Chapter S

Geology and Coal Resources of the 

Blackhawk Formation in the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau, 

Central Utah

By Russell F. Dubiel,1 Mark A. Kirschbaum, 1 Laura N.R. Roberts,1

Tracey J. Mercier,2 and A. Heinrich2

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 S 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

2

 U.S. Geological Survey contract employee, Denver, Colorado 80225

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

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

Abstract........................................................................................................................................................S1

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 2

Purpose and Scope ............................................................................................................................. 2

Location of Southern Wasatch Plateau Study Area ...................................................................... 2

Previous Geologic Studies ................................................................................................................. 8

Mining Activity ................................................................................................................................... 11

Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................. 11

Methods Employed in the Assessment................................................................................................... 12

NCRDS-StratiFact Database............................................................................................................ 12

Lithologic and Stratigraphic Data ................................................................................................... 13

Geologic Maps and Data.................................................................................................................. 22

Cartographic Data and Geographic Boundaries.......................................................................... 23

Geologic Setting.......................................................................................................................................... 23

Structure of the Southern Wasatch Plateau Study Area............................................................ 23

Faults........................................................................................................................................... 23

Folds............................................................................................................................................ 25

Cretaceous Paleogeography of the Southern Wasatch Plateau............................................... 25

General Stratigraphy of Cretaceous Rocks................................................................................... 27

Detailed Stratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous Rocks...................................................................... 29

Sedimentology and Depositional Environments........................................................................... 31

Sequence Stratigraphy and Coal-Bed Correlations .................................................................... 32

Shoreface Sandstone Parasequences .......................................................................................... 32

Coal Distribution, Quality, and Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau.......................................................................................................... 34

Coal Distribution................................................................................................................................. 34

Earlier Nomenclature and Correlation of Coal Beds .......................................................... 36

Lower Blackhawk (LBH) Coal Zone ....................................................................................... 36

Coal-Bed Correlations in the Southern Wasatch Plateau Study Area ............................ 37

Coal Quality......................................................................................................................................... 38

Coal Resources .................................................................................................................................. 38

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Methods and Calculations ................................ 38

Coal Resources in the Southern Wasatch Plateau............................................................. 40

Coal Resources in the Lower Blackhawk Coal Zone.......................................................... 44

Bibliography of References Cited and Related Papers........................................................................ 50

Appendix 1—Database

[Location, lithologic, and stratigraphic data are available in ASCII format, 

DBF, and Excel spreadsheets on disc 2 of this CD-ROM set]
Appendix 2—ArcView Project of Southern Wasatch Plateau theme

[The digital fi les used for the coal resource assessment of the southern Wasatch

Plateau are presented as views in the ArcView project. The ArcView project 

and the digital fi les are stored on both discs of this CD-ROM set—Appendix 2 

of chapter S resides on both discs. Persons who do not have ArcView 3.1 may 

query the data by means of the ArcView Data Publisher on disc 1. Persons who 

do have ArcView 3.1 may utilize the full functionality of the software by accessing 

the data that reside on disc 2. An explanation of the ArcView project and data library

—and how to get started using the software—is given by Biewick and Mercier 

(chap. D, this CD-ROM). Metadata for all digital fi les are also accessible through 

the ArcView project]

Plate

 1. Location diagram and cross sections showing geology and coal resources 

of the Blackhawk Formation, southern Wasatch Plateau, central Utah.........................S57

 Figure A. Map showing, data points, point labels, and lines of 

stratigaphic cross section

 Figure B. Cross section A-A′, oriented parallel to paleoshoreline 

trends in the Star Point Sandstone

 Figure C. Cross section B-B′, oriented generally perpendicular 

to paleoshorelines within the Star Point Sandstone

Figures

 1A. Map of central Utah showing location of the study area ....................................................S3

 1B. Map showing detailed location of the southern Wasatch Plateau...................................... 3

 2A. Map showing location of cultural features in and near the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau study area..................................................................................... 4

 2B. Map showing physiography in and near the southern Wasatch Plateau........................... 5

 3. Map showing location of 7.5′ quadrangles in and around the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau study area..................................................................................... 6

 4. Index map of southern Wasatch Plateau showing location of data points, 

geologic units, and townships and ranges .............................................................................. 7

 5A. Map showing coal ownership in the southern Wasatch Plateau ........................................ 8

 5B. Map showing surface ownership in and adjacent to 

the southern Wasatch Plateau................................................................................................... 9

 6. Map showing principal structural features in the Wasatch Plateau................................. 24

 7. Late Cretaceous paleogeography ........................................................................................... 26

 8A. Time-stratigraphic chart showing nomenclature, facies relations, and coal- and 

non-coal-bearing strata in the Wasatch Plateau and Book Cliffs...................................... 27

 8B. Diagrammatic time-stratigraphic chart showing nomenclature 

of the Star Point Sandstone and the Blackhawk Formation ............................................... 28
 8C. Generalized stratigraphic sections of Star Point Sandstone and 

Blackhawk Formation showing facies relations, nomenclature, 

and intertonguing of strata ....................................................................................................... 28

 9. Stratigraphic correlations, sedimentary facies relations, and 

generalized coal-bed correlations in the Mesaverde Group in the 

southern Wasatch Plateau ....................................................................................................... 29

 10. Map showing location of sandstone pinch-outs in the Star Point Sandstone 

in the southern Wasatch Plateau ............................................................................................ 35

 11. Map showing elevation contours on the top of the Star Point Sandstone 

in the southern Wasatch Plateau ............................................................................................ 41

 12. Map showing data point locations, isopachs of net coal, 

and net-coal-thickness categories in the lower Blackhawk coal zone 

in the southern Wasatch Plateau ............................................................................................ 42

 13. Map showing data point locations, overburden thickness, 

and thickness categories above the base of the Blackhawk Formation 

in the southern Wasatch Plateau ............................................................................................ 43

 14. Map showing data point locations and coal reliability categories 

in the southern Wasatch Plateau ............................................................................................ 45

Tables

 1. Data used in the assessment of coal resources in the 

southern Wasatch Plateau .....................................................................................................S14

 2A. The average and range of values for proximate chemical analyses 

of Blackhawk Formation coals from the southern Wasatch Plateau ................................ 39

 2B. Average as-received chemical analyses of coal from mines 

in the southern Wasatch Plateau ............................................................................................ 39

 3. Estimated coal resources in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater in several 

overburden catefories in the lower Blackhawk coal zone in the 

southern Wasatch Plateau ....................................................................................................... 46

 4. Estimated coal resources in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater in the 

lower Blackhawk coal zone within the zone of shattered rock 

in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area........................................................................ 47

 5. Estimated coal resources by surface ownership in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater 

in the lower Blackhawk coal zone in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area .......... 47

 6. Estimated coal resources by coal ownership in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater 

in the lower Blackhawk coal zone in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area .......... 48

 7. Estimated coal resources by township in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater 

in the lower Blackhawk coal zone in the southern Wasatch Plateau............................... 48

 8. Estimated coal resources by 7.5′ quadrangle in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater 

in the lower Blackhawk coal zone in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. ......... 49
Abstract

This report on the coal resources of the southern Wasatch 

Plateau in central Utah is a contribution to the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) project on the National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA), a 5-year effort to identify and characterize the 

coal beds and coal zones that will potentially provide the fuel 

for the Nation’s coal-derived energy during the 21st century. 

For the NCRA, the country is divided into fi ve regions that 

contain the majority of the signifi cant coal deposits of the 

United States: (1) the Appalachian Basin, (2) the Illinois Basin, 

(3) the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain, (4) The Powder River 

Basin and Northern Rocky Mountains, and (5) the Rocky 

Mountains and Colorado Plateau. Twelve areas within the 

Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau region have been designated high priority because they contain signifi cant coal 

resources that are either currently being mined or that have 

high potential for being mined in the near future. The southern 

Wasatch Plateau is one of these high-priority areas.

The southern Wasatch Plateau is located in central Utah 

to the west of the San Rafael Swell in parts of Emery, Sevier, 

and Sanpete Counties. Although some coals may be present at 

great depth in the study area—both in the Cretaceous Dakota 

Sandstone and in the Ferron and Emery Sandstone Members of 

the Cretaceous Mancos Shale—the majority of thick, continuous coal beds at depths down to 5,000 ft occur within the 

Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation. Thick, laterally continuous 

coal beds occur in the basal part of the Blackhawk within 

the lower Blackhawk coal zone, which extends about 150 ft 

above the underlying Star Point Sandstone. Several coal beds 

overlie and extend in a paleo-landward direction from marineshoreface sandstone parasequence pinch-outs in the Star Point. 

The sequence stratigraphic stacking pattern of the shoreface 

parasequences dictated the stacking pattern, stratigraphic spacing, and geographic location of the coal beds in the overlying 

Blackhawk Formation.

The coal quantities reported for this study are entirely 

“resources” and represent, as accurately as possible, all the 

coal in the ground within the lower Blackhawk coal zone that 

are in beds greater than 1.2 ft thick. The resources are qualifi ed 

and subdivided into categories of total coal thickness and of 

overburden categories (depth to the coal in the subsurface). 

The USGS has not attempted to estimate coal “reserves” for 

this region. Reserves are that subset of the resource that could 

be economically produced at the present time.

Coal beds in the southern Wasatch Plateau are laterally 

discontinuous relative to eastern coal-bearing regions of the 

United States, such as the Appalachian Basin. That is, they 

terminate more abruptly and are more likely to split into thinner beds over shorter lateral distances. Because of these characteristics, the publicly available data in this study derived 

from approximately 190 measured sections and 119 drill holes 

are not suffi cient in number and distribution to determine 

what proportion of the coal resource is technologically available or economically recoverable at the present time; additionally, it was not the focus of the present coal assessment to 

evaluate coal reserves. The coal resources are differentiated 

into “identifi ed” and “hypothetical” categories based on the 

standard coal classifi cation scheme of Wood and others (1982, 

1983; see also USBM and USGS, 1976). Identifi ed resources 

are those within 3 mi of a known measured thickness value, 

and hypothetical resources are farther than 3 mi from a data 

point. Data distribution in the southern Wasatch Plateau is 

such that 62 percent original in-place coal resources are in 

the identifi ed category. In the extreme northwest part of the 

study area, subsurface drill-hole data are lacking and outcrop 

measurements are sparse. Thus, the resources in that region are 

in the hypothetical category and comprise 38 percent of the 

total resources.

Within the southern Wasatch Plateau, the thick and laterally 

persistent coal beds all occur within the lower Blackhawk coal 

zone. The lower Blackhawk coal zone is defi ned as the interval 

of the Blackhawk Formation that lies about 150 ft directly 

Geology and Coal Resources of the

Blackhawk Formation in the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau, 

Central Utah

By Russell F. Dubiel, Mark A. Kirschbaum, Laura N.R. Roberts, 

Tracey J. Mercier, and A. Heinrich

S1
over the Star Point Sandstone. Coals in the upper part of the 

Blackhawk are thin and discontinuous. The lower Blackhawk 

coal zone contains seven major coal beds, two of which contain 

coal that is thicker than 10 ft throughout part of the southern 

Wasatch Plateau. Each of the seven coal beds can be traced to 

and correlated with a distinct marine shoreface sandstone within 

the Star Point Sandstone. The stacking pattern of the coal beds is 

directly related to the stacking pattern and landward pinch-outs 

of the shoreface sandstone parasequences within the Star Point.

The original in-place coal resource in the southern Wasatch 

Plateau is defi ned to include all coal beds greater than 1.2 

ft in thickness in the lower Blackhawk coal zone. Although 

small quantities of coal in the southern Wasatch Plateau could 

hypothetically be removed by surface mining of shallow coal 

beds from exposures of the Blackhawk that are close to 

the outcrop, any signifi cant recovery operation would require 

underground mining due to the generally steep terrain and 

the thick overburden; thus, none of the resource is considered 

surface minable. Within the study area, the SUFCO mine in 

northeastern Sevier County, Utah, is the only active operation at 

the present time, producing coal from a bed about 14 ft thick and 

under about 1,000 ft of overburden. Within the southern Wasatch 

Plateau, original in-place resources for the overburden category 

0 to 500 ft and the net-coal thickness category of 7 to 14 ft, there 

are 160 million short tons of coal; for the overburden category 0 

to 500 ft and the net-coal thickness category of greater than 14 

ft, there are 140 million short tons of coal. For the overburden 

category 500 to 1,000 ft and net coal thickness category 7 to 14 

ft, there are 420 million short tons of coal; for that overburden 

category and net-coal thickness category of greater than 14 ft, 

there are 460 million short tons of coal. For overburden category 

1,000 to 2,000 ft and net-coal thickness category 7 to 14 ft, 

there are 310 million short tons of coal; for that overburden 

category and net-coal thickness category greater than 14 ft, there 

are 2,100 million short tons of coal. For the overburden category 

2,000 to 3,000 ft and net-coal thickness category 7 to 14 ft, there 

are 1.4 million short tons of coal, and for net-coal thickness 

category greater than 14 ft, there are 1,800 million short tons 

of coal. For the overburden category greater than 3,000 ft, there 

are 1,200 million short tons of coal in the net-coal thickness 

category greater than 14 ft. Additional coal resources are in the 

thickness categories 1.2 to 2.3 ft, 2.3 to 3.5 ft, and 3.5 to 7 ft 

throughout the study area. The Southern Wasatch Plateau study 

area contains an original in-place resource of 6.8 billion short 

tons of coal. This total resource fi gure does not refl ect geologic, 

technologic, land-use, and environmental restrictions that may 

affect the availability and recoverability of the coal.

Introduction

Purpose and Scope 

This report provides data on and a discussion of geology, 

the horizontal and vertical distribution of coal deposits, and 

an assessment of coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau in central Utah (fi gs. 1A, 1B). The report provides a 

preliminary delineation of thick coals and an estimate of coal 

resources that can serve as a baseline for future efforts to 

assess the availability and recoverability of coal in the Wasatch 

Plateau. The assessment of coal resources in the southern 

Wasatch Plateau is part of the U.S. Geological Survey National 

Coal Resource Assessment project that was initiated in 1994 

(USGS, 1996). A coal assessment of the northern Wasatch 

Plateau, which is adjacent to the northern boundary of the 

study area of this report, was conducted by the Utah Geological Survey (Tabet and others, 1999). The National Coal 

Resource Assessment will not attempt to estimate the total 

coal endowment of the United States but will instead identify 

and characterize the coal beds and coal zones that that will 

provide the bulk of the Nation’s coal-derived energy for the 

21st century. The southern Wasatch Plateau is one of 12 priority areas containing coal within the Rocky Mountains and 

Colorado Plateau region of the Western United States. The 

Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau contain signifi cant 

coal resources, and together they form one of the fi ve major 

regions of the United States that are being evaluated as part 

of the National Coal Resource Assessment (USGS, 1996; see 

also Kirschbaum, Executive Summary , this CD-ROM). Additional areas having less potential for signifi cant coal production during the next several decades will be studied in future 

years of the project. For each coal-producing region, measurements from outcrops and well logs identify the most important 

coal beds or coal zones and map the extent and thickness 

of these coal beds. In addition, information about resource 

parameters such as coal quality is also reported. All data are 

stored in digital form, and all products such as text, tables, and 

maps are available in digital form (see table 1, and Appendix 

1), thereby permitting geographic-information-system (GIS) 

technology to be used to manipulate, evaluate, and display the 

coal-resource information.

