUND WATEK IN BOXELDEK AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. water surface has been kept in some form. E.G. LaKue ^ has com- piled these data and plotted them in the diagram shown in figure 3 .(p. 15), which gives a comprehensive idea of the fluctuations. In describing the fluctuations, LaRue says : During the years 1902 to 1905, feeling was general among the leading engineers of the West that Great Salt Lake was gradually drying up and that in a few years the lake would be replaced by a great salt desert. It is now very evident that this appre- hension was unfounded. The accompanying diagram shows the actual lake levels for a period of 61 years, beginning with the year 1850. The lake level appears to rise and fall with a series of wet and dry years. The mean precipitation from 1886 to 1905 was 13.76 inches. The maximum precipitation during this period, 18.09 inches, occurred in 1891; the minimum, 9.37 inches, in 1887. The mean precipita- tion for the period 1906 to 1909, inclusive, was 20.97 inches, the maximum, 23.35 inches, occurring in 1909, and the minimum, 19.36 inches, in 1907. It is very evident that the gradual rise in the lake level from 1906 to 1910 was due to the high mean precipitation of 20.97 inches during this period. With the data available at present it would be impossible to determine to just what extent the diversion of the streams for irrigation has affected the lake levels. * * * The diagram shows that the lake level for April, 1910, was approximately 6 feet above the zero of the gage, and that for a period of 26 years beginning in 1865 the lake stood above 6 feet on the gage, reaching a maximum height of 14.5 feet in 1868. * ^ ^ The Lucin cut-off was completed in 1904. The mean lake level was then approxi- mately —0.5 foot. The bottom of the stringers of the main trestle over Great Salt Lake is 13 .95 feet above the zero of the lake gage . The bottom of the stringers when the cut- off was constructed was therefore approximately 14 J feet above the lake level. Although the Lucin cut-off has been damaged considerably by the rising of the lake, it will in all probability never be abandoned, for should the lake rise another foot or so, it will spread out over an immense flat and afford an enormously increased surface for evaporation, thereby checking the rise of the lake. Owing to the extensive use of the water for irrigation within the Great Salt Lake drainage area, it is reasonable to believe that the lake will never rise above the 8-foot mark again, as it has been well below this stage since the year 1888. CLIMATE. TEMPERATURE. The temperature of this region is not excessively high in summer nor excessively low in winter, but it varies daily through a wide range. The following table gives the summarized data in regard to the temperature and frosts : Temperatures {°F.)in northwestern Utah. Place. Length record. January. February. March. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Corinne Years. 40 32 9 60 50 54 -16 -14 -14 26 23 28 67 58 63 -14 -27 -23 30 28 31 76 72 75 -5 1 1 39 Kelton 39 Government Creek . 37 1 LaRue, E. C, Eng. News, vol. 64, July, 1910, p. 261. climate: Temperatures {°F.) in northwestern CTito^— Continued. 17 Place. April. May. June. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. 89 80 80 16 14 9 50 49 46 97 92 86 23 13 21 59 58 52 105 106 99 29 36 28 68 Kelton 69 62 Place. July. August. September. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. 109 114 101 38 37 34 77 74 73 110 107 102 31 34 39 70 74 71 101 94 94 23 20 23 61 Kelton 61 Government Creek 61 Place. Corinno Kelton Government Creek. October. Max. Min. Mean November. Max. Min. Mean December. Max. Min. Mean Annual. Max. Min. Mean 110 114 105 -16 -27 -22 50.5 49.2 48.8 Frost in northwestern Utah . Place. Length record (years). Average date of first killing frost in autumn. Average date of last killing frost in spring. Earliest date of killing frost in autumn. Latest dateof killing frost in spring. Corinne . 19 32 9 Oct 4 May 16.. Mays... May 24.. Sept. 16 Sept.9 Sept. 12 June 7 Kelton do Sept. 30 May 17. June 23 Government Creek PRECIPITATION. RECORDS. Rainfall observations have been made for a number of years at Corinne, Promontory, Kelton, Snowville, Tooele, and Government Creek, and more recently at Lucin, Grouse Creek, Midlake, and losepa. The following table summarizes the raiafall data of these stations. Precipitation {in inches) in northwestern Utah. Boxelder County. Tooele County. Year. Promon- tory. Kelton. Corinne. Lucin. Grouse Creek. Snow- ville. Tooele. Govern- i ment loscpa. Creek, i 1870 1 1 1871 8.82 3.87 14.38 10.92 16.20 12.01 1 1872 1873 7.91 1874 18 GROUND WATER IN .BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. Precipitation {in inches) in northwestern Utah — Continued. Boxelder County. Tooele County, Year. Promon- tory. Kelton. Corinne. Lucin. Grouse Creek. Snow- ville. Tooele. Govern- ment Creek. lose pa. 1875 1876 9.66 5.41 8.84 7.50 8.02 12.94 8.74 10.01 18.95 16.54 11.78 7.31 11.90 14.56 11.35 17.79 14.62 12.61 9.76 7.45 10.00 11.19 8.50 10.87 11.53 15.16 13.10 14.27 12.76 11.70 22.35 16.78 18.98 21.70 10.00 12.59 1877 6.98 12.08 7.54 3.30 5.24 8.18 6.74 14.67 8.88 5.70 1878 1879 4.07 2.21 4.69 3.12 3.75 13.44 1880 1881 1882. .. 1883 1884 1885 1886 7.13 5.12 6.95 7.23 6.73 14.48 6.39 4.22 8.88 1.46 6.34 1887.. .- 1888 1889 4.33 4.70 14.27 11.40 11.70 11.87 5.95 7.37 9.58 5.47 6.31 6.34 6.03 5.28 1890 1891 15.11 1892 1893 10.96 11.81 8.42 14.28 10.05 7.80 10.56 7.92 9.44 9.51 9.65 14.50 12.01 17.04 14.03 12.02 1894 1895 1896 1897 14.49 18.25 14.87 12.31 14.19 10.12 12.03 18.13 14.94 20.31 17.65 23.50 22.97 11.14 12.26 1898 4.65 3.70 4.85 3.35 3.08 5.48 10.95 8.23 9.44 10.56 6.76 11.20 4.49 5.75 1899 1900 1901 15.01 10.18 9.41 15.37 13.61 18.09 16.28 17.04 17.91 7.53 8.42 1902 1903 1904 3.25 1905 ]906 1907 ]908 8.28 22.28 5.92 8.94 1909 3.82 2.80 5.65 1910 1911.. 10.99 9.85 8.25 6.37 12.50 4.09 9.80 15. 74 11.53 The average annual precipitation is 12.50 inches at Corinne, 8.25 Inches at Promontory, 6.37 inches at Kelton, 11.47 inches at Snow- ville, and 4.09 inches at Lucin. These averages indicate a gradual westward decrease in precipitation (fig. 4) . They are perhaps conclu- sive for the plains on which the stations are maintained, but they are not representative of the mountain areas. The luxuriant growth of timber on the Grouse Creek, Raft River, Black Pine, and Pilot Moun- tains indicate that considerable moisture is precipitated in the western parts of these counties, although at great altitudes. ANNUAL VARIATION. The rainfall at any given station varies from year to year within wide limits. The recorded range in annual precipitation is between 22.35 and 5.41 inches at Corinne, between 22.28 and 3.25 inches at Promontory, 14.48 and 2.21 inches at Kelton, 17.04 and 7.80 inches at Snowville, 23.50 and 10.12 inches at Tooele, and 18.09 and 7.53 inches at Government Creek. These variations are regional rather than local, there being in general an agreement between the curves of the different stations. Thus in 1884 and 1891 and in each year CLIMATE. 19 from 1904 to 1908, inclusive, the precipitation was above t]ie average at all stations where records were kept, and hi 1879, 1880, 1882, 1883, 1887, 1895, and 1910 it was below the average at all stations. These annual variations are shown graphically in figure 5 (p. 20), which represents the rainfall by years since the installation of weather stations at the several points. Heavy rains may, however, fall in one locality when it is dry at others. In 1908 the rainfall at Tooele was above the average, although at the other stations it was below the averao^e. 4. / / / / / / ^ I Miles •30] 22 Miles -2 Figure 4.- Diagram showing decrease in precipitation in Boxelcler County, L'Lah, from east to west. SEASONAL VARIATION. The average monthly rainfall is greatest in March, April, and May, and least in June, July, and August. The spring rahis are in general heavier than those occurring in the fall. (See fig. 6, p. 21.) Average monthly rainfall at nine stations in Boxelder and Tooele counties, Utah. station. Corirme l^romontory Snowville Keiton Lucin Grouse Creek Tooele Government Creek (James ranch) Length of record. Years 42 42 20 34 :\ 1 Years covered. 1S70-1911 1870-19 11 1S9O-1909 1S78-1911 1909-1911 1911 1896-1911 1900-1911 1911 1.67 .96 1.31 1.99 1.29 1.17 1.23 1.44 1.21 1.38 .76 1.61 .50 .04 .33 2.05 2.14 1.40 1.08 .71 1.14 .66 .03 .62 1.59 1.27 .61 45 0.58 94 .20 52 . 