Chapter E

Federally Owned Coal

and Federal Lands in the 

Colorado Plateau Region

By Carol L. Molnia,1 Laura N.R. Roberts,1

Laura R.H. Biewick,1 and Lee M. Osmonson1

U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1625–B*

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

National Coal

Resource

Assessment

Click here to return to Disc 1 

Volume Table of Contents

Chapter E of

Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau:

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Edited by M.A. Kirschbaum, L.N.R. Roberts, and L.R.H. Biewick

1

 U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 80225

* This report, although in the USGS Professional Paper series,

is available only on CD-ROM and is not available separately
Contents

Federal Coal—Its Value to the Nation..................................................................................................... E1

Coal Production from Federal Lands, 1949–1997............................................................................ 2

Royalties Generated by Federal Coal Production .......................................................................... 3

Colorado Plateau Region—Land Status and Coal Development.......................................................... 4

Surface Ownership of Coal-Bearing Areas..................................................................................... 5

Coal and National Parks ..................................................................................................................... 6

Coal and National Forests .................................................................................................................. 7

Estimated Federal Coal Resources, Colorado Plateau Region ............................................................. 8

Does Surface Ownership Include Coal Ownership? ..................................................................... 9

How Much Coal is Federally Owned? ............................................................................................ 10

Federal Coal Resources—By Priority Assessment Unit ...................................................................... 11

Danforth Hills...................................................................................................................................... 12

Yampa Coal Field................................................................................................................................ 13

San Juan Basin .................................................................................................................................. 15

San Juan Basin Tribal Lands................................................................................................... 17

Southern Piceance Basin................................................................................................................. 18

Deserado Priority Assessment Unit, Lower White River Coal Field.......................................... 19

Southern Wasatch Plateau .............................................................................................................. 20

Kaiparowits Plateau .......................................................................................................................... 21

Kaiparowits Plateau Query Results ....................................................................................... 22

Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................. 23

References Cited ........................................................................................................................................ 23

Figures

1. Coal fields and Federal lands of the conterminous United States ..................................... E1

2. Chart of coal production from Federal lands ........................................................................... 2

3. Pie chart of royalty produced by State ..................................................................................... 3

4A. Index map of Colorado Plateau region showing study area, coal-bearing 

areas, major towns, and highways............................................................................................ 4

4B. Generalized land ownership in the Colorado Plateau region ............................................... 4

5. Pie chart showing surface ownership in the Colorado Plateau region .............................. 5

6A. Location of coal-bearing rocks and areas managed by the National 

Park Service in the Colorado Plateau region........................................................................... 6

6B. Photograph of Bryce Canyon National Park and coal-bearing Dakota Formation ........... 6

7A. Location of coal-bearing rocks and National Forests in the Colorado Plateau region .... 7

7B. View of Convulsion Canyon, Manti-La Sal National Forest, 

southern Wasatch Plateau, Utah............................................................................................... 7
7C. Photograph of the SUFCO mine in Convulsion Canyon in the 

Manti-La Sal National Forest, southern Wasatch Plateau, Utah ......................................... 7

8. The seven priority assessment units discussed in this report.............................................. 8

9. Map depicting land status and mineral ownership for a hypothetical area ...................... 9

10. Colorado Plateau assessment units—surface- and coal-ownership bar charts............ 10

11. Table showing statistics for Colorado Plateau assessment units...................................... 11

12A. Surface ownership in the Danforth Hills coal field............................................................... 12

12B. Coal ownership in the Danforth Hills coal field ..................................................................... 12

13A. Surface ownership in the Yampa assessment unit............................................................... 13

13B. Coal ownership in the Yampa assessment unit..................................................................... 14

14A. Surface ownership in the San Juan Basin assessment unit .............................................. 15

14B. Coal ownership in the San Juan Basin assessment unit..................................................... 16

15. Index map of San Juan Basin Tribal areas............................................................................. 17