Location of Southern Wasatch Plateau 

Study Area 

The southern Wasatch Plateau lies in central Utah (fi g. 1) 

and is contiguous with the northern Wasatch Plateau. Together, 

the two areas form the Wasatch Plateau coal fi eld of earlier 

reports (e.g., Spieker, 1931; Doelling, 1972a,, 1972b; Davis 

and Doelling, 1977). The coal fi eld extends for about 90 mi 

NNE., from just south of I-70 at Last Chance Creek north to 

U.S. Highway 50-6 near Colton and Soldier Summit, Utah. 

The Wasatch Plateau coal fi eld extends from Carbon County 

on the north, south through Emery County, and into eastern 

Sanpete and Sevier Counties (Spieker, 1931; Doelling and 

Smith, 1982). The southern Wasatch Plateau (fi gs. 2A, 2B) 

covers parts of Sevier, Sanpete, and Emery counties. The eastern edge of the coal fi eld consists of cliff exposures of the 

S2 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
Upper Cretaceous Star Point Sandstone and Blackhawk Formation along the west fl ank of the San Rafael Swell that are 

a continuation of the well-known Book Cliffs to the north 

(fi g. 1A). To the west, the coal-bearing rocks continue to dip 

away from the San Rafael Swell into the subsurface at about 

5° to 7°, where they are overlain by younger Cretaceous and 

Tertiary rocks and are displaced along major normal faults 

near the western margin of the Wasatch Plateau. To the north, 

coal-bearing Cretaceous rocks dip to the north into the Uinta 

Basin, and to the south they are covered by volcanic rocks 

of the Fish Lake Plateau. The width of the coal fi eld varies 

from about a minimum of 6 mi at the southern end of the 

Wasatch Plateau to an average of about 22 mi at the northern 

end of the Wasatch Plateau. Coal resources in the northern part 

of the Wasatch Plateau were studied by the Utah Geological 

Survey (Tabet and others, 1999). The Utah Geological Survey 

is conducting both a coal resource study of Emery and Carbon 

Counties, Utah, and a coal-availability and recoverability study 

of quadrangles in those counties and in the area around North 

and South Horn Mountain in Emery County east of the Joes 

Valley graben system because those areas are geologically 

contiguous with rocks east of the Joes Valley graben to the 

north.

The southern Wasatch Plateau, referred to in this report 

as the “study area,” covers about 550 mi2

 in parts of 15 7.5′

quadrangles (fi g. 3) in eastern Sanpete and Sevier Counties and 

the extreme western part of Emery County, Utah. The southern 

Wasatch Plateau is bounded on the west by a series of northsouth-trending normal faults (fi g. 4). Coal in the study area 

occurs primarily in the Blackhawk Formation. Coal-bearing 

rocks of the Blackhawk Formation also exist along outcrops 

and in the subsurface farther west, particularly along I-70 and 

Ivie Creek in the Salina Canyon district; however, the rocks 

there are broken and shattered by numerous faults. The Blackhawk Formation and included coals in that area are discussed 

by Spieker (1931), but they are not considered in this evaluation of the coal resources of the southern Wasatch Plateau 

because the rocks are extensively faulted, making correlations 

of coal beds uncertain, and because the coals are thin and 

discontinuous (see Kirschbaum and Biewick, chap. B, this 

CD-ROM). At the southern boundary of the study area, coalbearing rocks of the Blackhawk Formation are covered by 

volcanic rocks just south of Ivie Creek and I-70. On the maps 

of this report, the southern boundary of the study area is 

formed by the intersection of the outcrops of the Star Point 

Sandstone and Blackhawk Formation with the north-southtrending fault zone that forms the western margin of the study 

area. To the east of the study area, the coal-bearing Blackhawk 

Formation and the Star Point Sandstone form an erosional 

escarpment on the western fl ank of the San Rafael Swell. 

The eastern boundary of the study area corresponds with the 

contact between the Star Point Sandstone and the underlying 

Salt Lake City

Wasatch Plateau

Utah

Book Cliffs

Southern Wasatch Plateau

Study Area

 San 

 Rafael 

Swell

Figure 1A. Map of central Utah showing location of the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau study area, the Wasatch Plateau, 

the Book Cliffs, and the San Rafael Swell.

Cedar City

Moab

Emery

Green River

Price

Scofield Helper 

Castle Dale Orangeville Huntington

Salt Lake City 

Ferron

 6

15

70

80

113 ̊

40 ̊

Southern Wasatch

 Plateau

Extent of coal-

 bearing strata

EXPLANATION

Figure 1B. Map showing the location of the southern 

Wasatch Plateau and the extent of coal-bearing strata in 

Utah in relation to towns and major roadways.

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S3








 

 2

Emery

Ferron

Sanpete County

Sevier County

38 ̊37'30"

39 ̊15'

111 ̊35' 111 ̊7'30"

70

1

4

5

6 7

3

Emery County

Eastern cliffs of

Wasatch Plateau

Joes Valley

fault system

Musinia fault zone

Mines

1. SUFCO

active area

3. Knight

4. Quitchupah

5. Link Canyon

6. Ricci

7. Slide Hollow

2. Clear Creek



Major

faults

Study area

Roads

0 6 miles

Figure 2A. Index map showing location of cultural features in and near the Southern Wasatch Plateau study 

area (green pattern). The eastern escarpment of the Wasatch Plateau is formed by cliffs of the Star Point 

Sandstone, and they essentially defi ne the eastern boundary of the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. 

Dark-green pattern shows underground extent of the SUFCO mine, the only active mine in the study area; 

numbered mine symbols show approximate location of former entryways of inactive mines.

S4 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
0 6 miles

Emery

Ferron

Sanpete County

Sevier County

Emery County

38 ̊37'30"

39 ̊15'

111 ̊35' 111 ̊7'30"

70

Emery County

Link Canyon

Convulsion Canyon

Muddy Canyon

Ivie Creek

Ferron Canyon

Rock 

Canyon

Figure 2B. Index map showing physiography from digital elevation models (DEM’s) and physiographic 

features in and near the southern Wasatch Plateau that are referred to in the text.

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S5
Mancos Shale. The northern boundary of the study area is 

an east-west line at lat 39°15′N. that coincides with the southern boundary of part of the Northern Wasatch Plateau study 

area, which also includes The Cap quadrangle (fi g. 3). The 

Cap quadrangle was included in the Northern Wasatch Plateau 

study area because rocks and coal in that area are east of the 

disrupted rocks of the Joes Valley fault system that lies near 

the eastern boundary of the southern Wasatch Plateau, and 

thus they are contiguous with strata included in the Northern 

Wasatch Plateau study area (Tabet and others, 1999).

The southern Wasatch Plateau, similar to the Wasatch 

Plateau in general, is an area of rugged topography (fi g. 2B), 

with deep canyons cut on the eastern fl ank. The eastern plateau 

edge is a steep cliff formed by the Star Point Sandstone that 

is overlain by steep slopes of the Blackhawk Formation, with 

total relief on the eastern escarpment of about 1,000 ft. Elevations range from about 7,000 ft on the east to almost 10,000 

ft near the central and western parts of the study area. Major 

drainages such as Rock Canyon Creek, Ferron Creek, Muddy 

Creek, Quitchupah Creek, and Ivie Creek (fi g. 2B) have headMussentuchit

 Flat 

Johns Peak Willow Springs Hilgard

 Mountain

(part) 

Old Woman Walker Flat Mesa Butte

Plateau 

Yogo Creek

(part)

Acord Lakes Emery West Emery East

Water

 Hollow

 Ridge

(part)

Heliotrope Flagstaff Peak Ferron

Mountain

Woods

Lake

(part)

Ferron Reservoir Ferron Canyon The Cap Black

 Mountain

(part)

38 ̊37'30"

39 ̊15'

111 ̊35' 111 ̊7'30"

0 6 miles

Eastern cliffs of

Wasatch Plateau

Figure 3. Index map showing location of 7.5′ quadrangles in and around the Southern 

Wasatch Plateau study area (green pattern).

S6 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
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23S 7E 

22S 7E 

21S 7E 

20S 7E 

19S 7E 

25S 4E 25S 3E 25S 6E 25S 5E 

24S 7E 

25S 7E 

0 6 miles

38 37'30"

39 15'

111 35' 111 7'30"

Younger K-T

Geologic units:

Blackhawk Fm.

Star Point Ss.

Mancos Sh.

● Data point locations

Faults

EXPLANATION

Figure 4. Index map of southern Wasatch Plateau showing location of data points, geologic units, and townships and ranges. Geology of the study area shows stratigraphic units and major faults. Geologic units are, in 

ascending order: Upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale and older rocks; Upper Cretaceous Star Point Sandstone; 

Upper Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation; undifferentiated younger Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks (includes 

the Cretaceous and Tertiary North Horn Formation (Maastrichtian to Eocene), and the Tertiary Flagstaff 

Limestone (Paleocene and Eocene), Colton Formation (Eocene), and Green River Formation (Eocene)).

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S7
waters at higher elevations on the Wasatch Plateau and fl ow 

southeast toward the Colorado River. The Federal Government 

owns the majority of surface and mineral rights in the study 

area, whereas State and private interests hold small tracts 

throughout the study area (fi gs. 5A, 5B).

Previous Geologic Studies 

Spieker and Baker (1927) reported on the coal resources 

of the Salina Canyon district, a small area 6 mi wide and 14 mi 

long along Salina Creek west of the Southern Wasatch Plateau 

study area. The Salina Canyon district contains rocks and coal 

beds in the Blackhawk Formation similar to those that occur 

in the southern Wasatch Plateau, but coal resources are limited 

chiefl y by the small size of the areas found between major 

north-south-trending faults. A summary of the coal resources 

in the Salina Canyon district can be found in Kirschbaum and 

Biewick (chap. B, this CD-ROM).

Clark (1928) reported on the economic geology, including 

the coal geology, of the Castlegate, Wellington, and Sunnyside 

quadrangles in the Book Cliffs east of the Southern Wasatch 

Plateau study area. He (Clark, 1928) also reported that Taff 

(1906) made a preliminary survey of the Wasatch Plateau coal 

Sanpete County

Sevier County

39 ̊15'

111 ̊35'

Emery County

Coal Ownership

State or Private

Federal

Study area 

0 6 miles

Sanpete County

Sevier County

38 ̊37'30"

111 ̊7'30"

Emery County

Roads

Coal Ownership

State or private

Federal

Study area 

0 6 miles

Figure 5A. Map showing coal ownership in the southern Wasatch Plateau.

S8 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
fi eld. Clark (1928) mapped the geology, traced coal beds, and 

named and discussed the stratigraphic relations of the Panther, 

Storrs, and Spring Canyon Tongues of the Star Point Sandstone and the Aberdeen Member of the Blackhawk Formation. 

Each of these units extends west and south into the Wasatch 

Plateau and into the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. 

Clark (1928) provided much of the original basis for subsequent work on the intertonguing of the sandstone members of 

the Blackhawk Formation with the Mancos Shale to the east.

Spieker (1931, p. 6–7) summarized earlier work on the 

geology of the region, stating that the Wasatch Plateau coal 

fi eld was fi rst mentioned by Forrester (1893) and Storrs (1902) 

in their accounts of the coal fi elds of Utah. Spieker (1931) 

noted that Taff (1906) conducted the fi rst signifi cant study 

of the geology of the area, which was followed by a more 

detailed study of the northern part of the coal fi eld (Taff, 

1907). Spieker and Reeside (1925) described the stratigraphy 

of the Wasatch Plateau, defi ning various Cretaceous to Tertiary 

stratigraphic units that were applied throughout the Wasatch 

Plateau and Book Cliffs region. Spieker (1925) published a 

short account of the Wasatch Plateau coal fi eld. Spieker (1931) 

presented the fi rst detailed study of the geology, stratigraphy, 

and coal in the Wasatch Plateau, including both the Southern 

Wasatch Plateau study area of this report and the northern 

Sanpete County

Sevier County

38 ̊37'30"

39 ̊15'

111 ̊35' 111 ̊7'30" Emery County

Bureau of Land Management

Surface Ownership

Forest Service

State of Utah

Private 

Study area boundary

0 6 miles

Figure 5B. Map showing surface ownership in and adjacent to the southern Wasatch Plateau.

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S9
Wasatch Plateau (Tabet and others, 1999).

Fisher (1936) described the geology and coal resources 

of the Book Cliffs in Emery and Grand Counties, Utah, east 

of the area covered by Clark (1928). Fisher’s (1936) study 

area is considerably east of the Wasatch Plateau, but the general stratigraphy, geology, and coal occurrences parallel those 

found in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. Reports by 

Clark (1928), Fisher (1936), and others (e.g., Erdmann, 1934, 

covering the Book Cliffs in Garfi eld and Mesa Counties, Colorado) also provided the basis for subsequent ground-breaking 

studies of the marine shoreface sandstones by Young (1955) 

and other studies discussed below that continue to be a prime 

focus of sedimentologic research in the Book Cliffs to this 

day.

In a landmark work, Young (1955) described the sedimentary facies and intricate vertical and lateral intertonguing of 

marine and nonmarine rocks in the Upper Cretaceous Star 

Point Sandstone, Blackhawk Formation, and Price River Formation of the Book Cliffs in an area extending from just 

west of the town of Helper, Utah, eastward to just east of 

Grand Junction, Colo. That study discussed the progradation 

of marine shoreface sandstones within the Upper Cretaceous 

section and their relation to sedimentation and subsidence in 

the basin. Although the research focused on the Book Cliffs to 

the east of the present Southern Wasatch Plateau study area, 

it is relevant to the present report because similar facies and 

intertonguing relations exist in the shoreface sandstones of 

the Star Point Sandstone and the Blackhawk Formation in the 

Wasatch Plateau to the south of the Book Cliffs.

Maberry (1971) reported on the sedimentary features 

and trace fossils in the Aberdeen, Kenilworth, and Sunnyside 

Members of the Blackhawk Formation in the Sunnyside coal 

mining district and their relation to facies and engineering 

geology in the coal mines.

Doelling (1972a, p. 59–243) provided a comprehensive 

review of the Wasatch Plateau region, discussing stratigraphy, 

coal geology, measured sections, and coal mining and production. Doelling (1972b) prepared a summary of the Wales, 

Sterling, Salina Canyon, Mt. Pleasant, and Wasatch Plateau 

coal fi elds for a fi eld conference, discussing coal occurrences, 

coal quality, and historical production. Davis and Doelling 

(1977) reported on coal drilling in both the northern and the 

southern parts of the Wasatch Plateau.

