WSP04661

• File Number: 8273.300
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agency Reports - USGS
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1996
• Author: USGS
• Title: Environmental Setting and Implications on Water Quality - Upper Colorado River Basin - Colorado and Utah
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

o Mineral Bell because of the high concentration of
-..:J mineral deposits that occur along a belt following the
(c Continental Divide (Romberger, 1980), In the White
W River Uplift, the geology consists of carbonate rocks of
Pennsylvanian and Pennian age, which include the
Leadville Limestone and Eagle Valley Fonnation con-
taining evaporative sequences, Many thennal mineral
springs are present throughout the White River Uplift,

The Uncompahgre Uplift, which is west of
the Gwmison and Uncompahgre Rivers, consists of
sedimentary rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age over-
lying igneous and metamorphic rocks of Precambrian
age, Sedimentary rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age
that crop out include the Entrada Sandstone, Monison
Fonnation, and Dakota Sandstone, In the southeastern
paft of the Uncompahgre Uplift, metallic mineral
deposits are associated with volcanic rocks of Teniary
age,

In the western pan of the study unit, the Piceance
Structural Basin is composed of rocks of Cretaceous
and Teniary age such as the Mancos Shale, Mesaverde
Group, and Green River Fonnation, The Cretaceous
rocks fonn the outer edges of this tectonic basin, and
the Teniary rocks are located in the upland areas of this
basin,

General Salls

There are six soil associations in the study unit
(fig, 5); a brief description of the general physical and
chemical characteristics of each soil association is
listed in table 2, Two soil associations are in the moun-
tainous areas of the basin, and the other four soil asso-
ciations are in areas that include mountainsides,
uplands, flood plains, alluvial valley floors, and alluvial

o 20 40 MILES

o 20 40 KILOMETERS

_ CRYOBORALFS.ROCK OUTCROP SOILS
_ HAPLARGIDS-CAMBORTHIDS.
TORRIORTHENTS
_ HAPLARGIDS-NATRARGIDS
CALCIORTHIDS. TOR RIORTHENTS
_ TORRIORTHENTS
o CRYUMBREPTS.CRYOCHREPTS.
ROCK OUTCROP SOILS

o CRYAQlJOLLS.ARGIBOROLLS.
CALCIBOROLLS.CR Y BORALFS.
CR YOBOROLLS- TOR RIOR1HENTlC.
HAPLOBOROLLS-ROCK OUTCROP SOILS

Figure 5, Soil associations in the Upper Colorado River Basin study unit (mod~ied from Heil and others, 1977),

ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING 9