16. Coal ownership in the southern part of the Piceance Basin, Colorado ............................ 18

17A. Surface ownership in the Deserado coal assessment unit, 

Lower White River coal field .................................................................................................... 19

17B. Coal ownership in the Deserado coal assessment unit, 

Lower White River coal field .................................................................................................... 19

18A. Surface ownership in the Southern Wasatch Plateau assessment unit .......................... 20

18B. Coal ownership in the Southern Wasatch Plateau assessment unit................................. 20

19. Coal ownership in the Kaiparowits Plateau assessment unit............................................. 21

20. Computer-produced representation showing location of Federal coal 

resources that meet specified geologic criteria, 

Kaiparowits Plateau assessment unit..................................................................................... 22

21. Scenic view of Spring Canyon, southern Wasatch Plateau, Utah..................................... 23

Table

1. 1997 Federal coal production from States in the Colorado Plateau region ...................... E2
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in the Colorado Plateau RegionBy Carol L. Molnia, Laura N.R. Roberts, Laura R.H. Biewick, and Lee M. OsmonsonFederal Coal—Its Value to the Nation

Coal fi elds are found throughout the 

United States. Large portions of the coal fi elds in the Western States occur on federally owned lands. In fact, the Federal Government owns and administers about one-third of the Nation’s coal resources. These Federal resources are located on about 76 million acres, primarily in the Western United States (U.S. Department of the Interior, 1991). 

Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico—the four States in the Colorado Plateau 

region, the subject of this CD-ROM—are outlined on this map of coal fi elds and Federal 

lands of the conterminous United States. 

Figure 1. Coal fi elds and Federal lands of the conterminous United States.

Modified from Biewick (1997)

Coal Fields and Federal Lands of the Contermin

0 200 400 Miles

Colorado Plateau study area

Utah

New Mexico

Colorado

Arizona
E2 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 2. Chart of coal production from Federal lands.

Coal Production from Federal Lands, 1949

–1997

Federally owned coal plays a major role in the energy supply of the United 

States. About 1.1 billion tons1 of coal were produced in the United States in 1997. About 30.3 percent of that total (see 

fi g. 2), or about 330 million tons, came from 

Federal lands (U.S. Department of Energy, 1998). 

Almost all of the Federal coal production is from Wyoming, Montana, and three 

States in the Colorado Plateau region

—Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico (see table 

1). (Arizona coal production is not from federally owned coal resources and thus is not included in this discussion.) This great increase in coal production from Western Federal lands began in the 1970’s to meet the increasing demand for low-sulfur coal, 

which is more prevalent in Western States. 

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1

05

101520253035

Coal Production from Fed

1949 - 1997 Percent of total U.S. coal

production

1 All tonnage 

fi gures in this chapter are in short tons.

Table 1. 1997 Federal coal production from States in the Colorado Plateau region. [From U.S. Department of Energy (1998, p. 21). Arizona not included because coal production there is not from federally owned resources]  State Coal production  (thousands of short tons)  Utah 23,887  Colorado 22,264  New Mexico 6,029  TOTAL for region 52,180 
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in th

Figure 3. Pie chart of royalty produced by State; Colorado Plateau States highlighted.

Royalties Generated by Federal Coal Production

Federally owned coal also plays an important part 

in the economy of our Nation. More than a quarter of a billion dollars in royalties (more than $285 million in 1997) is generated annually from the production of Federal coal. Of that amount, about half is disbursed to the States in which the coal was produced; most of the remaining royalties are placed in the Federal Reclamation Fund for water projects in the West.

As this pie chart shows, Federal coal production 

in Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico generated $90.3 million in royalties in 1997 (U.S. Department of the Interior, 1998). 