65 831 .39 261 . 46 ""' 2. 17 .70 2.31 0.44 .38 .3 .36 .05 .57 .65 .57 .57 0.59 .69 .38 .22 .07 .00 .90 1.19 .00 0.68 .59 .50 .45 .23 1.40 1.04 .87 1.06 1.02 .65 1.02 .45 .32 .36 1.25 .47 1.55 .94 1.14 .74 .65 .681 l.tW 1.45! 1.02 1.17 .94 .65 1.31 20 GKOUND WATEK IN" BOXELDEE AND TOOELE COUNTIES^ tTTAH. e . . ANNUAL PRECIPITATION IN INCHES , ^ E ' ?S 53 g 1871 -^ •--. --.. ^ -^_ ^- ^ .-^ 1875 r-Ho ^lot 'X.. X y. V" ./ ..-^ -""' A •-^ •<: ■^'■' ~~~~ L ^ One - ^c HVW f-'/e. -^ \ ^.— •''■ ^""^ -- '.•^'^ -^ ^^ f^^ - / . feJ ^- ^--- 1900 \ i ■^■^ ••-•■ \ ^' ^ /' '^s -^ "-^ _________ / i =«^^ ^■ '^ ^ --.. L y Goy, \ \ ■••---. -^ \ cnTrj inF :5| t —-. ____ * •■< ^. ^ ..-^ --^ -- .^^ fe.. iiSt:; 5e!: ==^ — <^$ .-'•'' ^•■' ^ .--^ ^■• ^' ,y'' V ^^ ^ — , -- -^ __ "■■-- -.^ -..^ :;.;■ - — -z^ :o:t qnt Q£y -^ ::^ ^i>^r. / _.. -" "1 . = ^iq s^ ss ^ s?= ===S: S5« 19U ■'"■ V. "^ :^ S^_ VEGETATION. 21 RELATION OF llAINFALl. TO DRY FARMING. In former years the farmers relied almost wholly on irrigation, but of late they have made extensive attempts to raise crops by dry- farm methods. More especially is this true in Curlew, Pocatello, Blue Spring, and Rush valleys, where dry farming has been undertaken on a large scale. These attempts have been fairly successful, but their success is proportional to the rainfall, which is in general greatest in the eastern part of the region and decreases westward. The records of the western stations are too short to warrant any definite state- ment as to the amount of rainfall in the western part or to suggest how far west dry farming can be made successful. The wet period, extending from 1904 to 1909, has been favorable to dry-farming oper- ations, but considerable grain was also raised without irrigation in 1911, which appears to have been a year of nearly normal precipita- tion. 3 (I) t> < >i; mS g'2 o O C3 o ^3^f.i CO r^ +J is-^^pi .a t-.S o C3 O C3 O 2 ^^-B y j2 *-= o fc- o Odd d .'O'C! -o ^ : : : :88 > r-ICO •§.'in9ip8j3uT 3ui rajoj- dyeos paiBuiiisa 000 10 CO lO ■ ult-' ►- ^ ^ :d >i ^f^^ '^ ;z; ,— , CO fe Pi I H >■ tf ^ tf ^' K ^*fS 'Tpi I tf > tf Ob -^. \^^- II d ® •giduiBS JO jaqran^ .HTt<«Ot^00 46 ^ fts pq ^ ^ o o , o 6 6 ^ C ' ^ ' o CO do o - d 11^ o 1 1 u 1 1 u 1 o 1 1 1 O 1 1 1 coco 1 1 1 a 1 V 1 02 1 C3 rll (S C3 c C3 o: K 03 03 C3 03 03 ,°^ (3 ^ :? ;z; ^5 !z; 52 !z; Iz ^ ^ ^'^ 'i^l^ !<^ Iz ;< ;z; ^ Min- eral con- tent. ^ ^ ^l§ ^4§ c ^ ifii ii c ^ ■§■ i .i w :^'' ■ »w > iiW ^' ^ :pq ft l3>.v.Srt c u T-1 c d g d d 6 6 C c : rA b4 !=* -e 5 "Si; .2 ^ x: § C3 'C 'O T3XJ n3T3 -c ■r ^ 03 o »o -■coco 00 c^ o rH 05 Al ka] CO effi cien ^- - (N -^ -^ (N COtH (NC^ (M (^ «j ^ C^ Qual- ity for do- mes- tic use. ^ c •ti ^: § C c -d d d o.i^* C c d c b o -■c 03 o •C ■r Q 'O'cJ SM -c t: o o Ph h f^ Ph o : ; PhPm ; Ph Ph Qual- ity for boiler use. 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High. § §§§'§!§ i :i S«8^ K w w W SS3W M w haU i "^ g g s ^ ■^^ § s &-'^,^-^ p^ Ph fM ;^ Ph PM p^ p-l Pm p^ P5 Ph Ph •-< -w .o 00 r- CO .i3 ■■cr ^_( Al kal co- cien ^c4 1-5 Tl? 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P5 1 ) 1 1 C 1 E c 1 c a. j I— 8 o 5 S S a S § § 1 5 i 1 3 1 g S 588 S.^ °g-5 t- oio-; oo6 ■" te a> ca goP.0 Oft a •^1 Til i*3 t^lO 5 bt> <^ o Size of motor (horse- power). V- W) o.g -c : t 14 4 ^^ ^H : '^ '. ^ a>co«3 •rJ=) Vo :S| .^ ;>h'^ 02 1 • ■ . , 1 B. }^ W ; ci S l1 3-3 e 1 o •2 ^af' >..g >,^ T3 c -t3^-cS-3 ^ o .a .E: PI H q3 ^1f fe 82ago M^ tl >pq ^•^£? s sss S ^ '-<'-' ^ 1 lO OJt>. f § s ^^ EH ^d oc CD5O00 CD i! 1 o o 5^ ^^ lOOOO ■^ t^ (NCO b; P "o ,ffi s§? 5 11 1 ■ ; o w) :«M i e :'s^ a ; h:i f . -s^ll it-§ •c a^^-c • 1 n pq : ; ; ^; a •§ : o O c 03 (D W O 1 ■3 > ^ 1 y 1 1 50 GEOUND WATER IN BOXELDEE AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. The power for operating the pumps is obtained from the municipal electric lighting plant and costs a flat rate of $2 per horsepower per month. IRRIGATION. Over a large part of lower Bear Eiver valley ground water is at shallow depths, but the land on which it is found is already well irrigated with surface water. Near Brigham and Willard, where fruit is the principal crop and where power is cheap, water can be lifted a greater distance than at other places. Less water is needed for an orchard than for most field crops, and the value of the fruit permits a greater cost in irrigating. In this locality the discharge from Boxelder and Willard creeks can perhaps be made to do double duty by using the stream water on the higher parts of the alluvial slopes and pumping the underflow on the lower land where the water level is nearer the surface than it is close to the moimtaias. In Malad Valley and adjacent parts of lower Bear River valley the water table is in many places shallow enough to permit pumping for irrigation, but there is probably not sufficient water available to irrigate large areas. At Plymouth, although water for general irriga- tion can probably not be obtained, it is thought that sufficient water can be developed by pumping to irrigate gardens and orchards. Wells of large diameter should be dug to the first water-bearing strata, and smaller holes should be drilled in the bottom of these wells to the deeper water-bearing beds. The water that is found in the lower strata is generally under sufficient pressure to rise to the level of the first water. BLUE SPRING AND POCATELLO VALLEYS. TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY. Blue Sprmg and Pocatello valleys are bounded on the east by the Blue Spring Hills, which have been described in connection with lower Bear and Malad River valleys (p. 37), and on the west by the Promontory Range, which separates them from Hansel and Curlew valleys. (See PL I, in pocket.) The Promontory Range is about 70 miles long and from 1 to 10 miles wide. Its highest peaks reach an elevation of about 7,000 feet above sea level, but in a few places the range descends to form low passes. The geology of the north end of Promontory Range has not been studied, but at the south end limestone, quartzite, schist,^ and slate, ranging in age from pre-Cambrian to Carboniferous, are found. The strata dip to the west at a low angle, but are exposed on both sides of the range by faults. 1 Hague, Arnold, Kept. U. S. Geol. Expl. 40th Par., vol. 2, 1877, pp. 420-429, BLUE SPRING AND POCATELLO VALLEYS. 51 The area between these two mountain ranges is a structural trough separated into two drainage basins by a divide near the Utah-Idaho State hne. Pocatello Valley occupies the area north of the divide and Blue Spring Valley the area south of it. At Kolmar station, on the old line of the Southern Pacific Railroad, the two ranges come almost together and form a highland through which Blue Spring Creek has cut a canyon. A belt of lowland extends southward from this station along the west side of Bear River Bay to Promontory Point. Pocatello Valley is an almost flat-bottomed basin. It is about 12 miles long and 7 miles wide and has but slight alluvial slopes. During wet periods the water collects over about 2 square miles in the central flat, but there is no other surface water in the valley. According to the well records, the unconsolidated sediments are mostly red clay and extend to a depth of more than 500 feet. The vertical range between the north end of Blue Spring Valley and Great Salt Lake is about 1,000 feet. This valley has high alluvial slopes, and the valley fill is coarser than that in Pocatello Valley. A few isolated bedrock hills project through the unconsoli- dated sediments, notably in the southern part. The largest one is just east of Howell; two others at the south end of the swampy tract below this settlement appear to form an underground dam across the valley which checks the underflow and produces a swamp. The area between the railroad and lake is alkaline and swampy and unfit for agriculture, but the land on the alluvial slopes west of the swampy tract and the bay is well adapted to farming and will perhaps be developed into a center for the fruit mdustry. During the Pleistocene epoch, when Lake Bonneville occupied tliis part of Boxelder County, the south end of the Blue Spring Hills, the Promontory Range south of the old line of the railroad, and the large hill west of Kolmar were islands and the remaining portions of the mountains bordering on these valleys were peninsulas. The divide that separates the trough into two drainage basins was at or very near the surface of the water and formed a barrier to the action of waves set in motion by the south winds. The