In the late 1970’s, through the 1980’s and into the 1990’s, 

renewed interest in the low-sulfur coal deposits of the Blackhawk Formation of the Wasatch Plateau for the generation 

of electric power both locally and throughout the United 

States resulted in numerous mapping and drilling projects that 

produced a variety of reports on the stratigraphy, geology 

and cross sections, depositional environments, and coal occurrences and resources of the southern Wasatch Plateau 

(Blanchard and others, 1977; Davis and Doelling, 1977; 

Marley and Flores, 1977; Johnson, 1978; Marley, 1978; Abbay, 

1979a, 1979b, 1979c; Flores and others, 1980; Hayes and 

Sanchez, 1979; Sanchez and Hayes, 1979; Albee 1980; Ellis, 

1980; Marley and others, 1979; Muldoon, 1980; Blanchard, 

1981; Ellis, 1981a, 1981b; Flores and others, 1982; Mercier 

and others, 1982; Sanchez and Brown, 1983; Sanchez and 

others, 1983a, 1983b; Flores and others, 1984; Sanchez and 

Brown, 1986, 1987; Brown and others, 1987; Sanchez, 1990; 

Sanchez and Ellis, 1990). Rather than describe the focus of 

each of those reports, they are referenced in the body of 

this report where they are relevant to discussions of geology, 

facies, or coal distribution. A similar body of literature exists 

specifi cally for coal drilling, mining, and geology of the northern Wasatch Plateau, and that data can be referenced in reports 

such as Doelling (1972a) and the report by Tabet and others 

(1999). All of these reports provide a plethora of data, observations, and interpretations on mapping, drill holes, and core 

descriptions from a variety of areas within or relevant to the 

southern Wasatch Plateau. They also provide information on 

coal beds and coal resources, along with coal correlations and 

chemical coal-quality analyses. Specifi c references to southern 

Wasatch Plateau coal-quality data that are discussed later in 

this report in the section on Coal Quality can be found in Doelling (1972a), Davis and Doelling (1977), and Smith (1981b).

While studies of the coal geology proceeded in the Book 

Cliffs and Wasatch Plateau, sedimentologic fi eld research 

investigated the intertonguing stratigraphic relations between 

shoreface sandstones and marine shales that would subsequently be incorporated in sequence-stratigraphic studies 

related primarily to oil and gas exploration and development. 

Balsley and Horne (1980), building on the work of Young 

(1955), produced for fi eld trips a comprehensive analysis of 

depositional facies and deposystems that included marineshoreface, marginal-marine, and coastal-plain rocks along the 

Book Cliffs eastward from the town of Helper toward Green 

River, Utah. Since their work, numerous studies have elaborated on and clarifi ed the relations of marine-shoreface sandstone intertonguing and stacking patterns, especially in members of the Blackhawk Formation in the Book Cliffs (e.g., 

Van Wagoner and others, 1988; Haq and others, 1988; Van 

Wagoner and others, 1990; Van Wagoner and others, 1991; 

Kamola and Van Wagoner, 1995; Van Wagoner, 1995; O’Byrne 

and Flint, 1995; Taylor and Lovell, 1995). These studies in 

the Book Cliffs have formed the backbone of much of the oil 

and gas industry’s understanding of sequence stratigraphy in 

marine-shoreface and deltaic successions. However, most of 

those works utilize sequence stratigraphy in answering problems facing the hydrocarbon extraction industry, and only a 

few studies have applied sequence stratigraphic concepts to 

coastal-plain or terrestrial facies that contain coal (e.g., Cross, 

1988; Hettinger and others, 1993; Shanley and McCabe, 1995; 

Bohacs and Suter, 1997).

The body of literature on coal geology, facies, stratigraphic relations, and depositional models for Cretaceous 

rocks is too voluminous to reference in this report. Specifi c 

studies related to the geology and coal occurrences of the 

southern Wasatch Plateau have been cited above, or they are 

referenced in the following body of the report as they pertain 

to specifi c issues or topics under discussion. Summary papers 

that may be investigated further by the reader for general 

S10 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
concepts and coal references are provided by McCabe (1984, 

1991), Rahmani and Flores (1984), Diessel (1992), Cobb and 

Cecil (1993), and references therein.

Mining Activity 

Coal was discovered in the Wasatch Plateau in 1874, and 

mining started in 1875 in Huntington Canyon (see Spieker, 

1931, for a more detailed summary of historical mining in the 

Wasatch Plateau). In 1876, coal was being mined from several 

mines in Coal Canyon and Huntington Canyon, in large part 

due to their proximity to the Salt Lake City market, and all of 

the early coal mining was in the northern part of the Wasatch 

Plateau. The fi rst large mine was opened in 1878 along Pleasant Valley Creek about 3 mi south of Scofi eld, Utah. It was 

temporarily abandoned because mining entered a zone of 

faults, but the mine was reopened in 1922. In 1884 the Winters 

Quarter mine was opened in Winters Quarter Canyon, and the 

Union Pacifi c No. 1 mine was opened near Scofi eld. The Clear 

Creek mine at the head of Pleasant Valley was opened in 1899. 

From 1899 to 1909, only extensions of preexisting mines were 

opened, and Pleasant Valley produced all of the coal from the 

fi eld. The fi rst larger mines on the eastern front of the Wasatch 

Plateau were opened by United States Fuel Company at the 

sites of old wagon mines in Miller and Cedar Creek Canyons 

in 1909 and 1910. In 1909, the railroad was built from Price 

south to Hiawatha, Utah, and Consolidated Fuel Company 

opened the Hiawatha mines. In 1910, the Castle Valley Fuel 

Company opened the Mohrland mine and extended the railroad 

into Cedar Creek Canyon. Blackhawk Fuel Company opened 

the Blackhawk mine in 1911. In 1925, the Blackhawk and 

Mohrland mines were renamed the King No. 1 and King No. 2. 

In 1917, the Lion Coal Company opened a mine at Wattis on 

the Wattis bed and in 1924 opened a second mine on a lower 

bed. In 1924, the Sweet Coal Company began work on the 

North Fork of Gordon Creek. According to Doelling (1972a), 

between 1910 and 1920, coal production increased steadily as 

mechanical mining methods gradually replaced the pick-andshovel methods of the early years.

Mines were developed gradually in the Wasatch Plateau 

coal fi eld as demand increased, and the larger mines were 

concentrated in the northern Wasatch Plateau because of the 

presence of the railroad and the closer proximity to markets. 

The production for the Wasatch Plateau gradually increased 

until 1920, followed by a lag until the end of World War 

II, when Utah coal production peaked, followed by another 

decline in 1957. During the 1960’s, renewed interest in coal 

for coal-powered power plants resulted in an increase in lease 

activity on the Wasatch Plateau. Through 1969, after 95 years 

of mining, almost 100 million short tons of coal had been 

removed from the Wasatch Plateau (Doelling, 1972a).

Doelling (1972a, table 3, p. 87–91) summarized the 

known mines and prospects from the Wasatch Plateau coal 

fi eld, documenting the extensive mining activity that proliferated from the late 1920’s until 1972. Active and former 

mines in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area are shown 

on fi gure 2A and in Appendix 2. Semborski (1991) summarized the history of coal mining in Carbon and Emery 

Counties, Utah. Because the present report focuses on the 

southern Wasatch Plateau, only those mines in the study area 

are included in the following discussion (mine locations shown 

on fi g. 2A; tabulated data for exact mine locations can be found 

in Doelling, 1972a). The mines and prospects are discussed 

by alphabetical order of their 7.5′ quadrangle (quadrangle 

locations shown on fi g. 3). In the Acord Lakes quadrangle, 

the Quitchupah Creek mine (also spelled Queatch-up-pah or 

Queatchappel) at the head of the North Fork of Quitchupah 

Canyon was intermittently active from 1901 to 1920. Also in 

the Acord Lakes quadrangle, the SUFCO mine (historically 

also called the New Salina mine, Convulsion Canyon mine, 

and Hanson mine) is located in a small reentrant (East Spring 

Canyon) at the northwest end of Convulsion Canyon. The mine 

has been active from 1941 to the present time, and currently 

it is the only active mine in the southern Wasatch Plateau. 

In the Emery West quadrangle, the Link Canyon mine was 

active from 1940 to 1952. In the Flagstaff Peak quadrangle, 

the Ricci mine (also called the Muddy Creek mine) was active 

from 1941 to 1951. According to a map provided by the Utah 

Geological Survey (David Tabet, written commun., September 

1998), adjacent to the Ricci mine the portal for the Crawford 

mine connected to the Ricci mining area and was active from 

1942 to 1945. The Slide Hollow mine is reported by Doelling 

(1972a) only as being old and abandoned. In the Johns Peak 

quadrangle, Doelling (1972a) shows the Clear Creek mine 

along Clear Creek on a map but states in the text that its exact 

location is not known. In the Old Woman Plateau quadrangle, 

the Knight mine (also known as the Ivie Creek mine), was 

open in 1923. Doelling (1972a) does not list when the mine 

closed, but it was active in the 1970’s, and at the present time 

the area has been reclaimed and is no longer active. In The Cap 

quadrangle, the Axel Anderson mine (also referred to as the 

Rock Canyon mine, Clawson mine, and Peterson mine) was 

active from 1906 to 1932. Spieker and Baker (1927) described 

several small wagon mines and tunnels in the Blackhawk 

Formation in the Salina Canyon district west of the Southern 

Wasatch Plateau study area (now along I-70), all of which 

were closed by 1923.

Acknowledgments 

Numerous people have contributed data, discussions, and 

their expertise toward our understanding of geology and coal 

resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau. David Tabet (Utah 

Geological Survey) was instrumental in providing access to 

the original NCRDS data set that was modifi ed and used 

in the present study, and he provided continual support and 

information on geology and coal resources of the southern 

Wasatch Plateau. Jim Kohler (BLM) provided discussions on 

coal and the availability of well-log data for the southern 

Wasatch Plateau. Debbie Carter (USGS) provided access to 

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S11
and downloaded fi les of the NCRDS data system used in this 

report. Tim Gognat, Marin Popov, and John Haacke (USGS 

contract employees) were indispensable in providing training 

for, modifi cation of, and manipulation of the StratiFact (GRG 

Corporation, 1996) database, along with assisting in stratigraphic evaluations and drafting. Chris Kravits, mine geologist 

at SUFCO, was extremely helpful by providing discussions of 

geology and local coal-bed correlation. We thank students Ben 

Scheich, Dan Grunwald, Bill Everham, and Ray Colley for 

assistance with digitizing well logs, geology, and various GIS 

coverages used in this report. Dorsey Blake (USGS) and Dave 

Taylor (USGS) provided assistance with computer manipulation and conversion of digital well-log fi les into formats used 

in this study. Laura Biewick (USGS) provided essential organization of the digital library for GIS coverages used in this 

report. Jackie Huntoon (Michigan Technological University) 

provided insightful sequence-stratigraphic excursions to outcrops in the Wasatch Plateau, and Peter McCabe (USGS) 

engaged in thought-provoking discussions on sedimentologic 

concepts.

Methods Employed in the 

Assessment 

NCRDS-StratiFact Database 

This assessment of coal resources of the southern 

Wasatch Plateau is based on data from geologic mapping, 

outcrop measurements of stratigraphic sections of the coalbearing units, drilling that has been conducted in the region 

primarily in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, and recent sedimentologic research on the coals and associated shoreface 

sandstones in the Wasatch Plateau and the adjacent Book Cliffs 

to the north. The coal assessment and its inherent calculations 

are based primarily on a data set that was originally derived 

from the National Coal Resource Data System (NCRDS). The 

data set was signifi cantly modifi ed and updated as a StratiFact 

(GRG Corp., 1996) database during the present study for 

the purposes of this coal resource assessment. Data within 

NCRDS that pertain to the State of Utah and its coal resources 

have been entered into NCRDS by the State of Utah, the Utah 

Geological Survey, and various contractors and other entities 

over the last several years. Data used in this study are summarized in table 1, and they are available in Appendix 1.

The National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS) is a 

publicly available, electronic coal database (for information on 

NCRDS see the Website at: http://energy.er.usgs.gov/projects/

ncrds_proj_desc.htm). Started 20 years ago, the database contains coal-quality analyses of more than 14,000 coal samples 

and some 170,000 stratigraphic records. At least 136 parameters are determined, including detailed location information 

and a wide range of physical and chemical properties. The 

stratigraphic database contains more than 30 parameters 

describing the collected samples, including specifi c georeferenced information. The data have been used for many 

purposes, including locating coal deposits having desirable 

characteristics and assessing the environmental impact, coal 

reserves, and technological properties of coal from specifi c 

areas and beds. There are approximately 22 cooperating State 

geological survey agencies involved in a major effort to collect, verify, and correlate NCRDS-maintained data. A subset 

of the NCRDS contains coal-quality and quantity data for coal 

from other countries.

Data on stratigraphy and coal occurrences within the 

southern Wasatch Plateau in the NCRDS data set were originally derived and entered into the NCRDS by the Utah Geological Survey and its affi liates. The original data (table 1; 

Appendix 1) were collected from a variety of sources, including: (1) measured stratigraphic sections in published reports, 

some of which date back to the early 1900’s, and others 

in more recent Master’s theses and Ph.D. dissertations; (2) 

coal test holes and cores drilled by the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS), the Utah Geological Survey (formerly the 

Utah Geological and Mineral Survey (UGMS)), and private 

contractors (includes Coal Resource Occurrence–Coal Development Potential reports (CRO-CDP) by the former USGS 

Conservation Division), along with the geologic, geographic, 

and geophysical information from their associated reports); 

(3) fi eld studies on the stratigraphy, sedimentology, and coal 

occurrences in central Utah conducted over the last few 

decades; and (4) proprietary data from drill holes belonging 

to companies operating coal mines and leases in the area. 

Although proprietary data within the NCRDS database were 

examined for this study and were used to correlate coal beds 

and confi rm coal-bed thicknesses and resource calculations, no 

map locations or stratigraphic data from proprietary company 

data points are presented in any part of this report or the 

accompanying database (Appendix 1).

Data were originally entered into NCRDS by the Utah 

Geological Survey and their contractors from sources with 

varying reliability, including historical maps and surveys, more 

modern reports on Utah’s coal geology, and ongoing studies. 

For the present report, the dataset from NCRDS was downloaded and entered into a database in StratiFact (GRG Corp., 

1996), where data were checked, verifi ed, and manipulated 

for the purposes of lithology and coal identifi cation, stratigraphic and coal correlation, and coal thickness evaluation. 

In many instances, data originally entered into NCRDS were 

never rechecked or verifi ed against the primary data source, so 

potential errors were never identifi ed or corrected against the 

primary source of the data. Checking the data from NCRDS, 

verifying or correcting errant and missing attributes in the 

StratiFact database, and entering new data germane to this 

study were all a primary focus prior to utilizing the StratiFact 

database in an evaluation of the coal resources of the southern 

Wasatch Plateau. For instance, adding latitude or longitude 

information were simple cases of correcting data or adding 

missing data. Picking stratigraphic thicknesses of coal and 

other lithologic units from geophysical logs, and checking 

S12 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
them against the original entry in the database identifi ed 

other typographical or geologically incorrect stratigraphic 

data. Other errors were more subtle and required signifi cant 

time to identify and correct. For example, many stratigraphic 

sections measured prior to about 1970 and even in the early 

1980’s were recorded as text paragraphs describing the stratigraphic units rather than being recorded in graphic vertical 

columns as many sedimentologists do today. When recorded 

in text, they are written with unit 1 at the top of the page, 

and unit 2 in the second paragraph, etc., down the page, even 

though the fi rst unit measured in the fi eld is generally at 

the stratigraphic bottom of the rock outcrop. When these text 

sections were originally entered into NCRDS, the compiler 

entered unit 1 at the top of the lithologic graphic column as 

NCRDS records them and then entered unit 2 below it as it 

was read down the text page, rather than putting unit 1 at 

the bottom according to its proper stratigraphic position on 

the outcrop. Consequently, in approximately 100 of the measured stratigraphic sections recorded in the database, the stratigraphic units, including the coals, were displayed in “upside 

down” stratigraphic order. These errors in the database were 

corrected by comparing the original measured stratigraphic 

text sections to the entries in the database and “turning them 

right side up” as necessary. Every measured stratigraphic section had to be verifi ed in this manner before being used in 

the database.