 Federal Coal Royalties Generated -- Cale

 The three Colorado Plateau States (New Mexico, Colorado $90.3 million in royalties in 1997 

Wyoming

New Mexico

M

$158.3

$34.6

$33

$32.2 $22.2

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior (1998)

Total shown: $281 million 

Dollar amounts on pie chart are in millions 

(Five other States—not shown—together produce an add
E4 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 4

A. Index map of Colorado Plateau region, showing study area, coal-bearing areas, 

major towns, and highways. Figure 4

B. Generalized land ownership in the Colorado Plat

Colorado Plateau Region

—Land Status and Coal Development

Gallup

Farmington 

Durango

Cedar

City

Moab

Price

Albuquerque 

Socorro 

Flagstaff

SANTA FE

Grand Junction

SALT LAKE

CITY

DENVER

Tucson 

PHOENIX

70

25

40

25

40

70

15

80

10

19

10

 8

Coal-bearing rocks Study area

113 ̊

106 ̊

40 ̊

34 ̊

UTAH

COLORADO

NEW MEXICO

ARIZONA

0 100 MILES0 100 KILOMETERS

Map 4A shows coal-bearing areas, major towns, and roads in the Colorado 

Plateau region. The Colorado Plateau region has extensive coal-bearing areas and approximately 40 active coal mines that supply fuel for many of the region’s electrical power plants. Map 4

B shows generalized land surface ownership in the Colorado 

Plateau region. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management are the major Federal land management agencies in thcies manage a small percent of the land. The remaindeState, or private ownership.

113°

113°

34° 

40° 

0 100 Miles

Colorado Plateau study area

Bureau of Land

 Management

National Forests

Other Federal 

Agencies

National Park

Service

Tribal Lands

State / Private

Utah

Colorado

Arizona New Mexico
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in th

Figure 5. Pie chart showing surface ownership for areas underlain by coal-bearing rocks in the Colorado Plateau region.

Surface Ownership of Coal-Bearing Areas

National Park S and others

 1%

Tribal Lands

23%

 Bureau of 

Land Management

35%

Forest Service

15%

Non-Federal 

(State and private)

26%

Areas underlain by coal-bearing rocks

113

113

106

34

40

106

Utah

Colorado

New Mexico

Arizona

(repeated from fig. 4A)

Land ownership (in percent) for areas underlain by coal-bearing rocks in the Colorado Plateau region

This pie chart shows land surface ownership speci

fi cally for areas underlain 

by coal-bearing rocks in the region. About 50 percent of the surface is federally administered by the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service. About 23 percent of the surface consists of Tribal and Indian lands (lands owned by Tribes 

or Indian individuals); those lands are held in trust badministered through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. administered by State agencies or is privately ownethe National Park Service and miscellaneous Feder
E6 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 6

A. Location of coal-bearing rocks and areas managed by the National Park Service 

in the Colorado Plateau region.

Figure 6

B. Photograph of Bryce Canyon National Park (pink 

bearing Dakota Formation (in middle of photograph, above wM. Kirschbaum, U.S. Geological Survey.

Coal and National Parks

Coal located beneath sites managed by the National Park Service is currently not 

available for development. In the Colorado Plateau region (see 

fi g. 6A), coal deposits 

are present beneath Bryce Canyon National Park (

fi g. 6

B), Mesa Verde National Park, 

and Chaco Culture National Historical Park. In additiovicinities of Zion National Park, Capitol Reef NationaRecreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, and mthe National Park Service in the Colorado Plateau regi

Substantial coal deposits are present beneath the 

National Monument in southern Utah (see Hettinger anCD-ROM, for location of this monument). This new Ntered by the Bureau of Land Management and is not av

Gila Cliff Dwellings NM 

113°

113°

106°

34° 34°

40° 40°

106°

0 100 Miles

Petrified

 Forest NP El Malpais NM

El Morro NM

Sunset Crater Petroglyph NM Volcano NM

Wupatki NM 

Bandelier NM

Chaco Culture NHP Canyon de Chelly NM

Grand Canyon NP

Navajo NM Aztec Ruins NM

Glen Canyon NRA 

Mesa Verde NP 

Hovenweep NM

Zion NP

Natural

 Bridges

 NM

Cedar Breaks NM

Bryce Canyon NP Canyonlands NP

Curecanti NRA

Capitol

 Reef NP Black Canyon of the Gunnison NM

Arches NP

Colorado NM

Dinosaur National Monument

Coal-bearing rocks National Park Service

Colorado

Plateau study

area boundary

Utah

Colorado

Arizona New Mexico
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in th

Figure 7

A. Location of coal-bearing rocks and National Forests in the Colorado Plateau 

region.