waters in Pocatello Valley were thus much quieter than those in Blue Spring Valley, and the shore features were consequently less distinctly carved. The character of the sediments also indicates that the waters in the northern part of the trough were less disturbed than those in the southern part. In the former red clay comprises most of the valley fill, but in the latter sand and gravel are abundant. DEVELOPMENT. For a time after the settlement of this portion of Utah the lands in these valleys were used only for grazing, but since the develop- 52 GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. ment of dry-farming methods and the passage of the enlarged- homestead act they have been rapidly settled and now give promise of becoming an important grain-producing region. Houses have been built and wells suAk, and every attempt has been made to make these valleys suitable for habitation. Pocatello Valley, which has been settled longest, already produces valuable crops of wheat and barley, and Blue Spring Valley, although less developed, will doubtless also yield good crops. SPRINGS AND STREAMS. Blue spring Creek, which rises at the spring of that name, is the only stream in either of these valleys. It formerly flowed into Great Salt Lake but is now diverted for irrigation. The Promontory Curlew Land Co. has recently constructed a reservoir on this stream (sec. 6, T. 12 N., K. 5 W.), from which about 3,000 acres of land are to be irrigated by utilizing the water of these springs and the flood water that formerly ran to waste. Hillside Spring, southeast of Howell, forms a part of the supply for that settlement. There is one small spring at the base of the slope southeast of Bond, Idaho, in Pocatello Valley, and the water from another spring has been piped from the mountains to Bond for domestic supply. Along the foot of the slope bordering the Promontory Range south of Kolmar station seepage springs exist in great number. Some are potable and are used for irrigation, but most of them are too salty and are on land that is too low and swampy to be farmed. The Southern Pacific Co. has obtained an abundant supply for locomotives at Promontory Point by driving a 1,400-foot tunnel into the mountain in sec. 15, T. 6. N., R. 5 W. GROUND WATER. In Pocatello Valley the water table lies some distance below the surface. The wells range in depth from 165 to 500 feet, but the depth at which the water stands in most of the wells was not ascertained. In some of the weUs the water is reported to have risen 150 feet, but in others it rose only a few feet above the water-bearing strata. The weUs are all drilled and cased, the casing commonly being 4 inches in diameter. So far as could be determined the wells all end in the unconsolidated sediments, the strata encountered in drilling being chiefly red clay and gravel. Most of the wells in Pocatello Valley furnish enough water for farm use, but one or two yield only a few barrels a day. Near the south end of Blue Spring Valley the water table is near the surface, but toward the mountains and toward the north end it becomes deeper. The water table has the same general shape as the BLUE SPRING AND POCATELLO VALLEYS. 53 land surface, but it rises toward the mountains and the upper end of the valley less rapidly than the surface. Most of the wells are drilled, but a few are dug in the vicinity of Howell, where the water is found nearer the surface. One or two of the wells in the north end of Blue Spring Valley have encountered lava, but this fact should not be dis- couraging as water may be found in crevices in the lava or in gravel beds beneath it. Most of the wells furnish an abundant supply of water for house and stock use, but the supply in a few is small. QUALITY OF WATER. In the nine samples assayed from these valleys the average content of chlorine is 295 parts per million. Hardness ranged from 160 to 240, bicarbonates from 215 to 530, and sulphates from less than 30 to 275. The waters are generally poor for use in boilers, numbers 150 to 157 needing treatment for scale-forming ingredients and numbers 150, 152, 154, 158, and 159 being rather high in foaming ingredients. The wells in Blue Spring Valley yield water that is fair for domestic supplies and for irrigation, but those examined in Pocatello Valley are poor. The waters are somewhat salty and generally high in mineral content. 54 GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES^ UTAH, i s s ^^ n ^ « Qual- ity for irriga- tion. i ^; 1 1 i ^! (5 O ^3 •(it) :ju8ioiuaooTiB2[iv o 1>^ 03 03 r^ Qual- ity for do- mes- tic use. ^ i o 1 1 i 1 o •S'^naipajS •s^ueipajSut 3ui -in.Toj-gi'Bos paiBuit^sa -[OS o'spi paApssfp IB^ox •(to) QHTJomo •(^OS) apTpBJ e^Biidins •(«O0H) apip'GJ ei'Bttoq.reoia: '(^00) 9 I I p 'B J e^'Buogj^o •(^00^0) •(:a+BN) ramssBiod puB ranipog •(3j(i+'Bo) uinis -eng'Bni pu^ uinpiBO •jai^BM^ 0^ ^'^d^a •liaAVjoiwdaa ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ o o o o o o o 5 g 5 > M : : : ^ W : > w > W fq Ph pq (M (M .4, the surface, but the well was not cased and was consequently ruined by caving. A well dug on the Showell ranch to a depth of 60 feet obtained water that rose to the 50-foot level, but another well 90 feet deep and less than a quarter of a mile away stopped in lava without obtaining water. A weU was dug by J. H. Meekum at Cedar Store, in sec. 12, T. 14 N., R. 12 W., to a depth of 85 feet, where water was obtained. The Baker well in sec. 8, T. 12 N., R. 8 W., which is reported to have been dug to a depth of 92 feet and to have passed through 52 feet of lava, obtained a good supply of water. (See PI. I, in pocket.) Many of the failures in sinking for ground water in this valley have been due to the half-hearted attempts that were made. At probably no place in the valley is it impossible to obtain water, except in the areas close to the mountains or near outcropping ledges of rock. Even in localities where lava has been encountered water can perhaps be found either in cracks in the lava itself or in porous beds beneath it. More success could be had in driUing by Using heavier machinery equipped for passing to considerable depths through aU kinds of material. The type commonly known as the churn driU is well adapted for use in this vaUey. The base of the slopes east of the Black Pine and Raft River Mountains are promising localities for future development. Water of good quality will probably be obtained in those localities and it is not unlikely that a sufficient quantity for considerable irrigation can be recovered. Water will probably be found (at greater depth) in the broad area between Snowville and Cedar Store and also south of the isolated hills, but it may be of inferior quality. QUALITY OF WATER. The ground water in this vaUey is somewhat high in its content of chlorine, the assays showing amounts ranging from 110 to 910 parts per million. Bicarbonates and hardening constituents are not excessive and only one sample showed a high content of sulphate. The water from Pilot Spring and that from the artesian weUs at Kelton each had 40 parts and that at Snowville 10 parts per miUion of normal carbonates. The following table gives the results of 8 assays of water. Three of the waters are fair for boiler use and the same number for domestic use. Only one sample is classified as good for irrigation, but it is thought that several of the others may be applied to land that has good underdrainage. CUKLEW VALLEY. 63 3 o Chem- ical charac- ter. c 1 ci C 1 1 do o 1 1 1 C3 C3 C €6 c 1 1 1 a a c '^8 Moderate.. High Very high. High do.... do do do Quali- ty for irriga- tion. G ood . Poor . ...do.. ...do.. ...do.. ...do.. ...do.. ...do.. •^uaioujeoD \\vy[,\\ C^ CO "0 C5 I- O X Koo ^' ^ CO co' .-i co" 7-^ Quali- ty for do- mestic use. Fair.. ...do.. Poor. Fair.. ...do.. Poor. Fair.. Poor. Quality for ' boiler use. ^ S -U '^ S -^ '^ -ti <:3 '^ c3 <^ 'Oc303 c3 pq : Ph PH ; Ph pq f^ Prob- abili- ty of cor- ro- sion. ■ d d d d : d •ffjuaTp -aj3ut 2u]uiT30j pa;TJuii;s5[ 720 1,000 300 650 540 470 720 160 •sjuaipaaSut 2u]uiJ0j-a I v'o 8 p3it!uipsa 8S^S ^ S S S B-spiios \%i^OJ, 500 1,040 2,440 1,000 930 1,700 1,500 1,500 •(10) auuomo 2 ^ 2 S ^ S R 1^ .-H ^ en CO CO CD ^ t- ■(^OS) spiP^J 9;T3qding o •- o o lO lo lo y CO ^ CO CO --^^S C^OOH) 9PIP^-i 91^uoqro'oi£i ,-HMCOCO COCOIN rH ■(^00) 9l0ipt3J a^BuoqjBO oooo ooo o ■^00«0 SX3 SS9UpjBll I'G'iOJi, ^^;^^ ^^^ - uiniss^iod put} uinipog S g 8 § § g R ^ (M C33 CO (M CD T}< CD luiiisauSBiu put? uiniDiBo 1 g ^ s g s 1 '<^ •jo;t!A\ o\ qidaci ^ t- Ci :■ §^ •IpAvjo indea ^ ?