The database utilized in this study is stored digitally (see 

Appendix 1) and was manipulated in a geographic information 

system (GIS) to calculate coal resources within a variety of 

spatial parameters that are useful for energy and land-use 

planning. The GIS coverages and ArcView project are also 

accessible on this 2-CD-ROM set (see Biewick and Mercier, 

chap., D, this CD-ROM, for explanation on accessing these 

coverages).

Lithologic and Stratigraphic Data 

The data and attributes utilized in this coal assessment 

include geology, stratigraphy, and coal distribution from geologic mapping of the region, from measured stratigraphic sections, and from coal drill holes and cores and the corresponding 

geophysical logs of the bored holes. The stratigraphic occurrence, measured thickness, and geographic distribution of coal 

in the southern Wasatch Plateau have been analyzed and interpreted primarily from entries in the StratiFact database that 

were modifi ed from the original NCRDS data set. The NCRDS 

data set contained stratigraphic or lithologic logs that indicated 

geologic units; lithologic units such as sandstone, shale, and 

coal, and their associated thickness; header information and 

reference data such as data point location, publication, or other 

source of the data; literature reference; and source and date of 

the entry. Other stratigraphic information that was discovered 

in a variety of literature sources and other available well logs 

was entered into the StratiFact database; it included similar 

lithologic, source, and location information as the other entries.

Each measured outcrop stratigraphic section and each 

well-log record for subsurface data points were checked 

against the original source of the data, wherever possible, or 

against other reports that reported and published the original 

data. Data from both measured sections and drill holes, and 

their included coal beds, apparently had been entered into the 

NCRDS by a variety of workers and at various times—many 

of the records were duplicate entries for unique data points. 

This was particularly evident for the measured outcrop sections, where several points plotted geographically at the same 

apparent map position. Duplicate entries such as these were 

eliminated from the database.

In the StratiFact database, the “Comment 2” fi eld was 

designated with an integer value from 1 to 3 to refl ect the 

confi dence level in the reliability of the data. Points were 

labeled “1” where the data could be checked, verifi ed and (or) 

corrected against the original source or publication. A “2” was 

used for data that were felt to be correct, but which had some 

uncertainty due to lack of an original reference, or some other 

uncertainty, such as a measured section being of limited thickness and recording a single coal bed. In this latter example, 

although the thickness of the rocks and the coal would be 

correct and verifi able, a short measured section that did not 

extend high enough into the Blackhawk Formation to record 

all of the coals in the coal zone being evaluated would result 

in a minimum value for total coal at that data point when 

used in assessment calculations. Because this inclusion would 

skew the calculation, points labeled “2” were used for coal-bed 

correlations, but they were not used in the coal assessment 

calculations. These points are retained in the database because 

they contain potentially useful information for coal correlation 

or for individual coal-bed evaluations. A “3” was assigned to 

points that were considered unreliable, had data missing, or 

for which no primary or secondary source could be found to 

verify the coal thickness or stratigraphic interval, despite being 

referenced in the literature. Points with a “3” designation were 

excluded from the fi nal working copy of the database.

The original NCRDS data set consisted of about 800 data 

points, including both outcrop measured stratigraphic sections 

and subsurface drill hole or core localities. Of these, 119 of 

the subsurface points and 189 of the measured outcrop sections 

were retained in the modifi ed database for the coal assessment 

for a total of 308 data points. Table 1 originally listed a total of 

309 points, but point 202 was found to be a duplicate entry and 

was deleted from the fi nal data set and table.

For each subsurface record in the database, a geophysical 

well log was obtained from publicly available logs on fi le 

and on microfi che in the well-log library of the USGS, 

Central Energy Team, Denver, Colo., or, alternatively, from 

available publications or from the original reference. On 

each well log, the coal-bed thickness and stratigraphic 

interval was determined, verifi ed against the coal-bearing 

intervals in the database, and corrected where necessary. 

Text continues on p. 22

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S13
Table 1. Data used in the assessment of coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau. 

[Note: There is no entry for data point 202 because that point was found to be a replicate of another point]  Total Surface Map Point ID Source Longitude Latitude Sec Township Range depth Type elevation no. (ft) (ft) 1 C94B-USGS-19 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.16314 39.24703 20 18S 7E 982 206 geophysical 8,560 2 C94B-NH9/UGMS9 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.18122 39.24657 19 18S 7E 1,086 206 geophysical 8,360 3 C94B-NH8/UGMS8 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.19722 39.24455 24 18S 6E 1,236 206 geophysical 8,100 4 C94B-USGS-20 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.16354 39.23354 29 18S 7E 967 206 geophysical 8,550 5 C94B-M10 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.14296 39.23318 28 18S 7E 203 102 outcrop 7,843 6 C94B-USGS-18 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.15028 39.23301 28 18S 7E 957 206 geophysical 8,640 7 C94B-57/UGMS7 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.18281 39.23089 30 18S 7E 1,113 206 geophysical 8,260 8 C94B-M54 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.14076 39.22879 28 18S 7E 217 102 outcrop 7,856 9 C94B-NH6/UGMS6 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.16206 39.22397 29 18S 7E 1,205 206 geophysical 8,600 10 C94B-E110 Sanchez/Ellis -111.14258 39.21605 33 18S 7E 84 102 outcrop 7,764 11 C94B-NH5/UGMS5 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.17605 39.21595 31 18S 7E 1,764 206 geophysical 9,060 12 C94B-NH4/UGMS4 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.16178 39.21430 32 18S 7E 1,096 206 geophysical 8,565 13 C94B-J5 Sanchez/Johnson -111.14085 39.21386 33 18S 7E 203 102 outcrop 7,883 14 C94B-M52 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.15061 39.20120 5 19S 7E 202 102 outcrop 7,701 15 C94B-E90 Sanchez/Ellis -111.15311 39.19951 5 19S 7E 96 102 outcrop 7,605 16 C94B-S346 Sanchez/Speiker -111.16190 39.19847 5 19S 7E 203 102 outcrop 7,722 17 C94B-S337 Sanchez/Spieker -111.15427 39.19698 5 19S 7E 202 102 outcrop 7,701 18 C94B-USGS-17 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.19927 39.19582 1 19S 6E 1,124 206 geophysical 8,400 19 C94B-NH2/UGMS2 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.24545 39.19516 4 19S 6E 1,558 206 geophysical 8,310 20 C94B-S342 Sanchez/Spieker -111.16021 39.19450 5 19S 7E 96 102 outcrop 7,580 21 C94B-NH3/UGMS3 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.22863 39.19316 3 19S 6E 1,192 206 geophysical 8,104 22 C94B-M51 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.16755 39.19265 5 19S 7E 203 102 outcrop 7,662 23 C94B-M49 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.17643 39.19012 6 19S 7E 203 102 outcrop 7,682 24 C94B-M47 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.18738 39.18973 7 19S 7E 202 102 outcrop 7,692 25 C94B-M50 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.16922 39.18537 7 19S 7E 202 102 outcrop 7,702 26 C94B-M46 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.18423 39.18509 7 19S 7E 202 102 outcrop 7,601 27 C94B-M45 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.19118 39.18497 12 19S 6E 203 102 outcrop 7,622 28 C94B-M44 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.19656 39.18433 12 19S 6E 202 102 outcrop 7,622 29 C94B-J7 Sanchez/Johnson -111.18075 39.18363 7 19S 7E 200 102 outcrop 7,670 30 C94B-NH1/UGMS1 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.23492 39.18360 10 19S 6E 1,326 206 geophysical 8,310 31 C94B-USGS-16 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.21584 39.18288 11 19S 6E 1,105 206 geophysical 8,360 32 C94B-M43 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.19976 39.18196 12 19S 6E 199 102 outcrop 7,600 33 C94B-M48 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.17240 39.18191 7 19S 7E 201 102 outcrop 7,700 34 C94B-USGS-15 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.25127 39.18133 9 19S 6E 1,252 206 geophysical 7,980 35 C94B-USGS-14 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.22869 39.17451 15 19S 6E 1,315 206 geophysical 8,500 36 C94B-USGS-13 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.20809 39.17108 14 19S 6E 1,039 206 geophysical 8,420 37 C94B-M40 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.19492 39.16997 13 19S 6E 201 102 outcrop 7,630 38 C94B-M29 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.18456 39.16860 29 19S 7E 201 102 outcrop 7,701 39 C94B-USGS-9 USGS-Slb-3,Pi Log -111.25097 39.16622 16 19S 6E 1,216 206 geophysical 8,000 
Table 1. Data used in the assessment of coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau—Continued. 

 Total Surface Map Point ID Source Longitude Latitude Sec Township Range depth Type elevation no. (ft) (ft) 40 C94B-USGS-10 USGS-Clb-1,Pi-Log -111.22979 39.16594 15 19S 6E 1,199 206 geophysical 8,490 41 C94B-M26 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.17194 39.16377 18 19S 7E 185 102 outcrop 7,690 42 FNC-M26 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.30933 39.16117 24 19S 5E 46 102 outcrop 6,960 43 FNC-M25 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.30603 39.16022 24 19S 5E 39 102 outcrop 6,960 44 C94B-M21 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.18145 39.16004 19 19S 7E 219 102 outcrop 7,694 45 C94B-USGS-12 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.19763 39.15959 24 19S 6E 1,019 106 multiple sections 8,480 46 FNC-M44 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.30528 39.15958 34 19S 5E 341 106 multiple sections 7,222 47 C94B-M20 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.18514 39.15858 17 19S 7E 201 102 outcrop 7,670 48 FNC-M27 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.30531 39.15831 24 19S 5E 31 102 outcrop 6,867 49 C94B-USGS-11 Tabet\N.Horn Mtn -111.21330 39.15803 23 19S 6E 1,148 106 multiple sections 8,560 50 FNC-M24 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.30200 39.15747 24 19S 5E 49 102 outcrop 6,943 51 FNC-M23 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.30083 39.15689 24 19S 5E 61 102 outcrop 6,896 52 FNC-M45 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.30033 39.15663 24 19S 5E 199 106 multiple sections 6,998 53 FNC-M28 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.30219 39.15581 24 19S 5E 64 102 outcrop 7,000 54 FNC-M4 Spieker-USGS Bull 819 -111.29847 39.15574 19 19S 6E 52 102 outcrop 6,850 55 FNC-M22 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.29771 39.15535 19 19S 6E 73 102 outcrop 6,861 56 C94B-M18 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.19151 39.15422 24 19S 6E 202 102 outcrop 7,602 57 C94B-USGS-8 USGS-Slb-9,Pi-Log -111.24747 39.15347 21 19S 6E 1,113 106 multiple sections 8,030 58 FNC-M21 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.29453 39.15299 19 19S 6E 47 206 geophysical 6,843 59 C94B-USGS-7 USGS Dh -111.22588 39.15239 22 19S 6E 1,005 206 geophysical 8,410 60 FNC-M43 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.29247 39.15238 19 19S 6E 293 106 multiple sections 7,053 61 FNC-M20 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.29089 39.15229 19 19S 6E 48 102 outcrop 6,845 62 FNC-M30 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.29627 39.15225 19 19S 6E 42 102 outcrop 6,839 63 FNC-M31 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.29631 39.15084 19 19S 6E 62 102 outcrop 6,860 64 FNC-M33 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.29043 39.15025 19 19S 6E 12 102 outcrop 6,940 65 C94B-S406 Sanchez/Spieker -111.16631 39.14906 20 19S 7E 34 102 outcrop 7,594 66 C94B-USGS-5 USGS Dh -111.21317 39.14619 26 19S 6E 1,122 206 geophysical 8,570 67 C94B-USGS-6 USGS-Slb-2a,Pi-Log -111.19973 39.14461 25 19S 6E 974 106 multiple sections 8,450 68 C94B-M15 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.18788 39.14334 25 19S 6E 201 102 outcrop 7,720 69 C94B-E23 Sanchez/Ellis -111.16787 39.14014 29 19S 7E 23 102 outcrop 7,723 70 FNC-M13 Spieker-USGS Bull 819 -111.28875 39.14005 30 19S 6E 37 102 outcrop 6,976 71 C94B-USGS-4 USGS Dh -111.22543 39.14000 27 19S 6E 1,084 206 geophysical 8,560 72 C94B-USGS-1 USGS Dh -111.24551 39.13862 28 19S 6E 1,060 201 core 8,010 73 FNC-M35 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.28912 39.13243 30 19S 6E 74 106 multiple sections 7,171 74 C94B-M11 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.28815 39.13138 31 19S 6E 161 102 outcrop 7,262 75 FNC-M39 USGS OFR-81-319 Ellis -111.28900 39.13124 31 19S 6E 46 102 outcrop 7,163 76 C94B-USGS-2 USGS-Clb-2,Pi-Log -111.21851 39.13088 35 19S 6E 959 106 multiple sections 8,480 77 C94B-USGS-3 USGS-Clb-3a,Pi-Log -111.20664 39.13007 35 19S 6E 956 106 multiple sections 8,490 78 C94B-M13 Sanchez/Muldoon -111.19363 39.12846 36 19S 6E 199 102 outcrop 7,840 79 FRN-M96 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.21391 39.12432 35 19S 6E 218 106 multiple sections 7,720 80 FRN-M98 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.21897 39.12295 35 19S 6E 225 106 multiple sections 7,724 
Table 1. Data used in the assessment of coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau—Continued. 