Figure 7

B. View of Convulsion Canyon, Manti-La Sal Nat

Plateau, Utah. Red color (at arrow) is caused by natural bby R. Dubiel, U.S. Geological Survey.Figure 7

C. The SUFCO mine, owned by Canyon Fuel Com

in the Manti-La Sal National Forest, southern Wasatch PlGeological Survey.

Coal and National Forests

As this map (

fi g. 7

A) shows, large deposits of coal are present beneath several of 

the National Forests (

fi g. 7

B) in the Colorado Plateau region. In general, coal mining 

is permitted in National Forests after the approval of land-use and reclamation plans. The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for leasing all coal on National Forests, even though the U.S. Forest Service has primary jurisdiction over the land surface. Underground coal mines (see 

fi g. 7

C) are in operation beneath the Manti-La 

Sal National Forest in the southern Wasatch Plateau, Utah, and beneath the Gunnison National Forest in the Southern Piceance Basin, Colorado. 

113 ̊

113 ̊

106 ̊

34 ̊ 34 ̊

40 ̊ 40 ̊

106 ̊

0 100 Miles

Coal-bearing rocks National Forests

Gunnison 

National

Forest

Manti-La Sal

National

 Forest

Colorado Plateau study area

Utah

Colorado

New Mexico

Arizona
E8 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 8. The seven priority assessment units discussed in this report.

Estimated Federal Coal Resources, Colorado Plateau Region

For the seven priority assessment units (detailed study 

areas discussed elsewhere on this CD-ROM), we identi

fi ed 

Federal and non-Federal surface ownership and coal ownership, and we calculated Federal coal resources. 

It is important for land managers, planners, and mineral 

developers to know where the Federal coal is located, and how much Federal coal exists, to assist in their land-use decisions. These ownership and resource data become the basis for answering complex spatial queries when these data are combined with information on coal quality, coal thickness, structure, and other parameters generated from geologic investigations. Integrating information on Federal land status, Federal mineral status, and geology can aid management decisions concerning speci

fi c lands.

The maps shown in the rest of this chapter are part of 

the U.S. Geological Survey’s digital database of surface and 

coal ownership for Western States. Sources for the ownership data included the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Bureau of Mines, and other Federal agencies. 

Coal-bearing rocks

Study area

Priority assessment  units

1. Kaiparowits Plateau2. S. Wasatch Plateau3. Deserado4. Danforth Hills5. Yampa6. S. Piceance Basin7. San Juan Basin

1

2

3

4

6

113°

113°

34° 

40°

0 100 Miles

Colorado Plateau study area

 Other coal fields

Arizona New Mexico

Utah

Colorado
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in th

Figure 9. Map depicting land status and mineral ownership for a hypothetical area.

Does Surface Ownership Include Coal Ownership?

This 

fi gure shows a hypothetical township in the Western United States. The 

complex combinations of colors and patterns portray land-ownership status together with mineral-ownership status. 

Surface ownership can differ from coal ownership for the same piece of land. 

For example, all coal may be federally owned, but the surface may be under the 

All mineralsCoal only

Other

Bankhead-JonesBLM

Private

StateNational Forest

Oil and gas onlyOil, gas, and coal only

No Federal minerals

Minerals owned by the

Federal Government

Land status 

1 mile

jurisdiction or management of State, Tribal, or privof jurisdiction may become a legal issue that can reresources not being developed because surface-owndevelopment of these resources. 
E10 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 10. Colorado Plateau assessment units

—surface- and coal-ownersh

How Much Coal is Federally Owned?

