WSP05382

• File Number: 8271.300
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - General Information and Publications-Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 6/1/1975
• Title: The Natural Salinity of the Colorado River
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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small streams that drain the badlands of gypsiferous shale along the
margins of Moab Valley.

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Another point source of poor quality water, in which the Paradox
Formation probably plays a major role, is the Glenwood.Dotsero area,
Colorado, where deeply circulating groundwaters, probably move along
fault zones and also probably gain much of their salt load from the
Paradox Formation which in this area contains hundreds of feet of
gypsum. The outcrops belt of the Paradox Formation crosses the
Colorado River valley at Dotsero.

Shales in the Permian Cutler Formation, such as the Halgaito and
Organ Rock probably have minor effects on the quality of the Colorado
as do the Supai Formation and Hermit shale of the Grand Canyon area
(except perhaps their affect on Blue Spring). Blue Spring has the
distinction of being the largest point source of salt for the Colorado.
Issuing from the Mississippian Redwall Limestone, it apparently gathers

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Figure 5. Location of salt-dome valleys and outcrops of the Paradox
Formation (after Dane, 1935).

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