Abstract: The Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area (UT-060-140A) consists of 12,635 acres in Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah. The study area has inferred subeconomic resources of potash and halite in the subsurface, and sandstone on the surface. The study area has high potential for undiscovered resources of oil and gas, low potential for undiscovered uranium, copper, vanadium, gold, silver, other metals, and geothermal energy, and unknown potential for the rare-earth mineral, braitschite. There is no resource potential for potash or halite (beyond the previously mentioned inferred resources) or for coal.

This report analyzes the Mancos Mesa Wilderness Study Area in San Juan County that contains low mineral resource potential for other metals, coal, and geothermal energy.

Report discussing the geology of the Red House Cliffs area, which comprises 296 square miles of canyon and plateau country in southwestern San Juan County, Utah.

Report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Mines discussing the costs and methods of uranium mining in San Juan County, Utah. History, geology, and production of the uranium mines are presented. This report includes tables, maps, illustrations, and photographs.

Introduction: This study was made in conjunction with a core drilling program designed to trace ore trends from existing mines eastward under deeper cover. The exploration drilling covered an area of about 1 square mile. The results of previous drilling by the Commission, which covered an additional 10 square miles, have been incorporated in this report.

From abstract: The Monument Valley-Navajo Mountain region is part of the Colorado Plateau and includes about 1,100 square miles in San Juan County, southeastern Utah, lying between the San Juan and Colorado Rivers on the north and the Utah-Arizona State line on the south. Included in the region are Navajo Mountain, the Rainbow Natural Bridge, and a part of the picturesque Monument Valley.

From abstract: The San Juan country includes an area of about 3,800 square miles east of the Colorado River in San Juan County, southeastern Utah. This paper is based on reconnaissance geographic and geologic surveys made in 1910, 1915, 1925, and 1927-29.

A report discussing a study made of the Hite Section of the Glen Canyon Dam Immersion area to evaluate uranium occurrences and potentials.

From abstract: The Happy Jack mine is in the White Canyon area, San Juan County, Utah. Production is from high-grade uranium deposits in the Shinarump conglomerate of Triassic age. The Shinarump strata range from 161/2 to 40 feet in thickness and the lower part of these beds fills an eastward-trending channel that is more than 750 feet wide and 10 feet deep.

Surface cleanup activities at the Mexican Hat UMTRA processing site are nearing completion. Ground Water contamination at the Mexican Hat site is a result of uranium milling operations. The extent of residual process water has been identified, and it is limited to the uppermost aquifer in the vicinity of the site. Deeper aquifers are not affected because of an upward hydraulic gradient and the presence of a confining unit (the deeper aquifers are protected by hydrogeologic isolation). The uppermost unit is returning to its pre-milling, mainly unsaturated state. The unit that contains the contaminated water is not a ground water resource because it qualifies as Class III (limited use) based on limited yield. Ground water in the uppermost unit is currently not used and is not anticipated to be used as a ground water resource. The nearby San Juan River and a converted oil exploration well provide all of the water needs for the area. There are no current threats to human health or livestock; and, because the zone of contamination does not represent a ground water resource, none are anticipated in the future. There are, however, seeps where contaminated water is exposed at land surface. The seeps create potential …