This bar graph and table show that about 71 percent (360 

billion short tons) of the total 510 billion short tons of coal in the seven combined Colorado Plateau assessment units is federally owned. About 48 percent of the total 510 billion short tons of coal in the assessment units occurs beneath federally managed land surface; the rest of the coal occurs beneath State, Tribal, or privately owned land. 

If we consider federally owned coal only, approximately 

two-thirds occurs beneath Federal land; the other third occurs beneath State, Tribal, or privately owned land. 

Colorado Plateau Assessment U

Surface ownership

0

50,000

100,000150,000200,000250,000300,000350,000400,000

Federal Non-Federal

Coal 

Federal 

Millions of short tons 48% of total tonnage 71% of total tonnage 52% of total tonnage 

Surface Total* Percent of toFederal 250,000 4Non-Federal 260,000 5Grand Total 510,000Coal Total* Percent of toFederal 360,000 7Non-Federal 150,000 2Grand Total 510,000

*in millions of short tons
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in the 

Figure 11. Table showing statistics concerning Federal land and Federal coal for Colorado Plateau assessment units.Federal Coal Resources

—By Priority Assessment Unit

Danforth HillsYampaSan Juan BasinSouthern Piceance BasinDeseradoSouthern Wasatch PlateauKaiparowits

25

7

4164949499

89655474999699

86695879989699

PRIORITY ASSESSMENT UNITS FEDERAL LAND AREA FEDERAL COAL AREA FEDERAL COAL PERCENTAGE FED

(Percent of the surface 

that is administered by 

the Federal 

Government)

(Percent underlain by 

federally owned coal)

(Tonnage that is 

federally owned)

(I

tw

The table on this screen (

fi g. 11) shows statistics concerning Federal land and 

Federal coal in each of the seven priority assessment units of the Colorado Plateau. In these seven assessment units, federally owned coal tonnage was calculated for the 

fi rst time as part of this study. Among the seven units, the percent of land area 

that is federally administered ranges from 7 to 99; the percent of area underlain by Federal coal ranges from 54 to 99; and the percent of coal tonnage that is federally owned ranges from 58 to 99. 

For the resources reported in this table, overburden thickness is 6,000 ft or less; 

all coal is bituminous in rank; and coal beds includecurrently under Federal or State leases and areas beour resource calculations because of con

fi dentiality 

Detailed information about the geology and co

seven priority assessment units can be found in sepCD-ROM. 

On the following screens, we show maps of su

or both, for these seven priority assessment units. 
E12 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 12

A. Surface ownership in the Danforth Hills coal fi eld (after Brownfi eld and others, 

chap. M, this CD-ROM).

Figure 12

B. Coal ownership in the Danforth Hills coal fi eld (a

M, this CD-ROM).

Danforth Hills

1 0 5 Miles

FederalNon-Federal (State and private)

Surface Ownership

Moffat County

Rio Blanco County

R. 95 W. R. 94 W R. 93 W. R. 92 W. 

T. 4 N.

T. 3 N.

T. 2 N.

T. 1 N.

FederalNon-Federal (State and private)

Coal Ownership

R. 95 W. R. 94 W R. 93 

Moffat County

Rio Blanco County

Of the seven coal regions studied in this assessment of the Colorado Plateau, 

the Danforth Hills coal 

fi eld, northwestern Colorado, has the biggest difference 

between percent surface area administered by the Federal Government and percent area underlain by federally owned coal. Only 25 percent of the land surface is administered by the Federal Government, but 89 percent of the assessment unit is underlain by federally owned coal. These illustrations show surface ownership and 

coal ownership in the Danforth Hills assessment unit. tonnage in the Danforth Hills assessment unit is approwhich is 86 percent of the total coal tonnage in this stu

For a detailed discussion of the geology and coal 

assessment unit, see Brown

fi eld and others (chap. M, t
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in the 

Figure 13

A. Surface ownership in the Yampa assessment unit (after Johnson and others, chap. P, this CD-ROM).

Yampa Coal Field

Federal

Non-Federal (State and private)

Surface Ownership

T. 7 N.

R 88 W. R 87 W. R 86 W

R 91 W. R 89 W.