^ Z. o 2 S 1 1 C P 02 C b 1 CO Dug well — do Drilled well . do Dug well Drilled well . 1 ::|2«" -^hS;^^' o Snowville water- works. Richard Allen.... Lorenzo Hurd A. P. Peterson... George Showell... Stone & Paine. . . •9lduics JO -osi O s C>< CO T" >o s s 1 64 GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. IRRIGATION WITH GROUND WATER. So far as can be determined from the present ground-water devel- opment, it will not be advisable to attempt extensive irrigation over most of this valley. It may be found feasible to irrigate with well water a strip bordering the Promontory Range in the eastern arm in the area where the water table lies less than 50 feet below the surface. Future development may also prove that the slopes east of the Black Pine Mountains contain sufficient water for irrigation, but the supply can be determined only by drilling. Water can be lifted a greater distance for irrigating orchards and gardens than for most field crops. It will probably be possible, therefore, to employ pumps over a large part of the eastern arm in the intensive cultivation of small tracts that will be remunerative and will make life on the dry farms more pleasant. PARK VALLEY. TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY. Park Valley is a broad, irregular-shaped plain about 30 miles long in an east-west direction and about 10 miles wide. It slopes south- ward from the foot of the Raft River Mountains at the rate of about 150 feet to the mile. The low divide in the southwestern part of the valley separates the drainage into two basins; the water from the Raft River Mountains passes into Dove Creek but most of that from the Grouse Creek Mountains is discharged through Muddy Creek. The Raft River Mountains, which attain an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet above sea level and more than 4,000 feet above the lowest part of the valley, form the north boundary of the valley. These mountains constitute a large anticline the southern flank of which dips about 25° S. and projects beneath the valley. The rocks exposed are mainly of early Paleozoic age. They consist chiefly of white quartzites and micaceous schists, but limestones are found along the foothills and in the pass leading to Junction Creek. The Grouse Creek Mountains, which limit the valley on the west, contain strata that are similar to those exposed in the Raft River Mountains but that dip toward the west and form a steep scarp slope on the east. Granite forms the core of the southern part of the range,^ where it outcrops over an area 10 to 12 miles long and 6 to 8 miles wide. At the south end the granite is covered by beds of lime- stone which were referred by Hague to the ''Lower Coal Measures." The western slope of the range is covered high up on the flank by heavy beds of fine, white pumiceous sands, loose sandstone, and fine conglomerates which have been referred to the Pliocene. 1 Hague, Arnold, Kept. U. S. Geol. Expl. 40th Par., vol. 2, 1877, p. 428. PARK VALLEY. 65 The region lying between Park Valley and Great Salt Lake Desert contains a group of irregular hills which at but few points rise above the level of the Bonneville shore line. They are composed in large part of gray limestones intruded by lava and partly concealed by lava and lake sediments. Southeast of these hills, along the west side of the lake, the Terrace Mountains attain an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet above the sea, or about 2,700 feet above the present lake level. They are composed chiefly of limestones which have a gentle northwest dip. The eastern margin of the valley is formed by an abrupt break in the topography, known as the Kelton escarpment, which probably marks the position of an ancient fault. This eastward-facing scarp is capped by a thick bed of lava that appears to extend westward beneath the Tertiary and Quaternary sediments. Park Valley is underlain by Tertiary and Quaternary beds. When Lake Bonneville stood at its highest level its waters covered only a part of the valley (fig. 2, p. 13), and the Quaternary beds are therefore partly stream deposits and partly lake deposits. Above the shore line the beds consist largely of coarse stream-deposited gravel and sand, but below the shore line, along Birch and Dove creeks, they include typical fine-grained lake sediments. The unconsohdated material that underHes the valley is probably thin in most places. The only two deep wells that have been sunk penetrated rock. All of the other wells in the vaUey are shallow and end in the Quaternary beds. Lying below this thin coveriag of Quaternary deposits and in few places appearing at the surface is a series of conglomerates, shale, and soft limestone of probable Tertiary age. A bed of hard yellow conglomerate, 200 feet thick, is exposed on the west bank of Indian Creek, south of the wagon road leading between Showell and Park Valley, and rocks of similar character outcrop on the hiQ in the NW. i sec. 25, T. 13 N., R. 13 W. Thick beds of bluish and yeUowish clays are exposed on Indian Creek a few miles above the wagon road. Fine-grained yeUow Hmestone forms the large hill southwest of Rosette. This limestone was encountered in the weU of James Hirsche in sec. 2, T. 12 N., R. 14 W., and in the well in the SE. J sec. 8, T. 12 N., R. 13 W. It is also exposed in a few places along the streams flowing south from the Raft River Mountains. VEGETATION. Sage brush from 2 to 5 feet in height covers a large area in the northeastern part of the valley, but stunted brown shadscale is the predominant plant over the rest of the region. Greasewood, except for a very few scattered tracts along Bu'ch Creek, is found only as isolated plants. The area between Rosette and Indian Farm con- tains a large number of scattered juniper trees and the mountains 66 GKOUND WATER IN BOXELDER AKD TOOELE COUNTIES^ UTAH. to the north and west are well timbered with pine and cedar. Kain- fall observations have not been made, but the arrangement of the vegetation indicates that the northeastern part of the valley receives a more copious rainfall than other parts of the valley. STREAMS. Park Valley receives the drainage from the mountains on the west and north. The two largest streams are Birch and Dove creeks. They flow continuously in their upper courses, but their waters sink into the loose soil soon after they enter the valley proper. Bii'ch Creek rises in the Grouse Creek Mountains and flows southeastward across the southwestern part of the valley. Dove Creek rises in the pass that leads to Junction Creek and also flows southeastward. Five small but important streams rise in the Raft River Mountains and furnish most of the irrigation supply. Named in order from west to east they are Dry, Pine, Rock, Fisher, and Marble creeks. No permanent streams flow out of the valley, but the flood waters discharge through the channels of Birch and Dove creeks into the desert and lake. These streams flow southeastward to a point near the low hills that form the southern boundary of the valley, where they take an almost due south course through gaps in the hill region. SPRINGS. Springs of the seepage type are found in the northeastern part of the vaUey on the land over which the streams from the Raft River Mountains flow. They are most abundant in the vicinity of the Park VaUey stores and Rosette, where they have been an important factor in the development of the valley. The bed of Bu-ch Creek from the vicinity of Herrington's ranch to the south side of sec. 22, T. 11 N., R. 15 W., is low and swampy (PI. I) and contains numerous small springs. The discharge of the seepage springs throughout the valley varies notably with the season, their yield being greatest in summer and least in winter. This fluctuation shows that the ground water corresponds to the seasonal variation in precipitation. Warm Spring, situated in sec. 20, T. 12 N., R. 15 W., appears to be caused by some geologic structure, its flow, which amounts to about 2 second-feet, being practically constant throughout the year. FLOWING WELLS. Two wells in this valley yield water by artesian pressure. The James Hirsche well, in sec. 2, T. 12 N., R. 14 W., was drilled 205 feet through the Tertiary limestone and is reported to have ended in gravel, where the flow was obtained. At present it yields only about 2 gallons a minute, but the driller reports that when it was com- PARK VALLEY. 