 Total Surface Map Point ID Source Longitude Latitude Sec Township Range depth Type elevation no. (ft) (ft) 81 FRN-M99 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.22544 39.11936 34 19S 6E 206 106 multiple sections 7,723 82 FRN-M106 Mine Map520-USGS-Bull819 -111.22867 39.11842 34 19S 6E 861 106 multiple sections 8,371 83 FRN-M100 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.23079 39.11758 3 20S 6E 133 106 multiple sections 7,625 84 FRN-M91 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.22376 39.08423 15 20S 6E 302 106 multiple sections 7,920 85 FRN-M90 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.23175 39.07828 15 20S 6E 315 102 outcrop 7,979 86 FRN-M103 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.21790 39.05635 26 20S 6E 329 106 multiple sections 8,273 87 HLT-C6 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.38886 39.04828 20 20S 5E 1,686 204 w/e log 8,477 88 HLT-C4 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.40544 39.04633 30 20S 5E 1,810 204 w/e log 8,423 89 HLT-C2 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.37639 39.04403 29 20S 5E 1,171 204 w/e log 8,049 90 FRN-M105 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.21118 39.04172 35 20S 6E 332 106 multiple sections 8,316 91 HLT-C3 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.39283 39.03947 30 20S 5E 1,384 204 w/e log 8,147 92 FGP-C59 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.36497 39.03719 28 20S 5E 1,141 204 w/e log 8,155 93 FGP-C14 Sanchez C94-A -111.27750 39.03330 32 20S 6E 996 206 w/e log 8,600 94 FRN-M101 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.22288 39.03204 35 20S 6E 292 106 multiple sections 8,255 95 FRN-M89 USGS OFR-81-1026 Muldoon -111.22432 39.03030 34 20S 6E 103 106 multiple sections 8,102 96 HLT-C1 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.37972 39.02700 32 20S 5E 1,166 204 w/e log 8,152 97 FGP-M32 Spieker-USGS Bull819pl28 -111.28883 39.02575 6 21S 6E 36 102 outcrop 7,680 98 FGP-M55 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.31928 39.02489 35 20S 5E 222 106 multiple sections 7,661 99 FGP-C58 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.36206 39.02453 33 20S 5E 1,126 204 w/e log 8,224 100 FGP-M4 Spieker-USGS Bull819pl28 -111.30733 39.02397 36 20S 5E 89 106 multiple sections 7,680 101 FGP-M31 Spieker-USGS Bull819pl28 -111.28528 39.02128 6 21S 6E 19 102 outcrop 7,650 102 FGP-C57 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.34533 39.01822 34 20S 5E 1,075 204 drillers log 8,319 103 FGP-C60 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.37236 39.01811 33 20S 5E 1,160 204 w/e log 8,244 104 HLT-C5 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.38903 39.01394 5 21S 5E 1,344 204 w/e log 8,310 105 FGP-M47 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.29772 39.00967 12 21S 6E 301 106 multiple sections 7,940 106 FGP-M45 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.29239 39.00239 7 21S 6E 264 106 multiple sections 7,885 107 EMW-M137 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.27773 38.99403 17 21S 6E 124 106 multiple sections 8,003 108 EMW-M140 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.29758 38.99247 13 21S 5E 279 106 multiple sections 8,038 109 EW10 Blanchard,Ellis&Rob,1977 -111.32291 38.99173 14 21S 5E 1,080 216 w/e log 8,465 110 EMW-M152 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.25737 38.99107 16 21S 6E 219 106 multiple sections 6,878 111 EMW-M133 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.27379 38.99029 17 21S 6E 118 106 multiple sections 8,037 112 ACL-C110 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.40881 38.98994 13 21S 4E 1,425 204 drillers log 8,380 113 ACL-C111 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.39089 38.98964 18 21S 5E 1,280 204 drillers log 8,410 114 EW8 Blanchard,Ellis&Rob,1977 -111.35542 38.98436 16 21S 5E 1,027 216 coal test 8,350 115 ACL-C97 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.39908 38.98336 18 21S 5E 1,196 204 w/e log 8,253 116 AL1 Blanchard,Ellis&Rob,1977 -111.38249 38.97810 20 21S 5E 1,120 216 w/e log 8,300 117 ACL-C112 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.42550 38.97575 23 21S 4E 1,516 204 w/e log 8,454 118 ACL-C98 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.40922 38.97414 24 21S 4E 1,260 204 drillers log 8,317 119 EW9 Blanchard,Ellis&Rob,1977 -111.31835 38.97361 23 21S 5E 1,054 216 coal test 8,650 120 BCR3\USGS3A Sanchez USGS-C-93-B? -111.37060 38.97285 21 21S 5E 1,193 e-log 8,530 121 ACL-C99 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.42108 38.96764 24 21S 4E 1,195 204 drillers log 8,271 
Table 1. Data used in the assessment of coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau—Continued. 

 Total Surface Map Point ID Source Longitude Latitude Sec Township Range depth Type elevation no. (ft) (ft) 122 EW7 Blanchard,Ellis&Rob,1977 -111.36016 38.96624 28 21S 5E 1,193 216 coal test 8,480 123 EMW-M120 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.27815 38.96436 29 25S 6E 333 106 multiple sections 8,372 124 ACL-C95 USGS OFR-82-28 Albee -111.44051 38.96127 26 21S 4E 1,960 206 geophysical 8,920 125 EMW-M85 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.33272 38.96072 26 21S 5E 322 106 multiple sections 7,961 126 EMW-M169 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.25692 38.96047 28 21S 6E 279 106 multiple sections 7,279 127 ACL-C100 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.41025 38.95858 25 21S 4E 1,210 204 drillers log 8,342 128 EMW-M88 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.32964 38.95822 26 21S 5E 165 106 multiple sections 7,844 129 ACL-M86 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.38529 38.95764 29 21S 5E 46 106 multiple sections 7,460 130 ACL-M88 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.38422 38.95762 29 21S 5E 42 106 multiple sections 7,470 131 EMW-M101 OFR-77-833-Marley Flores -111.31025 38.95756 25 21S 5E 298 106 multiple sections 8,097 132 EMW-M104 OFR-77-833-Marley Flores -111.30208 38.95739 25 21S 5E 337 106 multiple sections 8,136 133 EMW-M89 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.32778 38.95714 26 21S 5E 567 106 multiple sections 8,206 134 ACL-M16 Spieker USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.38520 38.95701 29 21S 5E 38 106 multiple sections 7,460 135 EMW-M99 OFR-77-833-Marley Flores -111.31283 38.95675 25 21S 5E 307 106 multiple sections 8,106 136 EMW-M97 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.31772 38.95528 26 21S 5E 271 106 multiple sections 8,000 137 ACL-M84 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.38204 38.95481 29 21S 5E 31 106 multiple sections 7,460 138 ACL-M31 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37903 38.95067 32 21S 5E 49 106 multiple sections 7,470 139 EMW-M110 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.29383 38.95040 31 21S 6E 380 106 multiple sections 8,340 140 ACL-M19 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.37871 38.94998 32 21S 5E 41 106 multiple sections 7,480 141 ACL-C103 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.43078 38.94928 26 21S 4E 1,460 204 w/e log 8,629 142 ACL-C94 USGS OFR-82-28 Albee -111.47416 38.94889 28 21S 4E 1,258 206 geophysical 8,010 143 EMW-M204 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37461 38.94850 32 21S 5E 42 106 multiple sections 7,480 144 EMW-M81 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.33067 38.94758 35 21S 5E 285 106 multiple sections 8,004 145 ACL-M22 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37719 38.94678 32 21S 5E 34 106 multiple sections 7,436 146 ACL-M20 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37752 38.94625 32 21S 5E 37 106 multiple sections 7,440 147 EMW-M170 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.25983 38.94578 33 21S 6E 300 106 multiple sections 7,259 148 ACL-M17 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37819 38.94569 32 21S 5E 51 106 multiple sections 7,490 149 ACL-C101 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.44567 38.94503 34 21S 4E 1,431 204 drillers log 8,438 150 ACL-M21 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.37761 38.94501 32 21S 5E 39 106 multiple sections 7,540 151 EMW-M80 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.33028 38.94464 35 21S 5E 194 106 multiple sections 7,960 152 EMW-M174 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.26064 38.94161 33 21S 6E 136 106 multiple sections 7,235 153 EMW-M176 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.26056 38.94097 33 21S 6E 63 106 multiple sections 7,162 154 EMW-M31 Spieker-USGS Bull819pl29 -111.37192 38.93883 5 22S 5E 36 106 multiple sections 7,560 155 ACL-C109 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.43697 38.93644 35 21S 4E 1,225 204 drillers log 8,307 156 EMW-M69 OFR-77-833 Marley Flores -111.26406 38.93589 5 22S 6E 332 106 multiple sections 7,531 157 ACL-C137 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.49085 38.93495 32 21S 4E 1,187 204 drillers log 7,920 158 WRD-C19 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.50629 38.93292 6 22S 4E 1,203 204 drillers log 7,900 159 ACL-C145 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.46874 38.93288 4 22S 4E 1,466 204 drillers log 8,100 160 EMW-M1 Spieker-USGSbull819 Pl29 -111.33656 38.93204 3 22S 5E 101 106 multiple sections 7,880 161 WRD-C18 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.50582 38.93109 6 22S 4E 1,196 204 drillers log 7,820 162 EMW-M199 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.36953 38.92994 4 22S 5E 39 106 multiple sections 7,680 
Table 1. Data used in the assessment of coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau—Continued. 

 Total Surface Map Point ID Source Longitude Latitude Sec Township Range depth Type elevation no. (ft) (ft) 163 EMW-M189 USGS Map-C-82,Hayes -111.27589 38.92986 5 22S 6E 143 106 multiple sections 7,342 164 EMW-M34 Spieker-USGS Bull819pl29 -111.37317 38.92858 5 22S 5E 70 106 multiple sections 7,500 165 EMW-M198 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37158 38.92844 4 22S 5E 54 106 multiple sections 7,600 166 BCR4 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.43333 38.92833 2 22S 4E 1,036 204 drillers log 8,290 167 ACL-C121 OFR-79-1009-Aaa-Eng&Draf -111.39002 38.92788 5 22S 5E 1,005 204 drillers log 8,475 168 ACL-C102 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.44736 38.92683 3 22S 4E 1,080 204 drillers log 8,186 169 EMW-M196 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37467 38.92572 5 22S 5E 46 106 multiple sections 7,680 170 ACL-C144 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.46566 38.92554 4 22S 4E 1,390 204 drillers log 8,069 171 ACL-C140 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.48114 38.92458 5 22S 4E 1,455 204 drillers log 8,060 172 EMW-M36 Spieker-USGS Bull819pl29 -111.37278 38.92417 8 22S 5E 36 106 multiple sections 7,650 173 WRD-C17 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.50105 38.92410 6 22S 4E 1,079 204 drillers log 7,840 174 ACL-C108 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.43428 38.92072 2 22S 4E 1,160 204 drillers log 8,280 175 ACL-C139 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.48807 38.91994 5 22S 4E 1,688 204 drillers log 8,585 176 EMW-M40 Mine Map520-USGS-Bull819 -111.37483 38.91917 8 22S 5E 835 106 multiple sections 8,540 177 WRD-C16 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.50570 38.91814 7 22S 4E 1,091 204 drillers log 7,830 178 ACL-M13 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37743 38.91647 8 22S 5E 75 106 multiple sections 7,720 179 ACL-M3 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.41638 38.91525 12 22S 4E 129 106 multiple sections 7,540 180 ACL-M12 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37716 38.91421 8 22S 5E 66 106 multiple sections 7,740 181 WRD-C15 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.50631 38.91402 7 22S 4E 1,081 204 drillers log 7,852 182 ACL-C106 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.43067 38.91353 11 22S 4E 947 204 drillers log 8,280 183 EMW-M194 USGS-C-93-B Sanchez -111.37481 38.91297 8 22S 5E 63 106 multiple sections 7,810 184 ACL-C143 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.47751 38.91286 9 22S 4E 1,261 204 drillers log 8,002 185 ACL-M164 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.40531 38.91116 12 22S 4E 77 106 multiple sections 7,490 186 ACL-C104 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.45639 38.91106 10 22S 4E 1,020 204 drillers log 8,135 187 ACL-C138 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.49620 38.91091 8 22S 4E 1,378 204 drillers log 8,290 188 ACL-M163 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.40678 38.90979 12 22S 4E 85 106 multiple sections 7,544 189 WRD-C13 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.50595 38.90932 7 22S 4E 1,355 204 drillers log 8,140 190 ACL-M4 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.42069 38.90828 12 22S 4E 99 106 multiple sections 7,500 191 ACL-M162 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.40920 38.90817 12 22S 4E 62 106 multiple sections 7,500 192 ACL-M165 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.40324 38.90781 18 22S 5E 70 106 multiple sections 7,520 193 ACL-M166 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.39944 38.90630 18 22S 5E 95 106 multiple sections 7,560 194 ACL-M2 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.39753 38.90579 18 22S 5E 95 106 multiple sections 7,653 195 ACL-C142 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.47929 38.90393 17 22S 4E 1,179 204 drillers log 7,984 196 ACL-C141 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.47018 38.90067 16 22S 4E 902 204 drillers log 8,100 197 WRD-C11 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.50765 38.89951 18 22S 4E 1,063 204 drillers log 7,830 198 ACL-M5 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.40192 38.89767 18 22S 5E 127 106 multiple sections 7,626 199 ACL-C107 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.45133 38.89750 15 22S 4E 1,100 204 drillers log 8,240 200 WRD-C12 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.51127 38.89748 18 22S 4E 985 204 drillers log 7,810 201 ACL-C105 UGMS Special Studies 55 -111.41497 38.89667 13 22S 4E 1,126 204 drillers log 8,398 203 WRD-C10 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.50035 38.89170 18 22S 4E 1,397 204 drillers log 8,295 204 ACL-M6 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.39794 38.88965 19 22S 5E 128 106 multiple sections 7,627 
Table 1. Data used in the assessment of coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau—Continued. 

 Total Surface Map Point ID Source Longitude Latitude Sec Township Range depth Type elevation no. (ft) (ft) 205 ACL-M160 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.39924 38.88933 19 22S 5E 108 106 multiple sections 7,600 206 ACL-M158 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.40263 38.88564 19 22S 5E 99 106 multiple sections 7,695 207 WRD-C9 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.51196 38.88408 19 22S 4E 1,338 204 drillers log 8,150 208 WRD-C8 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.51312 38.88252 19 22S 4E 1,293 204 drillers log 8,104 209 ACL-M7 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.41704 38.88174 24 22S 5E 118 106 multiple sections 7,617 210 ACL-M1 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.39508 38.88039 30 22S 5E 104 106 multiple sections 7,750 211 AL19 Blanchard,Ellis&Rob,1977 -111.44958 38.87926 22 22S 4E 1,085 216 w/e log 8,220 212 ACL-M150 USGS C-93-B Sanchez -111.38453 38.87819 29 22S 5E 77 106 multiple sections 7,840 213 OWP-M10 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.40255 38.87404 30 22S 5E 118 106 multiple sections 7,600 214 OW55 USGS Dh -111.41744 38.87314 25 22S 4E 900 216 w/ e log 8,365 215 OWP-C94 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.48957 38.87289 29 22S 4E 865 204 drillers log 7,840 216 YGC-C8 USGS-Map-C93A Sanchez -111.51083 38.87259 30 22S 4E 602 204 drillers log 7,440 217 OWP-M9 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.40343 38.86945 25 22S 4E 85 106 multiple sections 7,600 218 YGC-C7 USGS-Map-C93A Sanchez -111.50081 38.86892 30 22S 4E 1,030 204 drillers log 7,640 219 OWP-C95 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.46007 38.86885 28 22S 4E 887 204 drillers log 8,156 220 OWP-M144 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.38483 38.86089 32 22S 5E 76 106 multiple sections 7,865 221 OWP-M43 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.38671 38.85959 35 23S 4E 110 106 multiple sections 7,900 222 OWP-M143 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.38683 38.85956 32 22S 5E 67 106 multiple sections 7,860 223 OWP-M11 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.38366 38.85909 32 22S 5E 54 106 multiple sections 7,843 224 OWP-C235 USGS OFR-78-363 Blanch -111.44789 38.85787 34 22S 4E 920 204 drillers log 8,310 225 OWP-M142 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.38919 38.85658 32 22S 5E 97 106 multiple sections 7,840 226 OWP-M13 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.40071 38.85474 31 22S 5E 91 106 multiple sections 7,750 227 OWP-M141 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.38994 38.85458 32 22S 5E 96 106 multiple sections 7,880 228 OWP-M137 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.39492 38.85450 31 22S 5E 113 106 multiple sections 7,723 229 OWP-M145 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.38064 38.85422 32 22S 5E 79 106 multiple sections 7,888 230 OWP-M138 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.39431 38.85397 31 22S 5E 111 106 multiple sections 7,716 231 OWP-M139 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.39428 38.85189 31 22S 5E 99 106 multiple sections 7,760 232 OWP-C100 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.46046 38.85039 33 22S 4E 950 204 drillers log 8,180 233 OWP-M2 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.40878 38.84873 36 22S 4E 188 106 multiple sections 7,650 234 OWP-M3 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.41585 38.84790 36 22S 4E 157 106 multiple sections 7,650 235 OWP-M1 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.40340 38.84679 6 23S 5E 174 106 multiple sections 7,650 236 OWP-M23 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.41752 38.84552 1 23S 4E 72 106 multiple sections 7,600 237 OWP-M159 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.41883 38.84267 1 23S 4E 61 106 multiple sections 7,640 238 OWP-M158 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.41800 38.84169 1 23S 4E 58 106 multiple sections 7,637 239 OWP-M26 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.41667 38.84117 1 23S 4E 81 106 multiple sections 7,580 240 OW58 USGS Dh -111.45155 38.84107 3 23S 4E 1,070 216 w/ e log 8,351 241 OWP-C99 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.49742 38.83504 6 23S 4E 990 204 drillers log 8,000 242 YGC-C1 USGS-Map-C93A Sanchez -111.50216 38.83321 6 23S 4E 1,026 204 drillers log 7,966 243 OWP-M27 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.41553 38.83139 1 23S 4E 117 106 multiple sections 7,600 244 OWP-M155 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.41975 38.82978 12 23S 4E 89 106 multiple sections 7,650 245 OWP-C148 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.44844 38.82939 10 23S 4E 891 204 drillers log 8,340 
Table 1. Data used in the assessment of coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau—Continued. 