R 93 W. R 92 W.

40°37' 30'' 

107°30'

0 5 mi

The Yampa assessment unit, northwestern Colorado, also has a big difference 

between the percent surface area administered by the Federal Government and the percent area underlain by federally owned coal. Only 7 percent of the land surface is administered by the Federal Government, but 65 percent of the Yampa assessment unit is underlain by federally owned coal. These illustrations show surface ownership 

and coal ownership in the Yampa assessment unit. TYampa coal 

fi eld is approximately 52 billion short t

total coal tonnage in this study area.

For a detailed discussion of the geology and co

assessment unit, see Johnson and others (chap. P, th
E14 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 13

B. Coal ownership in the Yampa assessment unit (after Johnson and others, chap. P, this CD-ROM).

Federal

Non-Federal (State and private) 

Coal Ownership

R 88 W. R 87 W. R 8

R 91 W. R 89 W.

R 93 W. R 92 W.

40 37' 30'' 

107 30'

0 5 miles
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in the 

Figure 14

A. Surface ownership in the San Juan 

Basin assessment unit (after Fassett, chap. Q, this CD-ROM).

San Juan Basin

In other coal assessment units of the Colorado Plateau, the difference between federally owned coal and 

federally managed surface is not as great. In the San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado, 41 percent of the land surface is managed by the Federal Government and 54 percent of the assessment unit is underlain by federally owned coal. These illustrations show the distribution of Federal surface and Federal coal ownership in the San Juan Basin. The Federal coal tonnage in the San Juan Basin is approximately 130 billion short tons, which is 58 percent of the total coal tonnage in this assessment unit. 

For a detailed discussion of the geology and coal 

resources of the San Juan Basin assessment unit, see Fassett (chap. Q, this CD-ROM).

Note (

fi g. 15) that large, contiguous areas of land 

surface that is not federally administered in the San Juan Basin are Tribal lands, which are included in the percentage of State and private surface area. 

Studyarea

COLORADO

NEW MEXICO

Federal 

Non-Federal

 (State, Indian,  and private)

Surface Ownership 

ARC

LA PLATA

SAN JUAN

McKINLEY

R

SAN

MONTEZUMA

108° 

 37° 

 36° 

108°

COLORADO

NEW MEXICO

Farmington

Ignacio

Durango

0 5 10 15 20 MILES

R 13 W

R 16 W 15

R 16 W 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 

6 5 

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 

14

T 34.5 N

T 34 N (NUL)

T 34 N

 (SUL)
E16 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 14

B. Coal ownership in the San Juan 

Basin assessment unit (after Fassett, chap. Q, this CD-ROM).

Studyarea

COLORADO

NEW MEXICO

Federal 

Non-Federal

 (State, Indian,  and private)

Coal Ownership 

ARCHULETA

LA PLATA

SAN JUAN

McKINLEY

RIO ARRIBA

SANDOVAL

MONTEZUMA

108° 

 37° 

 36° 

108°

COLORADO

NEW MEXICO

Farmington

Ignacio

Durango

0 5 10 15 20 MILES

R 13 W

R 16 W 15

R 1.5 W

2

2.5 R 16 W 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

6 5 4 3 2

7

8

9

10

11

12

T 34 N

 (NUL)

T 34 N

 (SUL)

2 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

14

T 34.5 N

T 34 N (NUL)

T 34 N

 (SUL)
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in the 

Figure 15. Index map of San Juan Basin Tribal areas (modifi ed from Fassett, chap. Q, this CD-ROM). Tribal-area boundaries afrom USGS base maps for New Mexico and Colorado. Map does not show scattered tracts of Indian lands outside of reservaboundaries nor non-Indian lands within some of the reservation boundaries. The basin is defi ned in this report as the area ins

outcrop of the Fruitland Formation (Kf) (see Fassett, chap. Q, this CD-ROM).