67 pleted the water rose about IS inches above the outlet. The Rose- vere well is located in the valley of Dove Creek, on sec. 18, T. 12 N., R. 14 W. It was drilled a number of years ago and very little could be learned in regard to its depth and yield, but it is reported to end in unconsolidated material at a depth of about 50 feet. The water rises to a level 2 feet below the surface and is brought to the surface by means of a trench leading to lower ground. Flows could possibly be obtained from the unconsolidated Quater- nary sediments in certain small areas, as in the shallow water tracts along Birch and Dove creeks, but over most of the region the water from these sediments will not rise to the surface. Even where the water table is near the surface flows can not generally be obtained, because the sediments are too thin and too porous to allow an accumu- lation of water under pressure. The conditions controlling the water in the Tertiary strata have not been thoroughly tested. It is possible that beds of gravel or some other porous material are present beneath the compact limestone which seems to underlie most of the valley and that these beds con- tain water that would rise to the surface or to a level from which it could be profitably pumped. The actual conditions can be deter- mined only by sinking a deep test weU. The cost and uncertainty of such a test would be so great that it could not wisely be made by any one inhabitant of the vaUey, but in view of the remote possibility of obtaining supplies from this source it might not be inadvisable for the community as a whole to make the test. Such a well to have the best chance of success should be located in the lower part of the vaUey, probably near the south line of T. 12 N. NONFLOWING WELLS. The Quaternary deposits in the northeastern part of the valley are saturated with water to a level near the surface, and no difficulty has been experienced by the farmers in this part of the valley in obtaining ground-water supplies. Differing from most debris-filled valleys, the water table is found nearest the surface at the foot of the mountains and deepest in the lowest part of the vaUey, the depth to water rang- ing from 8 to 56 feet in the wells that have been sunk. Only a few successful wells have been obtained west of the Rosevere ranch, which is situated in sec. 18, T. 12 N., R. 14 W. Two wells have b{^en dug near the channel of Bircli Creek, at the Hyland ranch, in sec. 16, T. 11 N., R. 15 W. The indurated strata come near the surface at the west side of T. 11 N., R. 15 W., and seem to form an underground dam which lias impounded the water and caused it to overflow in the channel of Birch Creek. Good wells can probably be obtained over a small area lying west of that locality along the base of the alluvial slopes. 68 GKOUND WATER IK BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. The water level of the wells of Park Valley undergoes a seasonal fluctuation corresponding to the fluctuation in the flow of the springs, the level being highest in summer and lowest in winter. QUALITY OF WATER. The ground waters in Park Valley are good for domestic use. In the samples tested chlorides ranged from 60 to 355 parts per million, total hardness from 90 to 215 parts, bicarbonates from 45 to 385 parts, and sulphates from less than 30 to 110 parts. The water from Hirsche's flowing well contains 75 parts per million of normal car- bonates, from which the other waters were free. The waters were generally bad for boiler use and are classified as poor for irrigation. It is believed that the waters may be used for irrigation, as the ground is porous and has free drainage, but great care would have to be exer- cised to prevent undue accumulation of alkali. PARK VALLEY. 69 1 I ?5 03 , o 1 12^ Na-Cl Na-Cl Na-COg O 03 1 ;S o o A i Is ?^8 15 : S 4 4 4 : ^ ^ 1 Qual- ity for irriga- tion. O o o o o X3 -O -O ^ -§ ■§ 1 i O P. •luaioiuaoo hbjiiv ■«»< -ir 00 (N -^ «0 CO .-1 «o (N CO W f^ 1 ffl § i Ph P5 Prob- abn- cor- ro- sion. 6 6 ^ :^^ J?: ^ q /5 g £ d d •SlU8ip9j3 -m SuToiBoj paiBUinsa s § § i o o i ^ ■siu8ip8j3m 3ui -nuoj-aiBOS pai'euiiisa i s ^ g i S 8 1 § D-spnos itj^oj. o 4! o o o o 8 S i i ■'^OOBJ SB sseupj^H K K g § K i i c3 "^ •(10) ouTJomo S ^ ^ ^ CO i-H 8 2 S s g •(^os) ^ a I I p B J Qi^qdins ^ Ih "^ ■* S' , £ ^ S £ •C^OOH) opipBi eiBuoqjBOig o O O It? CO 1-H §' 1 lo o CO CO •(^00) 8 f 1 p B J eiBUoqjBO ° <=,<=> u^ c o o s ■= -SBiod pue xnnipos 1 ^ ^ 2 c5 o ■(2H+B0) DUinis -9u3bui puB ranpiBQ g g § J§ g s g t^ 00 •jaiBAv 01 qidaci e: 1.2 : S^i ^ s? •lieAVjoqidaa e; 05 »o lO • CO ^5 g 1 6i C o o ! H-1 pi E- 1 a :^'oo.8h °^°^ si o 1 1 1 R f^ W § s 1 p. w ►? "^ 1 . Pi H 9 1 o ^' 1 5 c il •oo iMiles TOOELE AND RUSH VALLEYS. 77 strata project northward from the Tintic Mountains. About a mile south of Dunbar siding the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad excavated a cut through these hQls, where the follo^\dng section is revealed: Section near Dunbar siding. Feet. Disintegrated material, soil, and clay 10 Coarse material 6 Unconformity. Clay or shale 15 Fine-grained siliceous sand 55 Massive limestone 150 The strata below the unconformity dip 37° W. Lake Bonneville occupied only the lower part of this valley, the shore line passing near Stockton, St. John, and Clover and extending within about 10 miles of Vernon. The lake sediments are therefore confined to the lowest levels, the greater part of the slopes consisting entirely of stream deposits. The unconsolidated sediments extend to a depth of more than 1,000 feet, as is shown by the deep well at Clover, which was sunk to that depth. STREAMS AND SPRINGS. The lofty mountains surrounding these valleys give rise to a number of streams that have been of great influence in the development of the region, the agricultural settlements of Tooele, GrantsvUle, Stockton, St. John, Clover, and Vernon owing their existence to them. (See PL II.) Pine and Dry creeks, which issue from the Oquirrh Moun- tains, furnish the domestic and irrigation supplies of Tooele. North and South Willow creeks, which head in the Onaqui Mountains, are led to the town of Grantsville, where their waters are used for irri- gation. Soldier and Ophir creeks rise in the southern part of the Oquirrh Mountains and discharge into Rush VaUey, Soldier Creek being used for domestic and irrigation supplies at Stockton, and Ophir Creek, which has a flow of about 3 second-feet, being used on the Johnson ranch below the mouth of the canyon. Clover Creek, which rises in Reynolds Pass in the Onaqui Mountains and has a discharge ranging from 14 second-feet in the spring to 3^ second-feet in the fall, supplies water to about 600 acres of land in Clover and St. John. Vernon Creek, which rises in the Tintic Moun tarns, is used in irrigating about 800 acres along its channel near the town of Vernon. In October, 1911, this stream had a flow of about 5 second- feet. Some of the springs in the mountains increase the flow of the streams and hence contribute to the irrigation supphes, but many of them do not reach any stream and are useful chiefly as watering places for prospectors and for the stock that grazes in the mountains. There are 78 GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. two springs in Tooele Valley near Erda, at the foot of the slopes border- ing the Oquirrh Mountains, and a number of springs are present in the south end of Kush Valley near Vernon and Lof green. All these valley springs furnish small irrigation supplies. FLOWING WELLS. Tooele Valley contains two distinct areas of flowing wells — one near Erda covering about 5 square miles, and the other at Grantsville cover- ing about 2 square miles (Ph II) . The Erda area lies at the foot of the alluvial slopes and extends about 2 J miles west into the flat. In this area numerous wells ranging in general from 2 to 4 inches in diameter and from 80 to 300 feet m depth have been drilled, flows being obtained at several horizons. The natural yield of these wells ranges from a very few gallons to 40 or 50 gallons a minute, the deeper beds yielding more than those near the surface. Better yields are also found near the base of the slopes than farther west. The artesian beds are apparently fed by the streams that issue from the mountains back of Tooele and con- tribute water to the underground reservoirs where they cross the gravelly alluvial slopes. In the Grantsville area there are also many 2 to 4 iQch wells obtaining artesian water from sand and gravel beds between 90 and 434 feet below the surface. In general the deeper beds yield more freely than those near the