 Total Surface Map Point ID Source Longitude Latitude Sec Township Range depth Type elevation no. (ft) (ft) 246 OWP-M29 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.41863 38.82888 12 23S 4E 117 106 multiple sections 7,660 247 OWP-M30 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.42114 38.82706 12 23S 4E 125 106 multiple sections 7,600 248 OWP-M153 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42194 38.82661 12 23S 4E 73 106 multiple sections 7,750 249 YGC-C2 USGS-Map-C93A Sanchez -111.50846 38.82636 7 23S 4E 938 204 drillers log 7,897 250 OWP-C96 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.49866 38.82424 7 23S 4E 985 204 drillers log 7,990 251 OWP-M177 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42852 38.82131 11 23S 4E 67 106 multiple sections 7,700 252 OWP-M173 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.41469 38.82033 12 23S 4E 71 106 multiple sections 7,800 253 OWP-M174 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.41583 38.82011 12 23S 4E 86 106 multiple sections 7,800 254 OWP-M175 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.41661 38.82000 12 23S 4E 70 106 multiple sections 7,800 255 OWP-M176 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.41808 38.81989 12 23S 4E 67 106 multiple sections 7,800 256 OWP-C239 USGS OFR-78-363 Blanch -111.48121 38.81828 8 23S 4E 1,035 204 drillers log 8,115 257 OWP-M167 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42169 38.81619 12 23S 4E 68 106 multiple sections 7,800 258 YGC-C4 USGS-Map-C93A Sanchez -111.50826 38.81448 18 23S 4E 762 204 drillers log 7,748 259 OWP-C107 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.49966 38.81378 18 23S 4E 1,193 204 drillers log 8,180 260 YGC-C3 USGS-Map-C93A Sanchez -111.51128 38.81188 18 23S 4E 800 204 drillers log 7,690 261 OWP-C162 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.45625 38.80847 15 23S 4E 485 204 drillers log 7,840 262 OW62 USGS Dh -111.47320 38.80648 16 23S 4E 885 216 coal test 8,150 263 OWP-C160 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.47297 38.80622 16 23S 4E 977 204 drillers log 8,140 264 OWP-M36 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.44281 38.80519 15 23S 4E 99 106 multiple sections 7,668 265 OWP-M200 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42684 38.80475 14 23S 4E 69 106 multiple sections 7,760 266 OWP-M37 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.43129 38.80413 14 23S 4E 96 106 multiple sections 7,735 267 OWP-M198 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.41898 38.80282 13 23S 4E 83 106 multiple sections 7,840 268 OWP-M197 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42086 38.80130 24 23S 4E 100 106 multiple sections 7,800 269 YGC-C6 USGS-Map-C93A Sanchez -111.50744 38.79722 19 23S 4E 738 204 drillers log 7,560 270 YGC-C5 USGS-Map-C93A Sanchez -111.50655 38.79660 19 23S 4E 606 204 drillers log 7,628 271 OWP-M38 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.43314 38.78656 26 23S 4E 101 106 multiple sections 7,680 272 OWP-M186 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.43477 38.78556 26 23S 4E 135 106 multiple sections 7,700 273 OWP-M181 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42849 38.78424 26 23S 4E 138 106 multiple sections 7,800 274 OWP-M180 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42563 38.78414 26 23S 4E 189 106 multiple sections 7,900 275 OW64 Blanchard,Ellis&Rob,1977 -111.45345 38.78396 27 23S 4E 740 216 w/ e log 8,080 276 OWP-C110 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.44276 38.78357 27 23S 4E 684 204 drillers log 8,250 277 OWP-M178 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42150 38.78292 25 23S 4E 191 106 multiple sections 7,880 278 OWP-M225 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42102 38.77947 25 23S 4E 172 106 multiple sections 7,950 279 OWP-C109 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.45029 38.77852 27 23S 4E 669 204 drillers log 8,120 280 OWP-C102 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.49974 38.77804 30 23S 4E 837 204 drillers log 7,740 281 OWP-C111 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.44043 38.77714 26 23S 4E 651 204 drillers log 8,262 282 OWP-C108 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.45684 38.77644 27 23S 4E 698 204 drillers log 8,160 283 OWP-M223 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42097 38.76950 36 23S 4E 176 106 multiple sections 7,960 284 OWP-C88 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.45900 38.76938 34 23S 4E 418 204 drillers log 7,860 285 OWP-M80 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.42050 38.76903 36 23S 4E 169 106 multiple sections 7,960 286 OWP-M79 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.42303 38.76798 35 23S 4E 171 106 multiple sections 7,800 
Table 1. Data used in the assessment of coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau—Continued. 

 Total Surface Map Point ID Source Longitude Latitude Sec Township Range depth Type elevation no. (ft) (ft) 287 OWP-C91 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.44033 38.76755 35 23S 4E 590 204 drillers log 8,240 288 OWP-M41 Spieker USGS Bull819pl30 -111.42368 38.76749 35 23S 4E 130 106 multiple sections 7,880 289 OWP-M222 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42365 38.76708 35 23S 4E 177 106 multiple sections 7,920 290 OWP-M220 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.42691 38.76314 35 23S 4E 165 106 multiple sections 7,900 291 OWP-M53 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.45420 38.76250 34 23S 4E 94 106 multiple sections 7,640 292 OWP-M205 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.45107 38.76083 34 23S 4E 100 106 multiple sections 7,580 293 OWP-C101 USGS-Map-C93A-Sanchez -111.49819 38.76069 31 23S 4E 970 204 drillers log 7,860 294 OWP-M48 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.43592 38.76037 35 23S 4E 123 106 multiple sections 7,770 295 OWP-M210 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.44240 38.76036 34 23S 4E 144 106 multiple sections 7,720 296 OWP-M212 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.43818 38.76009 35 23S 4E 117 106 multiple sections 7,760 297 OWP-M211 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.43969 38.76005 35 23S 4E 147 106 multiple sections 7,760 298 OWP-M226 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.45562 38.75921 34 23S 4E 99 106 multiple sections 7,540 299 OWP-M231 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.44779 38.75226 3 24S 4E 113 106 multiple sections 7,680 300 OWP-M67 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl29 -111.43023 38.75074 2 24S 4E 79 102 outcrop 7,820 301 OWP-M232 USGS OFR-82-1093 Blanch -111.44881 38.75057 3 24S 4E 169 106 multiple sections 7,700 302 OWP-M63 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.42637 38.75031 2 24S 4E 132 106 multiple sections 7,840 303 JNP-C125 USGS OFR-78-363 Blanch -111.48512 38.74311 8 24S 4E 730 204 w/e log 7,935 304 JNP-C127 USGS OFR-78-363 Blanch -111.43943 38.73244 11 24S 4E 515 204 drillers log 8,190 305 JP17 Davis&Doelling,1977 -111.45158 38.72628 15 24S 4E 221 216 coal test 7,965 306 JNP-C126 USGS OFR-78-363 Blanch -111.46548 38.71729 16 24S 4E 520 204 drillers log 8,200 307 JP19 Davis&Doelling,1977 -111.46224 38.70493 21 24S 4E 487 216 coal test 8,571 308 JNP-C124 USGS OFR-78-363 Blanch -111.47388 38.69513 28 24S 4E 735 204 drillers log 8,886 309 JNP-M11 Spieker-USGS-Bull819pl30 -111.47347 38.66924 4 25S 4E 35 106 multiple sections 9,000 
Geophysical logs were not available for all of the known subsurface data points; where possible, coal thicknesses for these 

points were verifi ed or corrected against data in other publications that had drawn their data from the original geophysical 

logs. Data exists in the NCRDS data set that is proprietary 

in nature; that is, the State of Utah and the Utah Geological 

Survey has access to drill holes and logs that are owned by 

companies. Some of these proprietary data have been entered 

into NCRDS and were available for examination in the southern Wasatch Plateau database. These proprietary data points 

and their stratigraphic information were used for coal-bed correlations; however, none of these proprietary data points is 

shown on the location maps, and none of the stratigraphic 

data or coal thicknesses are presented in the data tables or in 

Appendix 1. Additional company coal drill holes exist west of 

Ferron Canyon in the northern part of the southern Wasatch 

Plateau in T. 19 S., R. 5 E., but these drill holes and geophysical logs were not available for inclusion in this study.

It was beyond the scope of this investigation to reexamine 

in the fi eld every measured stratigraphic section in the database. Wherever possible, the stratigraphic data from measured 

sections were checked against the original source or verifi ed 

against other reports that subsequently published the sections 

to evaluate that the data were entered correctly into the 

NCRDS database (e.g., Doelling, 1972a; Hayes and Sanchez, 

1979; Sanchez and others, 1983a, 1983b; Brown and others, 

1987; and numerous other reports that are more completely 

discussed in the Previous Geologic Studies section). We 

deleted from the database any measured section that recorded 

simply a thickness of coal and that did not also record the 

stratigraphic interval in which it occurred or for which no section of underlying or overlying rocks was measured. Without 

the stratigraphic interval recorded, or without the adjacent rock 

record to ensure correct stratigraphic placement under present 

understanding of coal-bed correlations, we could not endorse 

or corroborate the coal correlation and thus did not include 

that data point in the coal-assessment database for resource 

analysis.

For this study in the southern Wasatch Plateau, six stratigraphic sections of the coal-bearing section of the Blackhawk 

Formation and the underlying Star Point Sandstone were measured to elucidate the subsurface correlations of marine shoreface sandstones to coal beds and to aid in the correlation of 

the geophysical well logs and construction of the subsurface 

cross sections.

Geophysical logs obtained for this study were reproduced 

at a scale of 50 ft = 1 inch for visual correlation. They were 

digitized in Digi-Rule (Digi-Rule, Inc., 1995) and imported 

into the StratiFact database to aid in coal identifi cation and 

correlation within the database. The Digi-Rule fi les were subsequently converted to log-ASCII format and imported to 

a drafting program for presentation on the cross sections 

included in this report. Lithologic interpretations of coal and 

other strata on the geophysical logs were made from a combination of natural-gamma (gamma ray), density, resistivity, 

and neutron logs (e.g., Kowalski and Holter, 1975; Seimers, 

1978; Reeves, 1981; Wood and others, 1983), depending on 

the logs available for each hole. On the geophysical logs, coal 

displays a low natural gamma and density response and a high 

resistivity and neutron response. Sandstone displays a moderate natural gamma and resistivity response. Mudstone displays 

a high natural gamma and a low resistivity response. Caliper 

logs, which measure variations in the diameter of the drill 

hole, were used in conjunction with density logs to verify that 

low-density log defl ections were due to coal rather than to 

drill-hole washouts. Coal-bed thicknesses had previously been 

entered into the NCRDS database in feet and inches, and when 

imported into the StratiFact program they were converted to 

feet and tenths of a foot, and in some cases into hundredths of 

a foot because of the conversion of inches to decimal values. 

Values for coal-bed thickness recorded as part of this study 

were measured and recorded to tenths of a foot due to the 

scale of some of the available logs. The values output from 

StratiFact were rounded and recorded to an accuracy of a tenth 

of a foot. The StratiFact output was programmed to generate 

a fi le that did not report any isolated coal bed that was less 

than 1.2 ft thick. In addition, thicknesses of more than one 

coal bed were combined on output into a single coal bed if 

an intervening parting was thinner than either the overlying 

or the underlying coal bed. The thickness of the parting was 

not included in the reported thickness of the coal, according 

to the methods and defi nitions in Wood and others (1938, p. 

31, 36).

Geologic Maps and Data 

ARC/INFO coverages of geologic features include the 

location of stratigraphic boundaries and geologic units of the 

coal-bearing formations and underlying and overlying rock 

units, along with minor faults and folds within the study area 

and major fault systems that bound the study area on the east 

and west (fi g. 4; also see Appendix 1). Several minor fold 

axes occur along canyons on the east side of the Wasatch 

Plateau (fi g. 6), but they are not a part of the digital geologic 

coverage because they represent only minor disruption to the 

strata. The geologic coverage of the southern Wasatch Plateau 

(fi g. 4) was digitized from the geologic map of Spieker 

(1931), one of the earliest comprehensive evaluations of the 

Wasatch Plateau coal fi eld in central Utah. Spieker’s (1931) 

map was originally surveyed in the fi eld for both geology 

and topography, and it was produced at a scale of 1:62,500. 

Other newer geologic maps available for possible geologic 

coverages for this report were at scales of 1:250,000 

(Williams and Hackman, 1971; Witkind, 1995), or the State 

map of Utah (Hintze, 1980) at a scale of 1:500,000. After 

projecting each of these different digital geologic map 

coverages to the same map projections in ARC/INFO, at 

S22 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
scales of 1:62,500 and 1:100,000, the location of data points 

from the NCRDS data set for measured stratigraphic sections 

along outcrops most accurately plotted to match the outcrop 

pattern of Spieker’s (1931) original geologic map and not 

the newer 1:62,500 and 1:100,000 maps. Thus, Spieker’s 

(1931) geologic coverage was used in maps, coverages, and 

fi gures for this report. In a small area between Quitchipah 

Canyon and Muddy Creek, the digitized coverage for the 

outcrop of the Star Point Sandstone did not accurately 

match the typical cliff-forming topography of the Star Point 

when superimposed on the digital elevation models (DEM’s) 

obtained for the study area. The outcrop of the Star Point 

on the geologic coverage was adjusted slightly to match 

the topography as depicted on the DEM. Everywhere else, 

Spieker’s (1931) geology accurately refl ected the expected 

DEM topographic expression of slopes and cliffs formed by 

the different geologic units.

Cartographic Data and Geographic Boundaries 

ARC/INFO coverages for geographic boundaries were 

imported from existing public-domain databases. Township 

boundaries were obtained from a 1:24,000-scale Public Land 

Survey System (PLSS) coverage produced by the Automated 

Geographic Reference Center (AGRC) in Salt Lake City, 

Utah. Towns and roads were obtained from 1:100,000-scale 

digital line graphs created by the U.S. Geological Survey 

EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, S. Dak. Areas of surface 

land ownership were digitized from 1:100,000-scale U.S. 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) maps by the National 

Biological Survey, Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife 

Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, for the 

National Geographic Approach to Planning for Biological 

Diversity (GAP) Program in 1993. Areas of coal ownership 

were obtained from digital compilations by the former U.S. 