San Juan Basin Tribal Lands

 Ute MountainIndian Reservation

Pagosa

Springs

109° 108°

 37°

Durango

NEW MEXICO

 36°

McKINLEY CO

107°

SAN JUAN CO

RIO ARRIBA CO

SAN JUAN CO

COLORADO

Kf

0 10 20 30 MILES

D

Cuba

Cortez

Newcomb

Shiprock

UTAH ARIZONA Southern Ute Indian Reservation

 Navajo IndianReservation

ARCHULETA CO

SANDOVAL CO

LA PLATA CO

MONTEZUMA CO

LA PLATA CO

Aztec

Bloomfield

Farmington

Jicarilla ApacheIndianReservatio

Ignacio
E18 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 16. Coal ownership in the southern part of the Piceance Basin, Colorado (after Hettinger and others, chap. O, this CD-ROM).

Southern Piceance Basin

10 0 10 Miles

 Federal

Non-Federal (State and private)

Coal ownership

11 10 12 

6 S

7 S

2 N

1 N

2 E

5 S

4 S

89 88 

90 W

89 W

91

103 W 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 95 93 92

94 93 92 91

104 W 103

96 W 95

97 W

100 W

1 W 1 E

3 W 2 W

1 S

94

DELTA

MESA 

GARFIELD

RIO BLANCO

GUNNISON

PITKIN

39¡

109¡

39¡45'

109¡ 108¡30' 108¡ 107¡30' 

In the Southern Piceance Basin assessment unit, Colorado, 64 percent of the 

land surface is managed by the Federal Government (no illustration shown) and 74 percent of the assessment unit is underlain by federally owned coal. This illustration shows the distribution of federally owned coal in the southern Piceance Basin. The 

Federal coal tonnage in this basin is approximately 94 percent of the total coal tonnage in this assessment uni

For a detailed discussion of the geology and coal 

Piceance Basin assessment unit, see Hettinger and oth
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in the 

Figure 17

A. Surface ownership in the Deserado coal assessment unit, Lower White River coal 

fi eld (after Brownfi eld and others, chap. N, this CD-ROM).

Figure 17

B. Coal ownership in the Deserado coal assess

fi eld (after Brownfi eld and others, chap. N, this CD-ROM)

Deserado Priority Assessment Unit, Lower White River Coal Field

FederalNon-Federal (State and private)

Surface Ownership

T. 3 N.

T. 3 N.

T. 2 N.

T. 2 N.

R. 102 W. R. 101 W. R. 100 W.

R. 102 W.

1 0 1 2 Miles

Moffat County

Rio Blanco County

Federal

Non-Federal (State and private)

Coal Ownership

T. 3 N.

T. 2 N.

R. 102 W. 

R. 102 W.

1 0 1 2 Miles

Moffat County

Rio Blanco County

These illustrations of the Deserado assessment unit, Colorado, show that 94 

percent of the land surface is administered by the Federal Government and 99 percent of the Deserado assessment unit is underlain by federally owned coal. The Federal coal tonnage in the Deserado assessment unit is approximately 360 million short 

tons, which is 98 percent of the total coal tonnage i

For a detailed discussion of the geology and co

assessment unit, see Brown

fi eld and others (chap. N
E20 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 18

A. Surface ownership in the Southern Wasatch Plateau assessment unit (after Dubiel 

and others, chap. S, this CD-ROM).

Figure 18

B. Coal ownership in the Southern Wasatch Platea

and others, chap. S, this CD-ROM).