surface. The wells in both areas have been allowed to flow continuously since their completion, with the result that their yield has greatly dimiaished. In Kush Valley five wells have been drilled in which the water rises practically to the surface. A well on the farm of Eli Morgan, in the NW. i sec. 9, T. 5 S., R. 5 W., flows about 1 gallon a minute. In the wells drilled on the farms of David Russell, in the SW. J sec. 9, T. 5 S., R. 5 W., and A. J. Stookey, in sec. 32, T. 5 S., R. 5 W., the water rose to the surface but would not flow. Two flowing wells near Vernon are about 140 feet deep and yield about 13 gallons a minute each. NONFLOWING WELLS. Very few wells have been put down in Tooele Valley outside of the artesian tracts, the inhabitants being largely congregated in settle- ments where they use water derived from the mountain streams. A few successful nonflowing wells have, however, been dug along the base of the slopes north of Erda. It would appear from the reports of settlers that it is impossible to obtain ground water in most of the valley. At Tooele a number of wells are reported to have been dug 200 feet deep and at the sink of Boxelder Creek one well is reported to have been sunk 200 to 300 feet, water not being found in either place. Success- ful wells, however, can doubtless be obtained in the central flat and on the lower part of the aUuvial slopes. SKULL VALLEY. 79 In Rush Valley water has been found at shallow depths hi several localities. At Stockton the water table is practically at the surface near the margin of the lake but becomes deeper toward the mountains. At St. John and Clover many wells have been dug m which water was found at 25 to 30 feet. At Vernon water was found at 15 to 30 feet in a number of wells along the creek. Successful shallow wells have also been sunk m several other localities, as is shown on the map (PI. II). Four deep wells have been drilled in Rush Valley, each of which obtained water. In the Stookey well, in sec. 32, T. 5 S., R. 5 W., water which rose to the surface but did not flow was found at sev- eral horizons. This well is 1,004 feet deep and 3 inches in diameter, the casing extending down only 90 feet. In the Vernon test well water was found at several horizons, and that from one of them rose within a short distance of the surface. This well was also 3 inches ui diameter and was between 500 and 600 feet deep. In the Delmontc weh, in the NW. i NE. I sec. 2, T. 9 S., R. 4 W., 1 i inches in diameter and 404 feet deep, the water rose to a level of 270 feet below the surface. The water is lifted by a 2-horsepow^er Fairbanks- Mor^e gasoline engine. The Toplif well, m the NE. i NE. J sec. 6, T. 8 S., R, 3 W., is 5^ niches in diameter and 654 feet deep. The log of this well is given on page 24. The water is warm but of good quality and is lifted by a steam-propelled 36-mch Cook pump, the water being used at the Toplif quarries. GROUND- WATER PROSPECTS. A part of the water falUng as rain or snow on the mountains surrounding TooeJe and Rush valleys is discharged through the canyons, sinks into the coarse beds of the alluvial slopes, and travels toward the central flats, where it accumulates so near the surface that it is wasted by evaporation. Wells that will furnish good water can be sunk in these water-bearing beds, but on the upper and middle parts of the slopes the water table probably lies rather deep; and trouble would be experienced in drillmg on account of the large bowlders hi the underlying material. If drillmg machinery that is capable of sinking a hole of relatively large diameter to considerable depth is used, there will be less likeliliood of having the hole de- flected or the drilling stoi)i)ed by bowlders than if it is done with light hydraulic rigs. SKULL VALLEY. TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY. Skull Valley lies west of the Onaqui or Stansbury I\[ountains and is a broad arm of the Salt Lake dei)ression. At its north end it is occupied by extensive marshes that are scarcely above the level of 287°— wsp 333—13 G 80 GKOUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES^ UTAH. the lake. Farther south it rises gradually to an almost impercepti- ble divide opposite Point Lookout Pass, south of which the drainage is thrown westward into Great Salt Lake Desert. The Onaqui Mountains, which form the eastern boundary of this valley, are discussed in connection with the description of Tooele Valley (p. 76). The Cedar Mountains, V which lie west of the valley, rise about 2,000 feet above the valley floor and consist chiefly of Paleozoic strata that dip eastward at various angles. The Lakeside Mountains lie north of the Cedar Mountains and form a part of the northwest boundary of the valley. The Tintic Mountains extend westward across the south end of the basin and separate it from the Sevier Desert basin. The structural trough comprising this valley has been partly filled by stream, lake, and wind deposits. The stream deposits are con- fined mainly to the alluvial slopes. The slopes bordering the Onaqui Mountains are high and gravelly, but those bordering the Cedar Mountains are low and descend gradually to the lowest part of the vaUey. Lake Bonneville occupied practically all of the valley. At the north end this ancient lake was about 1,000 feet deep, but oi3po- site Point Lookout Pass the water was shallow, forming fancifully shaped beach ridges on the low divide. The wind deposits are con- fined to a small area along Barlow Creek. Loose sands have been blown from the desert and deposited on the alluvial slopes in this locality, producing a dune topography. The stream and lake deposits in this valley extend to an unknown depth. The deepest well is 350 feet deep and appears to end in Lake Bonneville sediments. A dry hole dug on the James ranch passed through about 100 feet of coarse gravel and bowlders, which were evidently stream deposits. PRECIPITATION. Data on precipitation have been taken at Government Creek (James ranch) for a period of about 12 years and at losepa since September, 1910. The average annual precipitation at Government Creek is 11.53 inches. The monthly data on precipitation at these two stations have been plotted in figure 9 for the period since the installation of the losepa station. This diagram shows that there is a very close relation between the rainfall in the north and south ends of this valley, the curves being in many parts almost coincident. The most rain falls in the first four months of the year and the least in the second four months. 1 Emmons, S. F., Kept. U. S. Geol. Expl. 40tli Par., vol. 2, 1877, p. 462. SKULL VALLEY. 81 VEGETATION. The highest parts of the Onaqui Mountains contain a large amount of pine and cedar and are included in the Wasatch National Forest. The Cedar Mountains and the upper portions of the alluvial slopes April adjacent to the Onaqui and Cedar mountams support a scant growth of sage brush and juniper; the lower portions of the alluvial slopes produce stunted white sage, match brush, and shadscalc, and the central flat is covered by greasewood and swamp grasses. 82 GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES^ UTAH. STREAMS AND SPRINGS. The only permanent streams in Skull Valley are Barlow, Hickman, Antelope, and Lost creeks, which rise in the Onaqui Mountains north of Reynolds Pass and flow into the valley where their waters are used on the ranches located along their courses. (See PL II.) Barlow Creek flows to Condie's ranch, where it furnishes water for irrigating about 45 acres. Hickman Creek flows to the Goshuit Indian settlement, where its waters are all appropriated. Antelope Creek flows to Brown's ranch, where about 100 acres are irrigated with its waters. Lost Creek has been led to the Live Stock Co.'s ranch for irrigation, domestic use, and stock supply. At Orr's ranch, in sec. 6, T. 6 S., R. 8 W., a number of springs yield enough water to irrigate about 80 acres. At the Hatch ranch, in sec. 9, T. 6 S., R. 7 W., springs are also used for irrigation. At losepa set- tlement a number of springs, which occur at the base of the moun- tains, have been developed for irrigation, domestic use, and stock supply. Big, Burnt, and Muskrat springs, which lie along the wagon road leading north to losepa settlement, are so poor in quality that they can not be used for irrigation, especially on the alkali ground where they issue. Government Creek is a dry run in which the water flows only during floods. One of its tributaries that rises in the Tin tic