WSPC03161 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

most part J undeveloped and of unknown and widely varied quality and quantity. Thus, the early part of the current project work has been directed to- ward an evaluation of the clay resource of Colorado, with increasing emphasis now being placed on the fOllow-up phase of field trials in canals and ponds. The clay resource evaluations have included both field sampling and laboratory testing. CLAY SAMPLING One basic assumption made in setting up the Colorado State University research and development project was that ample deposits of clay, suitable for sealing purposes in canals and reservoirs, could be found in or near each of the major irrigated areas of Colorado. As may be seen in Figure! at the back of this report, considerable progress in finding clay deposits has been made. Additional deposits of suit- able clay, however, are still needed in some areas, such as northeastern and south~estern Colorado. Development of the clay deposits is a separate mat- ter, discussed in a later section of this report. In some instances, especially in the early work, direct prospecting was accomplished by a CSU project geologist, but recently most of the new deposits have been located as result of cooperative help of two types: 1. Individual prospectors -- The response to our newspaper and radio requests for this type of cooperation has been most helpful and productive of clay deposits. 2. SCS and Extension Ag-ents -- Wonderful cooperation has been received from these two sources resulting in the discovery of several very fine clay deposits. In general, the sampling of clay deposits is of a progressively more detailed nature. closely related to the development work at the deposit. In other words. as the better prospects are explored and opened up, additional sampling is accomplished. The CSU project does the sampling and laboratory testing without charge to the clay contractor, but does not finance the exploration or deposit development. More detailed information is available from CSU regarding the appearance and other characteris- tics of a good sealing clay, but briefly the best clays and clay deposits have the following features: 1. They usually occur in bare badland areas with the outcrop surfaces of the better clay deposits being loose and granular (like coarse sawdust) when dry and extremely gummy when wet. 2. The clay or bentonite is found in many colors with red, green, yellow and white being most common. The best clays are commonly very low in sand--almost no grittiness when tasted. 3 ~ The most common geological formations in which the better clays or bentonites occur include: the Morrison formation (some of the bentonite deposits are in uranium claims), the Benton forma- tion, and recent Tertiary formations (one excellent deposit occurs as a crack-filling material in a volcanic cone). 1053 3