Southern Wasatch Plateau

Sanpete County

Sevier County

38°37'30"

39°15'

111°35' 111°7'30"

Emery County 

Federal

Surface Ownership

Non-Federal (State and private)

0 6 miles

38°37'30"

39°15'

111°35' 

Sanpete County

Sevier County

Co

0 

In the Southern Wasatch Plateau assessment unit, Utah, 94 percent of the land 

surface is managed by the Federal Government and 96 percent of the assessment unit is underlain by federally owned coal, as these two illustrations show. The Federal coal tonnage in the Southern Wasatch Plateau assessment unit is approximately 6.5 

billion short tons, which is 96 percent of the total coal unit. 

For a detailed discussion of the geology and coal 

Wasatch Plateau assessment unit, see Dubiel and other
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in the 

Figure 19. Coal ownership in the Kaiparowits Plateau assessment unchap. T, this CD-ROM).

Kaiparowits Plateau

Essentially the entire Kaiparowits Plateau coal assessment unit, 

Utah, consists of federally managed land surface (no illustration shown) underlain by federally owned coal. This illustration shows the distribution of federally owned coal, which is 99 percent of the total coal tonnage in the assessment unit. The Federal coal tonnage in the Kaiparowits assessment unit is approximately 61 billion short tons. 

112 ̊

38 ̊ 

112 ̊ 37 ̊

T. 36 S.

T. 34 S.

R. 1 W. R. 1 E.

R. 5 E.

R. 3 E.

FederaNon-F

Coal owne
E22 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Figure 20. Computer-produced representation showing location of Federal coal 

geologic criteria, Kaiparowits Plateau assessment unit (modifi ed from Hettinger 

CD-ROM).

Kaiparowits Plateau Query Results

This illustration is an example in which we identi

fi ed locations of Federal coal resources under speci

fi c geologic conditions, as part of an analysis of the Kaiparowits Plateau (Hettinger and others, chap. T, this CD-ROM). Similar analyses 

can be shown for any of the seven assessment units. By using USGS-prepared digital databases, we searched for areas of the Kaiparowits Plateau where federally owned coal beds are dipping less than 12 degrees and occur under less than 3,000 ft of overburden. This map displays the total coal thickness for areas that met these criteria. 

For a detailed discussion of the geology and coal resources 

of the Kaiparowits assessment unit, see Hettinger and others (chap. T, this CD-ROM).

0 10 Miles

Areas in shades of red meet the follo

- Identified Federal c- Overburden < 3,00- Dip < 12 degrees

Total coal t
Federally Owned Coal and Federal Lands in the 

Figure 21. Scenic view of Spring Canyon, southern Wasatch Plateau, Utah. Photo by M. Kirschbaum, U.S. Geological Survey.

Conclusions

The federally owned coal deposits of the Colorado Plateau 

region play an important role in supplying energy to our Nation. More than 360 billion short tons of Federal coal exist in the seven priority assessment units studied in this report. As United States coal resources continue to be examined for potential development, there is sustained interest in Federal coal in the Colorado Plateau region. The U.S. Geological Survey’s digital database of surface and coal ownership, joined with USGS geologic investigations, assists policy makers and land-use planners in making wise decisions regarding use of Federal land and coal resources to meet diverse social needs. References CitedBiewick, Laura R.H., 1997, Coal fi elds and Federal lands of the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-461, 

one plate, [available on the Web at: http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/fedland/index.html].

U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 1995, 

Annual energy review 1994: DOE/EIA-0384(94), table 1.14.

U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 1998, Coal 

industry annual, 1997: DOE/EIA-0584(97), table 13.

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 1991, Federal 

coal management report, fi scal year 1990Annual report of the Secretary of the Interior, 38 p.

U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, 1998, Coal 

revenues 1997

—Report on coal receipts from Federal and Indian leases, 

fi gure 2, p. vi, [available on the Web at: http://www.rmp.mms.gov/library/statroom/PDFDocs/cr97.pdf].