Mountains, however, has a permanent supply which has been led to the James ranch, where it is used for irrigation, domestic purposes, and stock. GROUND WATER. Most of the ranches depend on surface water for domestic supply, and there has therefore been but little development of ground water in this valley. Water was found at 12 feet in the NE. J sec. 35, T. 5 S., R. 8 W. In the 350-foot well of T. S. Cochran, in sec. 18, T. 6 S., R. 7 W., water of inferior quality was found at 30 feet, but no other water-bearing stratum was encountered. In a well at losepa settlement, 55 feet deep, water was found that is too brackish to be used for culinary purposes . At the James ranch, on Government Creek, an excavation was carried to a depth of 100 feet through coarse gravel and bowlders, but no water was found. Although only a few weUs have been dug in this valley, it is not improbable that good water can be obtained from wells, especiafly on the lower slopes bordering the Onaqui Mountains. The luxurious timber on these mountains indicates a heavy rainfall. The surplus water flows from the canyons over the aUuvial slopes, where a part sinks into the loose gravelly material and finds its way beneath the valley. The water table probably lies deep beneath the surface in a large part of the vaUey and in the porous sand area along Barlow WATERING PLACES. 83 Creek, the lower slopes north of Keynolds Pass offering the most favorable indications of furnishing ground water. The most prac- tical method of obtaining wells will be by using drilling machinery capable of sinking through gravel and bowlders to a considerable depth. WATERING PLACES ON ROUTES OF TRAVEL. The following information is given for the benefit of persons who are strangers to this region but who wish to make a journey to some part of it or who wish to pass through it on a transcontinental automobile tour. In connection with these directions Plates I and II should be consulted. It should be remembered that changes are made from time to time, and that watering places in use at one time may later fall into disuse. Before starting on a journey, therefore, the directions here given should be supplemented by information from local sources. BOXELDER COUNTY. RAILWAY STATIONS AND THEIR CONNECTIONS. On the map of this country (PL I, in pocket) stations are indicated at intervals of several miles along the railroads, but many of these stations are merely switch yards and water tanks with no inhabitants and no food or shelter, and some are merely switch yards to accommo- date passing trains. The stations in lower Bear and Malad River valleys are small towns containing hotel and other accommodations, but in the other valleys only Promontory, Promontory Point, Kelton, and Lucin contain inhabitants. The main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad crosses Great, Salt Lake and the northern part of Great Salt Lake Desert west of Promontory Point, leaving the State of Utah west of Lucin. A stage hue connects Lucin with Grouse Creek and it will be possible to obtain a conveyance at Lucin for points to the south. The old line of the Southern Pacific, formerly the Central Pacific Railroad, extends from Brigham to Lucin by way of Promontory and Kelton, but trains are operated only between Brigham and Kel- ton, the runs being made on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Kelton is the supply station for Park Valley and the southern and western parts of CXirlew Valley. A stage runs between Kelton and Rosette. Promontory is the supply station for Hansel Valley and the lower part of Blue Spring Valley. The Oregon Short Line Railroad Co. operates two hues in lower Bear and Malad River valleys. The main line of this system follows the west flank of the Wasatch Mountains through Willard, Brigham, Honeyville, Deweyville, and CoUinston, entering Cache Valley through 84 GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. the Bear Eiver canyon in the Wasatch Mountains. A branch Hne goes from Brigham to Corinne, and thence north to Malad, Idaho, passing through Tremonton and GarUn and near the towns of Bear River City, Riverside, Fielding, Plymouth, and Portage. A stage Hne is operated between Tremonton and Showell by way of Blue Spring and Snowville. WAGON ROADS. Two main wagon roads connect Brigham with Kelton, one by way of Promontory and the other by way of Snowville. In dry weather they are equally good, but in wet weather the Snowville route is much the better. Brigham to Kelton via Promontory. — The road leading west from Brigham to Kelton follows closely the old line of the Southern Pacific Raihoad. It passes several watering places in Lower Bear River valley, the last before reaching Promontory being Blue Creek, where water has been piped to the railroad for locomotive supply. Near Promontory the road forks, the best-traveled route leading past Rozel and Cedar Spring, and the other leading directly to Cedar Spring. The road from Cedar Spring to Kelton passes Salt Wells, Monument, and Locomotive Springs. Water may be procured for camp use at each of the places mentioned, but that froin Salt WeUs and Locomotive Springs is undesirable for drinking. Brigham to Kelton via Snowville. — The wagon road from Brigham to Kelton by way of Snowville leaves the Southern Pacific Raihoad at Corinne and passes up the valley to Tremonton, where it turns west and leads across the Blue Spring Hill to Blue Spring. Thence it leads up Blue Spring Valley, across the Promontory Range to the head of Hansel Valley, past Dillies Spring to Snowville. The tele- phone line between Tremonton and Snowville will be a valuable guide to strangers in keeping the road. From Snowville the road leads almost due west to Showell, whence it takes a southwest course to Kelton. Water may be obtained at Tremonton, Blue Spring, Snowville, and Showell, and at a number of farmhouses in lower Bear River valley and Blue Spring Valley, but there are no watering places between Showell and Kelton. Kelton to Lucin. — Two wagon roads lead between Kelton and Lucin. One road follows the old railroad line and the other leads through the southern part of Park Valley. On the road following the railroad, water can be obtained at Terrace, where the railroad company maintains a supply piped from Rosebud Creek for locomo- tive use in emergencies when through trains are run over the old line. The other wagon road leads nearly due west from Kelton until it crosses Dove Creek, whence it takes a southwest course around the south end of the Grouse Creek Mountains. Water can be procured on this road at Dove and Muddy creeks. WATERING PLACES. 85 Kelton to Parle Valley, Raft River valley, and Snowville. — The road from Kelton to Park Valley leads northwest over the Kelton escarp- ment. Water can be had at the springs in sec. 10,T. 12N.,R. 12 W., but as it is only 13 miles from Kelton to the Park Valley store the trip is usually made without taking water on the way. In going from Kelton to Raft River valley or points beyond, water can be obtained at the Rose ranch, sec. 8, T. 12 N., R. 11 W., and at Cedar Store, sec. 12, T. 14 N., R. 12 W. The road from Kelton to Snowville passes no watering places until it reaches Showell, which is only a few miles from Snowville. Parle Valley to Grouse Creek and Junction Creele. — The road from Park Valley to Grouse Creek leads west through Rosette to Indian Farm, thence south to Warm Spring, thence west bo the head of North Birch Creek, and thence across the Grouse Creek Mountains, descending on the west side of the range along a branch of Mahogany Creek. Water can be obtained at Rosette, Indian Farm, Warm Spring, and Birch Creek. The road across the mountains is so steep and rough that it can not safely be traveled by an automobile or a loaded wagon. The road to South Junction Creek leaves the Grouse Creek road at Indian Farm and follows up Dove Creek to the top of the pass between the Raft River and Grouse Creek Mountains. Beyond the pass it descends as a rather rough trail to South Junction Creek. Water is plentiful along Dove Creek, but there is no water along the road between the pass and South Junction Creek. Snowville to east and west arms of Curlew Valley, Raft River valley, and Parle Valley. — A well-traveled wagon road traverses the east arm of (Mrlew Valley between Snowville and Holbrook. This part of Curlew Valley is well settled and water can be obtained from numer- ous farm wells and from Deep Creek. The best road to c,he west arm of Curlew Valley leads west