Bureau of Mines for their inventory of federally owned 

minerals for exploration and development program in Utah 

and from a 1:24,000-scale PLSS coverage from the Utah 

School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. Later, 

land and mineral exchanges took place in Utah after the 

Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument was created 

by Presidential Proclamation. In 1999, the Utah School and 

Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) provided 

updated data on those exchanges, and the USGS incorporated 

those land and mineral ownership changes into the data 

set for this report. County and State lines were obtained 

from 1:100,000-scale Topographically Integrated Geographic 

Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) fi les produced by the 

U.S. Bureau of Census in 1990. Surface topography for the 

study area was obtained from 1:24,000-scale U.S. Geological 

Survey DEM’s of the 7.5-minute quadrangles.

Geologic Setting 

Structure of the Southern Wasatch 

Plateau Study Area 

The Wasatch Plateau lies on the western margin of 

the Colorado Plateau between the northeast-trending, doubly 

plunging anticline of the San Rafael Swell on the east and the 

highly faulted, structurally complex physiography of the Great 

Basin on the west. In the eastern part of the southern Wasatch 

Plateau, the beds dip gently westward along the gently dipping 

west fl ank of the San Rafael Swell. The western part of the 

Wasatch Plateau forms a monoclinal fold along the eastern 

boundary of the Great Basin (Spieker, 1931, 1946). The western boundary of the study area was chosen at a series of northsouth-trending normal faults termed the Musinia fault zone 

(fi g. 6) and closely matches the western edge of the Wasatch 

coal fi eld as originally defi ned (Spieker, 1927, 1931; Doelling, 

1972a). The Musinia fault zone is succeeded to the west by 

the Water Hollow fault zone and the Sevier-Sanpete Valley 

fault zone, both of which are eastward extensions of basinand-range-style faulting. These fault zones produced major 

displacements of the Star Point Sandstone and coal-bearing 

Blackhawk Formation in the area west of the present study 

area. The fractured nature of the area between those faults 

and the great depth to coals due to vertical fault displacement 

would be a signifi cant impediment to coal extraction there. 

Thus, this highly faulted area, including the Salina Canyon 

district, was not included in the present study area of the 

southern Wasatch Plateau.

Faults 

In the eastern part of the Wasatch Plateau, three graben 

systems form the eastward extension of the basin-and-range 

faulting: the Joes Valley fault zone, the Pleasant Valley fault 

zone, and the North Gordon fault zone (Spieker, 1931, fi g. 4, 

p.78). The Pleasant Valley and North Gordon fault zones are in 

the northern part of the Wasatch Plateau. The Joes Valley fault 

zone (fi g. 6) (see also Spieker, 1931) is a 75-mile-long system 

of normal faults (fi g. 6) with vertical downward displacement in 

a central graben of between 1,500 and 2,500 ft (Spieker, 1931, 

p. 57). It trends northeast adjacent to the eastern fl ank of the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. It turns north between 

the towns of Emery and Ferron and runs north through the 

Wasatch Plateau, where it is at or near the western boundary 

of the Northern Wasatch Plateau study area of Tabet and others 

(1999). The graben structure is several miles wide and contains 

numerous minor faults parallel to the major faults, along with 

innumerable subsidiary fractures. South of the town of Emery, 

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S23
Sanpete County

Sevier County

Emery County

38 ̊37'30"

39 ̊15'

111 ̊35' 111 ̊7'30"

0 6 miles

Eastern cliffs of

Wasatch Plateau

Musinia fault zone

Joes Valley fault zone

Major fault zones

Syncline

Anticline 

Roads 

Faults 

Explanation

Ferron

Emery

Figure 6. Map showing principal structural features in the Wasatch Plateau (modifi ed from Davis and Doelling, 

1977).

S24 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
the faults of the Joes Valley graben become less numerous (fi g. 

6), and near the southern terminus of the study area they turn 

south toward Paradise Valley (Spieker, 1931, p. 57–58).

Between the Joes Valley fault zone and the western 

boundary of the study area, the strata are relatively unbroken, 

except for a single normal fault about 3 mi west of Convulsion 

Canyon and several minor faults near the southern margin of the 

study area (fi g. 6).

Part of the Joes Valley graben is included in the Southern 

Wasatch Plateau study area, and the region between major faults 

of the graben system has been mapped and described by several 

studies as being a zone of intensely shattered and broken rock 

(Spieker, 1931; Sanchez and Brown , 1983; Sanchez and Brown, 

1987; Doelling, 1972a). Because of the highly broken nature of 

the rocks in this area, the shattered zone is denoted on the maps 

for the coal assessment as a separate GIS polygon area, and the 

calculations for coal resources treat this area as separate from 

the rest of the study area. Coal resources for the shattered area 

are reported in a separate table. The westernmost fault of the 

Joes Valley fault zone was not mapped by Spieker (1931) all the 

way to the northern boundary of the study area, and subsequent 

mapping (Witkind, 1995) was complied from Spieker’s (1931) 

map. It shows part of that fault to the north being covered 

by Quaternary landslide and alluvial-fan deposits. It is likely 

that the fault extends to the northern boundary of the study 

area, and the shattered zone of the Joes Valley fault zone is 

drawn to the northern study-area boundary (fi g. 6). However, 

because there are no data or mapping available to demonstrate 

this conclusively, subsequent fi gures for coal resources delineate 

the shattered zone only where available geologic mapping 

specifi cally shows the faults to exist.

Folds 

Strata in the southern Wasatch Plateau generally dip to the 

west at attitudes less than about 5°, except locally near faults 

where they may dip as much as 20° (Doelling, 1972a, p. 75). In 

several places in the study area, strata have been gently warped 

into broad anticlines and synclines that trend generally eastwest, perpendicular to the major north-trending fault systems 

(fi g. 6) (see also Davis and Doelling, 1977, fi g. 8, p. 8). In 

places, the synclines roughly parallel the east-trending erosional 

canyons of Ferron Creek, Muddy Creek, and Ivie Creek. The 

dips of beds on the limbs of these minor folds are usually 

less than 10° and generally average only 3° or 4° (Davis and 

Doelling, 1977).

Cretaceous Paleogeography of the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau 

During the Late Cretaceous (approximately 98 to 65 

million years ago (Ma)), the region now forming the southern 

Wasatch Plateau was located about 45°N. paleolatitude within 

the Cretaceous Rocky Mountain foreland basin (fi g. 7). Clastic 

sediment sourced from the west in the Sevier highlands (Young, 

1955; Armstrong, 1968; Fouch and others, 1983; Peterson and 

Smith, 1986) was deposited in coastal-plain settings and along 

shorelines on the western margin of the Cretaceous Western 

Interior Seaway (Weimer, 1986; Roberts and Kirschbaum, 

1995, fi g. 19, p. 39). The following paragraph summarizing 

the paleogeography and tectonic setting of the Cretaceous 

Western Interior is taken essentially verbatim from Roberts and 

Kirschbaum’s (1995, p. 1–3) introduction to paleogeography, 

coal distribution, and sediment accumulation of the Western 

Interior. (Several fi gure citations and references from the 

original text have been omitted for brevity; the complete text can 

be found in the original publication.)

A vast seaway occupied the Western Interior of North America 

during the Late Cretaceous, connecting the Circum-Boreal sea 

with the proto-Gulf of Mexico. This seaway formed during a time 

of maximum eustatic sea level for the Phanerozoic (Vail and 

others, 1977; Haq and others, 1987), when water levels fl ooded 

the stable cratonic areas of the world. At its maximum extent, 

the seaway extended for 3,000 mi from the North Slope of Alaska 

to northern Mexico and was approximately 1,000 mi wide from 

central Utah to Minnesota. The seaway existed within an asymmetric foreland basin bordered on the west by the ColumbianSevier orogen and fl anking foredeep and on the east by the 

stable cratonic platform. The structural basin originated as the 

result of pre-Cretaceous tectonic processes. The thrusting and 

resulting crustal loading are related to the subduction of the 

Farallon plate (Keith, 1978) and the accretion of numerous terranes to the North American craton (Coney, 1981). At various 

times during the Late Cretaceous, these plate tectonic movements resulted in magmatic activity in western Canada, Idaho 

and Montana, Arizona and New Mexico, and the Sierra Nevadas 

of California. A transition from Sevier-style deformation (thinskinned thrusting with associated uplifts and intermontane 

basins) took place in the Late Cretaceous as a result of a shallowing of the angle of the subducting slab and compressional 

stresses in the lithosphere (Keith, 1978). During phases of uplift in 

the Columbian-Sevier orogen, great volumes of coarse-grained 

terrigenous sediments were deposited as clastic wedges in the 

western side of the basin. Lithofacies grade, west to east, from 

coarse-grained (conglomerate) and sandstone facies, through 

interbedded sandstone and shale, to shale, chalk, and ultimately, 

limestone. These generalized facies patterns were interrupted 

by effects on sedimentation caused by major movements along 

the thrust belt, growth of arches, increase in subsidence rate, 

periodic subaerial exposure and erosion, and shoreline migration. Major unconformities separate clastic rocks into sequences 

that can be documented over wide areas and may be linked to 

eustatic lowstands as identifi ed in the Exxon global cycle chart 

(Haq and others, 1987; Van Wagoner and others, 1990). North 

America occupied middle to high paleolatitudes, from 30°N. to 

85°N., in the Late Cretaceous, and the vegetation ranged from 

tropical in Mexico and the southeastern United States to temperate in northern Canada and Alaska. Based on analyses of 

physiognomy of leaf assemblages, most Late Cretaceous plants 

evolved in a climate characterized by the absence of freezing 

temperatures and low to moderate amounts of precipitation. Evidence of polar glaciation is lacking. 

—Roberts and Kirschbaum (1995, p. 1–3).

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S25
The sediments that were deposited in this Cretaceous 

coastal setting included a variety of continental, coastal-plain, 

marginal-marine, and marine facies. The rocks that derived 

from those sediments in the southern Wasatch Plateau, as 

elsewhere in the Cretaceous, form a complexly interfi ngered 

package. The nomenclature that evolved to describe them is 

a mix from historical studies prior to current understanding 

of sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy and from 

subsequent attempts to rectify previous confusion and to 

apply the modern concepts that were valid at the time. 

The following discussion attempts to place the stratigraphic 

nomenclature in its historical perspective, to address issues 

of nomenclature confusion, and to describe the depositional 

setting and present sequence stratigraphic understanding of 

the package of coal-bearing rocks in a modern sedimentologic 

framework that bears on defi ning units, describing coal zones, 

and calculating resources for the coal assessment.

Sevier Highlands

Western

Interior

Seaway

Alluvial plain

and highlands

Coastal

plain

Peat

swamps

Western Interior

Seaway

Paleolatitude

Thrust fault

45

45

30

30

30

Utah

0 250 MILES

Wasatch

 Plateau

Figure 7. Late Cretaceous (early Campanian) paleogeography plotted on paleolatitude, showing location of 

the Wasatch Plateau in central Utah (modifi ed from Roberts and Kirschbaum, 1995)

S26 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
General Stratigraphy of Cretaceous Rocks 

Rocks in the vicinity of the Wasatch Plateau range in age 

from Late Cretaceous to early Eocene (Hintze, 1980) (fi g. 8A). 

The column of rocks exposed, starting at Castle Valley—east 

of the study area near the towns of Emery, Ferron, and Castle 

Dale, Utah—and extending to the tops of the highest points in 

the southern Wasatch Plateau, exceeds 10,000 ft in thickness. 

The strata consist of a variety of conglomerate, sandstone, 

shale, mudstone, coal, and limestone. In the central part of the 

San Rafael Swell, east of the study area, the Lower Permian 

White Rim Sandstone and Kaibab Limestone are the oldest 

rocks exposed (Hintze, 1980, 1988). Units exposed on the 

gently dipping western fl ank of the San Rafael Swell extend 

from these Lower Permian strata, through the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous section to lower Eocene rocks, which are 

located west of the study area (e.g., see Hintze, 1988, for 

discussion of the geologic history and diagrammatic sections 

of the rocks).

In the Wasatch Plateau coal fi eld, the Upper Cretaceous 

section consists of, in ascending order, the Dakota Sandstone; 

Mancos Shale with its Tununk, Ferron Sandstone, Blue 

Gate Shale, Emery Sandstone, Masuk Shale Members; and 

Mesaverde Group (fi g. 8A). The Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde 

Group consists of upper Campanian strata (Hintze, 1988; Roberts and Kirschbaum, 1995) assigned to the Star Point Sandstone, Blackhawk Formation, Castlegate Sandstone Member of 

the Price River Formation, and the main body of the Price 

River Formation. These rocks in turn are overlain by the Cretaceous and Tertiary North Horn Formation (Maastrichtian to 

Eocene), and by the Tertiary Flagstaff Limestone (Paleocene 

and Eocene), Colton Formation (Eocene), and Green River 

Formation (Eocene) (e.g., Hintze, 1975; Fouch and others, 

1982, 1983; Hintze, 1988; Franczyk and Pitman, 1991).

Age Ma

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

Major coal-bearing strata Minor coal-bearing strata

Age Wasatch Plateau Book Cliffs Ma

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

Major coal-bearing strata Minor coal-bearing strata

Wasatch Plateau Book Cliffs

North Horn Formation

Flagstaff Limestone

Green River Formation

Colton Formation

Price River Formation

Castlegate Sandstone Member

Emery Sandstone Member

Ferron Sandstone Member 

Masuk Member

Blue Gate Member

Mancos Shale

Tununk Member

Blackhawk Formation 

Star Point Sandstone 

Dakota Sandstone

 Maastrichtian

 Paleocene

 Eocene

(part)

Campanian

Santonian

Coniacian

Turonian

Cenomanian

(part) 

Wasatch Formation

Mesaverde Group 

Ma

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

Major coal-bearing strata Minor coal-bearing strata

Age Wasatch Plateau Book Cliffs

Figure 8A. Time-stratigraphic chart showing nomenclature, facies relations, and coal- and non-coal-bearing strata 

in the Wasatch Plateau and Book Cliffs (stratigraphic and age relations from Fouch and others, 1983; Eaton and 

others, 1990; Obradovich, 1993; Elder and Kirkland, 1994; Krystinick and DeJarnett, 1995; and Kirschbaum, 1995).

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S27
Panther Tongue

Storrs Member

Spring Canyon Member

Aberdeen Member

Kenilworth Member

Sunnyside Member

Grassy Member

Desert Member

Blackhawk

Formation

Star Point

Sandstone

Castlegate Sandstone Member of Price River Formation

Mancos Shale

Campanian (part)

Wasatch Plateau Book Cliffs

Figure 8B. Diagrammatic time-stratigraphic chart showing nomenclature of the Star Point Sandstone and the 

Blackhawk Formation in the Wasatch Plateau and the Book Cliffs (modifi ed from Kamola and Van Wagoner, 

1995).

1

Book Cliffs 

Ferron Sandstone Member

Emery Sandstone Member

Dakota Sandstone 

Star Point Sandstone

Castlegate Sandstone Member

Price River Formation 

Mancos Shale

Feet

0

1000

2000

3000

Quitchupah Creek Rock Creek

Price River

 Canyon

Farnham

 Dome

 Pace

Canyon

Whitmore

 Canyon

Sunnyside coal

Kenilworth coal

Spring Canyon coal

Blackhawk Formation 

Wasatch Plateau 

Spring Canyon Mbr

Storrs Mbr

Panther Tongue

Aberdeen Mbr

Sunnyside Mbr

Kenilworth Mbr

16 1/2

 mi 37 1/2

 mi 7

mi 12

 mi 11

 mi

1

2

2

2

1

2

1 Members of Star Point Sandstone

Members of Blackhawk Formation

West East

Figure 8C. Generalized stratigraphic sections of Star Point Sandstone and Blackhawk Formation showing facies relations, nomenclature, 

and intertonguing of strata from the southern Wasatch Plateau to the western Book Cliffs (modifi ed from Clark, 1928, plate 15, p. 114–115).

