FLOOD09597

• County: Gunnison
• Community: Marble Area
• Basin: Gunnison
• Title: Engineering Geologic Factors of the Marble Area
• Date: 6/1/1972
• Prepared For: Gunnison County
• Prepared By: Colorado Geological Survey
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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Creek and Carbonate Creek. Both creeks are south-flowing tributaries

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of the Crystal River in the vicinity of the old Marble townsite. The

area of interest also includes some lands adjacent to the Crystal River

which are in other drainage basins.

Access to Marble is by way of Colorado Highway 82 from Glenwood

Springs to the vicinity of Carbondale, then via Colorado Highway 133

to the vicinity of Placita. From the junction south of Placita, Marble

is reached by following a gravel road approximately 6 miles east along

the Crystal River.

The name of this community is derived from the marble producing

and processing industry which 'operated with varying degrees of success

between 1880 and 1941. Production was from high quality marble deposits

which are located on Yule Creek approximately three miles southeast of

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the townsite. The marble deposits consist of metamorphosed Leadville

Limestone which occurs on the southwest flank of the Treasure Mountain

Dome. The town and its marble industry reached maximum development im-

mediately before the start of World War I when Marble attained a popu-

lation of about 1500. The marble works, and with it the town, declined'

between the World Wars and finally closed after the mud flood of 1941.

After 1941, the town rapidly dwindled to the extent that it was con-

sidered essentially a ghost town. Since the demise of the marble in-

dustry, the area has reverted to a ranching economy with some business

related to summer residents and tourists.

GENERAL GEOLOGIC AND GEOMORPHIC SETTING

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The area encompassed in this report is entirely within the Marble

7~ minute topographic quadrangle map. It is located in the Elk Mountains