through Showell, then northwest to the line of springs on the west side of T. 16 S., R. 30 E. No water is obtainable in this arm except along the slope bordering the Black Pine Mountains and at one spring in sec. 31, T. 14 S., R. 30 E. The trip from Snowville to Raft River is best made by way of Showell and Cedar Store. Water can be procured at Showell, Pilot Spring (in sec. 13, T. 14 N., R. 11 W.), and Cedar Store. Northwest of Cedar Store the road leads tlirough Clear Creek settlement, where water can be obtained. There are two routes from Snowville to Park Valley, one leading due west from Showell and the other southwest from that place. The roads reunite at the Kelton escarpment and lead west across Indian Creek to Park Valley Store. The road leading west from Showell goes to Pilot Spring, which is a favorite camping place. At the spring 86 GROUND WATER IN BOXELDER AND TOOELE COUNTIES, UTAH. the road turns toward tlie southwest. The other road, which leads nearly due southwestward from Showell, passes a spring about 10 miles from Showell, but this spring is easily passed without being seen. It is, moreover, fit only for stock use. Lucin to Wendover and Ihapah. — A wagon road leads from Lucin to Ibapah, a distance of about 100 miles, by way of Wendover, a sta- tion on the Western Pacific Railway, at which accommodations and supplies can be obtained. This road runs east of the Tecoma and Pilot mountains, passing a series of springs which begin about 15 miles south of Lucin and extend to Morrison's ranch, in sec. 36, T. 4 N., R. 19 W. Water can be procured at some of these springs, at McKellar's ranch, in sec. 12, T. 3 S., R. 19 W., and at Hall's Spring, 3 miles farther south. The road from McKellar's ranch to Wendover crosses the edge of the desert flat and follows the pipe line into Wend- over. From Wendover to Ibapah, a distance of about 55 miles, the road leads past Salt Spring and along Deep Creek. A stage runs three times a week from W^endover to Ibapah and Calleo. Lucin to Grouse CreeJc. — Grouse Creek may be reached from Lucin by the stage which travels three times a week between those places. The road follows up the valley and does not pass any watering places except near the settlement. TOOELE COUNTY. RAILWAY STATIONS AND THEIR CONNECTIONS. The San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad crosses the eastern part of Tooele County. It traverses Tooele and Rush val- leys, passing through Erda, Tooele, and Stockton and near St. John, Ajax, Vernon, and Lof green. Stage connections are made with St. John, Clover, and Vernon. Water can be obtained at each of these , places. The Western Pacific Railway passes around the south end of Great Salt Lake and crosses the north end of Skull Valley; thence it leads west across the Great Salt Lake Desert, entering Nevada near Wend- over. This railroad passes through no towns where accommodations can be obtained. The desert is uninhabited and is, in large part, an impassable waste. A station and water tank are maintained at Temple, about 15 miles north of losepa, but there are no stage con- nections between this station and the settlements in Skull Valley. WAGON ROADS. Skull Valley may be reached from Tooele or St. John. The road from St. John leads across the Onaqui Mountains, through Reynolds Pass, to Orr's ranch. Watering places are plentiful along the route. WATERING PLACES. 87 The north end of Skull Valle}^ is best reached from Tooele, over a road that leads through Grantsville, past Timpie Spring, at the north end of the Onaqui Mountains, and thence southward past Big, Burnt, and Muskrat springs, to losepa. Water can be obtained at each of the springs mentioned. A stage line goes from Vernon to the James ranch, Dugway, the Utah mine, Calleo, and Ibapah, but this route passes few watering places and most of its course is through an uninhabited region. Distances in miles between principal watering places on routes of travel in Boxelder County, Utah. i •t 6 G .g s % ® o I PLH "a! 1 1 1 1 d o to .s 1 o § 1 > 1 m 60 54 1 67 61 o o o 85 79 1 86 80 1-4 o 6 22 35 42 46 73 120 135 12 10 15 20 20 24 28 40 52 43 40 60 67 85 86 90 160 6 16 29 34 40 67 114 130 6 8 13 18 12 14 21 36 48 37 35 54 61 79 80 84 154 23 16 8 16 23 48 75 100 35 29 8 8 15 40 70 93 42 34 16 8 13 32 62 85 46 40 23 15 13 25 55 78 73 67 48 40 32 25 30 60 120 114 75 70 62 55 30 23 135 130 100 93 85 78 60 23 20 18 28 21 40 36 52 48 40 37 160 Corinne 154 Promontory Salt Wells 32 25 17 13J Terrace 160 32 31 26 21 23 20 13 12 46 49 92 48 85 55 82 73 62 74 ?,5 Bear River City 15 10 5 10 14 17 11 7 13 10 13 25 36 36 44 43 38 33 35 i 12 13 16 148 Collinston Tremonton 23 23 40 40 47 47 65 65 100 100 133 133 7 21 33 33 33 Portage Bond 13 3 18 25 43 60 64 97 Blue Spring Howell ■"i3 20 16 30 37 18 21 7 25 42 46 79 25 28 7 18 35 39 72 43 46 25 18 20 24 57 60 63 42 35 20 4 37 97 19 16 23 100 Snowville 32 25 17 13i 18 92 85 79 Showell . . . 7? Cedar Store 57 Park Valley Rosette 37 33 25 INDEX. A. Page. Alkali, limits of 34-37 source of 34 Artesian wells, conditions governing 27-29 locations of 42, 61-62, 66-67, 78 B. Bear River valley, geology of 38-39 ground water of 42-43 assays of 43-49 irrigation in 41, 50 surface water of 39-41 topography of 37-38 Bedrock, nature of 23-25, 27, 38 Blue Spring valley, agriculture in 51-52 ground water of 52-53 assays of 53-54 irrigation in 55 surface water of 52 topography and geology of 50-51 Boxelder County, map of In pocket. map of 13 map showing location of 8 C. Climate of the region 16-21 Curlew Valley, geology of 59-60 ground water of 61-62 assays of 62-63 irrigation in 64 surface water of 60-61 topography of 58-59 D. Dole, R. B., cited 31-32 Dry farming, results of 21 G. Geology of the region 9-16 Great Salt Lake, fluctuations of 14-16 fluctuations of, diagram showing 15 water of, analyses of 41 Grouse Creek valley, ground water of 73-75 ground water of, assays of 74 precipitation in , diagram showing 72 surface water of 72-73 topography and geology of 71-72 Guffey & Galey well, log of 11 n. Hansel Valley, geology of 56 physiography of 55 springs in 56, 57. 58 wells in 57, 58 Hilgard, E. W., cited 35 I. Industrial development of the region 23 Irrigation in Bear River Valley 41 J. 1, C. A. v., cited 34,35 L. Lake Bonneville, extent of 12-14 map showing 13 La Rue, E. C, cited 15, 16 M. Malad River valley, geology of 38, 39 ground water of 42, 43 assays of 43-49 irrigation in 50 surface water of 39-41 topography of 37, 38 P. Park Valley, ground water of 66-68 ground water of, assays of 69 irrigation in 70, 71 surface water of 66 topography and geology of 64 Physiography of the region 7-9 Pilot Mountain area, description of 71, ■• Pocatello Valley, agriculture in 51, 52 ground water of 52, 53 assays of 53, 54 irrigation in 55 surface water of 52 topography and geology of 50, 51 Precipitation in the region 17-21 diagrams showing 20, 21 variation of, diagram showing 19 Pumping tests, results of 49 R. Railroads in Boxelder County 83, 84 in Tooele County 86 Roads in Boxelder County 84-86 n Tooele County 8G, 87 Rush Valley, ground water of 78-79 surface water of 77-78 topography and geologj'- of 75-77 S. Sediments, unconsolidated, nature of. . 25-26,38-39 Skull Valley, ground water in 82-83 precipitation in 80 diagram showing 81 surface water in 82 topography and geology of 79 Soil of the region 22 Springs, hot, occurrence of 30 hot, water of, analyses of 42 mountain, occurrence of 29, 42 valley, occurrence of 29-30 Stabler, Herman, cited 36 Stage lines in Boxelder County 83-84 in Tooele County 86 Strahom, A. T., cited 34-35 Streams of the region 22-23 89 90 INDEX. T. Page. Tooele County, map of eastern part of 76 map of 13 map showing location of 8 Tooele Valley, ground water of 78-79 surface water of 77-78 topography and geology of 75-77 U. Utah, map of 8 V. Valley, typical, view and section of 28 Vegetation of the region 21-22 W. Page. Water for boiler use, suitability of 43-49 for domestic use, requirements of 32-33 for irrigation, requirements of 34-37 ground, analyses of 31-32, 42, 43-49 source and disposal of 26-27 substances dissolved in 30, 32 surface, analyses of 40 Watering places in Boxclder County.. 83,84-86,87 in Tooele County 86-87 Wells, nonflowing, locations of 42-43 O T>.IAP OF BOXEL-DER COUNTY, UTAH liOCATlOK OF WELLS AND SPRINGS By Everett Carpenter FlowiiiG wpH aiid flowJng-iveB area. (Gothic f^gure.<<7Z):->,iic.jt.rdefttht>fMva) Diyhole (Oolhicf(ffum(22A)auUcaie depth) LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 019 953 676 A