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52 THE GREEN RIVER AND ITS UTILILA11
<br />from the crevices, "not. like the cedars of a land refreshed -with rai
<br />great cones bedecked with spray, but ugly clumps, 'like war clu
<br />beset with spines."
<br />At Sand Wnsb, a broad canyon about 2 miles above iLnerr
<br />Creek, are strata of oil shale which hive been rather extensiv
<br />prospected. At Ninemile Creek is a small open area of possibly l
<br />acres, on part of which considerable work has been done in
<br />attempt, at. farming. In addition to some tracts that had bi
<br />plowed, there were several permanent improvements, such as a cat
<br />barn, corrals, a small reservoir, and a ditch along the side of
<br />canyon taking water out of Ninerrdle Creek a mile or more above
<br />mouth. The entire area, however, is impregnated with alkali, t
<br />this is probably the reason that the enterprise was abandoned.
<br />The canyon walls become higher as the canyon is descend
<br />and numerous side canyons cut: the region into a wilderness of g
<br />and brown cliffs. In some places these side c.ahyons are separa
<br />from one another by only narrow walls, many of them hundred
<br />feet high and so narrow in places that the softer rocks have crurnA
<br />_ away and left holes through the wall, making side door bet~
<br />the canyons. "Piles of broken rock lie against these walls,:
<br />and tower-shaped peaks are seen everywhere, and, away above th
<br />long lines of broken cliffs." In one of these cliffs high above;,
<br />river was noticed a large natural arch near the sky line.
<br />At the mouth of each of these side canyons is usually a _r
<br />the roughness of which depends upon the number and size of
<br />boulders washed into the river channel from the canyon. A
<br />of these rapids required extra caution because of shallow
<br />where the river channel was unusually wide, but all of them I
<br />passed without trouble and through most of them the pass
<br />remained on the boats.
<br />w+
<br />The streams from many of the side canyons are only wet,
<br />streams, and those that are perennial derive thew dry-season
<br />from springs. Many of them become only a trickle during the,
<br />- - -"- dry summer, flowing -but & short distance before they d:sapp
<br />their beds or are evaporated into the air. The water in neany.?
<br />them is alkaline, and as it evaporates from the rocks along the cl
<br />it leaves a whits coating on them.
<br />Rock Creek, 54 miles upstream from Green River, Utah; I
<br />exceptional stream of cool crystal water that rises in large !4i
<br />about 2 miles from its mouth and flows eastward into the
<br />$iyar. ranch is located at the junction, and the creek
<br />used to irrigate some alfalfa, a; pAacb or^hard, and s V
<br />y :
<br />+?ract. Ins and egresz- is effected b a tram c e
<br />down the canyon to the Green River or out of the Oanvor
<br />mountains to Sunnyside. 5
<br />
<br />00
<br />tittle less than 15 miles down the. canyon from Rock Creek is
<br />McPherson ranch, on the east side of the river. Bere another
<br />;,Oe in the canyon is irrigated from a small side stream, and abund-
<br />Crops of fruit and vegetables are raised in addition to forage for
<br />1?1,c I-vestock. A trail leads down the canyon to Green River, Utah,
<br /><?. miles, and a train of pack mules is the only means of trans-
<br />or4ation. This fact. is somewhat remarkable when it is considered
<br />;i;ei all sorts of heavy farm machinery, wagons, a large steel range,
<br />r,-any other heavy and cumbersome articles have been taken
<br />iron, Green River to the ranch in that manner. The peaches grown
<br />on this ranch are of exceptional quality, as is indicated by the fact
<br />that they are carried to Green River by mule pack train and shipped
<br />Chicago and other eastern markets and demand the best prices.
<br />rir about a mile downstream from the upper end of this ranch the
<br />s_,Tork is broad and open; then Gray Canyon begins, cut through
<br />crew sandstone and shale.
<br />Desolation Canyon is about 78 miles long, and in that distance
<br />,Ia total fall is 355 feet, or an average of 4.55 feet to the mile.
<br />Gray Canyon.-The physiographic features of Gray Canyon are
<br />similar to those of Desolation Canyon, with the walls increasing
<br />in height as the descent is made through the canyon. In the vicinity
<br />of Coal Creek and for several miles below the river flows in a narrow
<br />b.,x gorge with vertical walls ttat break back into rough, barren
<br />slopes. In many places this inner gorge is as much as 100 feet
<br />deep. Vegetation is confined to a fringe of willows along the river
<br />bank; with here and there a larger tree that has been able to get
<br />is footing and survive.
<br />About ]8 miles above Green River, Utah, the Price River joins
<br />the Green from the west. During the flood stages this stream carries
<br />a considerable flow and no mean amount of d6bris, but during the
<br />dry season practically all the flow is diverted for irrigation in the
<br />upper part of its basin, and all that reaches the Green River is a small
<br />stream of muddy water having a very disagreeable odor.
<br />Gray Canyon is about 27.5 miles long, its total fall in that distance
<br />i< 18; feet,, and the average fall is 6.8 feet to the mile. - -
<br />Gurmicon Valley.-About 6% miles below the mouth of the Price
<br />Kiser the Green emerges into Gunnison Valley, and 11'miles farther
<br />dcxn is the city of Green River, Utah, a. station on the main line of
<br />the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad between points in Utah _ ?.
<br />4nd Colorado.
<br />7"ne mapping from this point down to the mouth of the
<br />poser a distance of 117.3 m2es, was done in 19i4-_'_
<br />by t}
<br />motes Bureau of R?:laniation, and acwrdiiigly_
<br />t`a'i"gic S'u veF party was completed with.-.66
<br />that of the previous survey.
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