In 1985,1986, and 1988, the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the U.S. Geological Survey studied the Desolation Canyon (UT-060-068A), Turtle Canyon (UT-060-067), and Floy Canyon (UT-060-068B) Wilderness Study Areas, which are contiguous and located in Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties in eastern Utah. The study areas include 242,000 acres, 33,690 acres, and 23,140 acres respectively.
The San Rafael Swell wilderness study areas, including the Muddy Creek, Crack Canyon, San Rafael Reef, Mexican Mountain, and Sids Mountain Wilderness Study Areas, are in Emery County, south-central Utah. At least 4,100 current and historic mining claims have been located in or near the study areas, primarily for uranium. Vanadium is the most valuable byproduct of uranium mining, although minor copper, silver, lead, zinc, and gold also occur in some deposits.
This report provides information for use in both short- and long term land-planning decisions, particularly at the county level, and an indication of the present and future economic impact of mineral and energy development. The report discusses eight major commodity groups: (1) oil and gas, (2) coal and coal resin, (3) coal-bed methane, (4) other energy resources (oil-impregnated rock, oil shale, geothermal), (5) uranium and vanadium, (6) metallic minerals, (7) industrial rocks and minerals, and (8) ground-water resources. In general, for each group or commodity within a group the following aspects are discussed: (1) known occurrences and characteristics, (2) past production and trends, (3) current production and exploration activity, and (4) geologic potential. Plates accompany each of the major commodity groups and show the locations of known resources and areas of geologic potential. In addition to the commodity discussions, the report contains a brief summary of land ownership status and concludes with a summary of commodities having the best potential for discovery and development. 161 pages + 14 plates