S28 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
Detailed Stratigraphy of 

Upper Cretaceous Rocks 

The eastern boundary of the Southern Wasatch Plateau 

study area was chosen at the outcrop contact between the 

Star Point Sandstone and the underlying Mancos Shale. This 

contact was picked because the Blackhawk Formation is the 

major coal-bearing unit in the Wasatch Plateau and because 

the stacking patterns of the marine-shoreface sandstones of 

the Star Point infl uenced the distribution of the coals in the 

Blackhawk. Four geologic units are designated on the geologic 

map for the study area (fi g. 4; plate 1), in ascending order: (1) 

the Upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale (the map area includes 

minor outcrops of older rocks), (2) the Upper Cretaceous Star 

Point Sandstone, (3) the Upper Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation, and (4) undifferentiated Cretaceous and Tertiary strata, 

which include the Castlegate Sandstone Member of the Price 

River Formation and the main body of the Price River Formation, North Horn Formation, Flagstaff Limestone, and Colton 

Formation. The undifferentiated Cretaceous and Tertiary strata 

are grouped into a single stratigraphic unit on maps for this 

report because they overlie the primary coal-bearing Blackhawk and they contain little, if any, signifi cant coal resources. 

The location and thickness of the undifferentiated strata do 

bear on the discussions and calculations of overburden related 

to coals in the Blackhawk.

Coal beds examined as part of this resource assessment 

occur in the lower 150 ft of the Blackhawk Formation (fi g. 

8B), and their distribution is related to intertonguing relations 

with the underlying Star Point Sandstone (fi gs. 8C, 9; plate 1). 

Spieker and Reeside (1925) named the Star Point Sandstone 

after a prominent headland of the Wasatch Plateau in Carbon 

County, Utah, and the Blackhawk Formation for exposures 

near the Blackhawk mine (renamed the King No. 1 mine) near 

the town of Hiawatha. Clark (1928) included the Star Point as 

the base of the Mesaverde Group in the Book Cliffs; however, 

the term Mesaverde is no longer used in the Book Cliffs. 

Clark’s (1928) Star Point Sandstone comprised, in ascending 

order, the Panther, Storrs, and Spring Canyon Tongues. Clark 

(1928) also named the Aberdeen Sandstone Member of the 

Blackhawk Formation, which overlies the Spring Canyon (fi g. 

8B). Fisher (1936) divided the Blackhawk in the Book Cliffs 

coal fi eld into lower, middle, and upper sandstone members 

and included tongues of the Mancos Shale in the Blackhawk, 

but few if any workers used this terminology in later papers.

Figure 9. Stratigraphic correlations, sedimentary facies relations, and generalized coal-bed occurrences and correlations in the Mesaverde Group in the southern Wasatch Plateau, with typical 

geophysical well-log traces.

UGMS-20

127

BCR-4

166

Star Point Sandstone

blue coal

red coal

lower Blackhawk coal zone

Blackhawk Formation

Price

River

Formation Castlegate Sandstone Member

F t

0

1000

Southwest Northeast

Gamma Den Gamma Den Res 

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S29
Young (1955) described the intertonguing of the shoreface sandstone members of the Blackhawk with the marine 

shale of the Mancos to the east, an idea that both Clark (1928) 

and Spieker (1931) referred to in their reports as intertonguing 

of the Star Point of the Wasatch Plateau with the marine 

Mancos of the Book Cliffs to the east. Young (1955) reassigned the Spring Canyon Tongue of the Book Cliffs area from 

the Star Point Sandstone below to the Blackhawk Formation 

above to “...conform to the writer’s scheme of classifi cation,”

but he did not address the issue of the Spring Canyon in the 

Wasatch Plateau to the south, and there it remained assigned 

to the Star Point. Despite Young’s (1955) claims that change 

of the upper boundary of the Star Point was impractical to the 

west and south in the Wasatch Plateau because the Panther, 

Storrs, and Spring Canyon sandstones unite to form a single 

massive littoral marine tongue, Spieker (1931) had noted and 

described that those separate units were recognizable as far 

south in the Wasatch Plateau as Rock Canyon, which is adjacent to the extreme northern part of the Southern Wasatch 

Plateau study area. This relation is discussed further in a following section of this report on Sequence Stratigraphy and 

Coal-Bed Correlations.

Young (1955) redefi ned the Star Point Sandstone to contain only the Panther and Storrs, and he combined the Spring 

Canyon Tongue with Clark’s (1928) Spring Canyon coal group 

into the Spring Canyon Member and placed it in the overlying 

Blackhawk Formation beneath the Aberdeen Member to conform with his classifi cation scheme in the Book Cliffs. One 

might describe Young’s (1955) classifi cation scheme as somewhat arbitrary considering today’s sedimentologic understanding of shoreface sandstone stacking in the Star Point (Dubiel 

and Kirschbaum, 1997, 1998) and the fact that the original 

works by Spieker (1931) and Clark (1928) had placed each 

of the marine sandstones in the Star Point and each of the 

coal-bearing and overlying parts of the section into the Blackhawk. In keeping with the original established stratigraphic 

nomenclature of placing the marine sandstones as members 

or tongues of the Star Point (Clark, 1928; Spieker, 1931), 

one might argue that shoreface sandstone members fi t more 

logically as units of the Star Point Sandstone as it was originally defi ned by Spieker (1931) rather than with the marginalmarine and coastal-plain rocks and coals of the Blackhawk 

Formation as is done in the Book Cliffs. Most subsequent 

reports that deal with geology, and especially sequence stratigraphy, of the Cretaceous units in the Book Cliffs (e.g., Balsley, 

1982; Van Wagoner 1995; Kamola and Van Wagoner, 1995; 

and many other references) have continued to follow Young’s 

(1955) scheme of nomenclature specifi cally developed for the 

Book Cliffs, in which the Blackhawk Formation contains, in 

ascending order, marine sandstone units that were previously 

named by others the Spring Canyon and Aberdeen and those 

that he named the Kenilworth, Sunnyside, Grassy, and Desert 

Members (fi g. 8B).

However, south of the Book Cliffs in both the Northern 

and Southern Wasatch Plateau study areas, Young’s (1955) 

stratigraphic nomenclature cannot be as readily applied. Young 

(1955) recognized this and quoted Spieker (1931, p. 24) that 

the Book Cliffs stratigraphy was “...impractical to the west and 

south in the Wasatch Plateau where the Spring Canyon, Storrs, 

and Panther sandstones unite to form a single massive littoral 

marine tongue...” In the northern Wasatch Plateau, south from 

Gentile Wash and Spring Canyon near the town of Helper to 

Straight Canyon west of Castle Dale and Orangeville, the Star 

Point Sandstone is recognized to contain the Panther, Storrs, 

and Spring Canyon as they were originally defi ned, and the 

overlying coastal-plain, coal, and marginal-marine rocks are 

referred to the Blackhawk Formation (Spieker, 1931; Flores 

and others 1982; Mercier and others, 1982; Flores and others, 

1984). Mercier and others (1982) pointed out that subsurface 

drilling for coal on the Wasatch Plateau demonstrated that each 

of the named marine sandstones within the Star Point is traceable west and landward into lower coastal-plain deposits of the 

Blackhawk. They considered each sandstone to be a seaward 

equivalent facies of the Blackhawk Formation, similar to the 

defi nition established by Young (1955). Nevertheless, the Star 

Point Sandstone in the Wasatch Plateau remains today as it was 

originally defi ned by Spieker (1931), comprising the Panther, 

Storrs, and Spring Canyon (fi g. 8B).

Both Spieker (1931) and Mercier and others (1982) 

described the Panther, Storrs, and Spring Canyon as recognizable units as far south as Straight Canyon near Orangeville 

and Castle Dale, Utah. Farther south past Straight Canyon, in 

the area of the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area and south 

to its southern terminus near highway I-70 and Ivie Creek, 

researchers generally have not distinguished or recognized the 

individual Panther, Storrs, and Spring Canyon sand bodies. 

They simply refer the cliff-forming marine sand bodies to the 

Star Point Sandstone and the overlying slope and ledge-forming 

coal, coastal-plain, and marginal-marine rocks to the Blackhawk with no subsidiary member designations in either unit 

(e.g., Flores and others, 1980, 1982, 1984). During the present 

assessment study, the Panther, Storrs, and Spring Canyon were 

traced south from their well-known localities near Helper, Utah, 

to the northern study area boundary near Huntington Canyon 

and as far south as Muddy Canyon in about the middle of 

the study area. Additional fi eldwork is needed to decipher the 

sequence stratigraphy and the stacking pattern of the marine 

shoreface sandstones and to trace these units and correlate them 

within the Star Point Sandstone farther south from Muddy 

Canyon to the southern boundary of the study area. One observation demonstrated by photomosaics and measured stratigraphic sections for the present study is that additional marine 

shoreface units are present below what has traditionally been 

called the Panther Tongue in a stacking pattern similar to 

that described for the other marine sandstones recognized in 

the Blackhawk and Star Point (Dubiel and Kirschbaum, 1987, 

1998). These concepts are discussed and developed further in 

following sections of this report on Sedimentology and Depositional Environments and on Coal Distribution. In this report, the 

names Star Point Sandstone and Blackhawk Formation are used 

without member designations for both geologic mapping and 

for units on the stratigraphic cross sections (fi g. 4; plate 1).

S30 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
Although designation of members within the Star Point 

Sandstone may not be essential to general correlations, it 

would be helpful for understanding detailed stratigraphy and 

sedimentology of the shoreface sandstone units. In addition, 

recognition of the sandstone stacking patterns and intertonguing of the shoreface parasequences, both with the marine shale 

to the east and with the coastal-plain rocks to the west, is crucial to correlation of individual coal beds (Flores and others, 

1979). A more in-depth discussion of these relations follows 

in the sections of this report on Sequence Stratigraphy and 

Coal-Bed Correlations and on Coal Distribution.

Sedimentology and Depositional Environments 

The Star Point Sandstone and the Blackhawk Formation 

contain a variety of marine, marginal-marine, lagoonal, and 

continental rocks. Depositional environments of these rocks 

have been interpreted by many studies, ranging from the fi rst 

insightful work in the Wasatch Plateau by Spieker (1931) to 

recent studies of sequence stratigraphy in the Book Cliffs 

(Kamola and Howard, 1985; Kamola, 1987; Van Wagoner 

and others, 1990, 1991; Kamola and Van Wagoner, 1995). 

Although these latter studies all focused on the Blackhawk 

Formation in the Book Cliffs, the characteristics of the Star 

Point Sandstone and the Blackhawk Formation in the Wasatch 

Plateau, and in the southern Wasatch Plateau in particular, are 

similar in many respects, and they were deposited in similar 

depositional environments.

The Star Point Sandstone is composed of massive cliffforming sandstones that are fi ne to medium grained and that 

generally coarsen upward. Tongues of the Star Point interfi nger eastward into the Mancos Shale. The Blackhawk Formation contains a variety of lithologies, including coal, siltstone, 

shale, and coarse- to medium- and fi ne-grained sandstone. 

The following is a brief discussion of the depositional environments and salient references to the historical evolution of 

understanding and interpreting the Star Point and Blackhawk 

depositional systems related to the coal assessment.

Spieker (1931, p. 26) recognized the Star Point Sandstone 

as a beach and near-shore deposit that interfi ngered eastward 

with marine shales of the Mancos Shale. He also described 

the Blackhawk as continental rocks but focused primarily 

on its coal deposits. Spieker (1931, p. 37) described a lowlying coastal plain with rivers, swamps, and lagoons in which 

the Blackhawk was deposited, using sedimentary features and 

fossil evidence to support his distinctions between marine 

and freshwater environments. He summarized the depositional 

environments as: (1) inland fl ood-plain, channel, and lake 

sandstones and shales; (2) lagoonal, estuarine, fl ood-plain and 

swamp sandstones, shales, and coals; (3) littoral marine sandstones; and (4) offshore marine shales and siltstones.

Young (1955) did not add signifi cantly to Spieker’s 

(1931) interpretations of marine shales; littoral marine sandstones; and the lagoons, estuaries, fl ood plains, swamps, and 

lowlands of the coal-bearing facies, but he added an interpretation of off-shore bars. These ideas were substantiated 

and slightly modifi ed in the early 1970’s in numerous coalrelated studies that advocated a deltaic and barrier-island setting for the littoral sandstones and associated coal deposits 

(e.g., Blanchard and others, 1977; Marley and Flores, 1977; 

Marley, 1978; Flores and others, 1980; Hayes and Sanchez, 

1979; Sanchez and Hayes, 1979; Ellis, 1980; Marley and 

others, 1979; Muldoon, 1980; Blanchard, 1981; Ellis, 1981a, 

1981b; Flores and others, 1982; Sanchez and Brown, 1983; 

Sanchez and others, 1983a, 1983b; Flores and others, 1984; 

Sanchez and Brown, 1986, 1987; Brown and others, 1987; 

Sanchez, 1990; Sanchez and Ellis, 1990). Some of those studies focused on rocks in the study area of this report.

A major contribution emerged from geologic mapping 

(Hayes and Sanchez, 1977; Sanchez and Hayes, 1977) and 

measured stratigraphic sections (Marley and Flores, 1977) that 

described a zone of intertonguing near Muddy Creek between 

the upper part of the Star Point Sandstone and the lower 

part of the Blackhawk Formation, which is in the present 

Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. Subsequent work (Flores 

and others, 1980, 1984) interpreted several of these intertonguings in an area from Ivie Creek on the south to Ferron Canyon 

on the north as the landward pinch-outs of sandstone tongues 

within the Star Point. Not only do the sandstones of the Star 

Point interfi nger with the marine shales of the Mancos to the 

east as recognized by earlier researchers, but apparently they 

also interfi nger with the continental rocks of the Blackhawk 

to the west. This recognition led to reinterpretations (Flores 

and others, 1980, 1984) of depositional environments and coal 

correlations within this area on the Wasatch Plateau. These 

studies were proponents of a depositional model in which 

the marine sandstones were formed by wave-reworking of 

fl uvially dominated deltas and in which marginal-marine and 

coastal-plain rocks hosted the coals, ideas similar to those 

advocated by Balsley and Horne (1980). However, the former 

studies did not address the controls on the stacking pattern of 

the shoreface sandstones or of the coals.

Balsley and Horne (1980) were also proponents of interpretations of fl uvial, coastal-plain, deltaic, inter-deltaic, and 

barrier-island environments, and they emphasized the nuances 

between river-dominated and wave-dominated deltaic systems 

to account for the facies variations seen in the Blackhawk 

Formation of the Book Cliffs. They also advocated an interpretation in which deltaic sedimentation and lobe-switching 

explained the cyclic stacking of sandstones rather than invoking periodic pulses of basinal subsidence, cyclic sea-level 

changes, or cyclic sediment supply espoused by some contemporary and many subsequent proponents of sequence stratigraphy. Balsley and Horne’s (1980) observations and interpretations are contrasted by several recent studies (e.g., Van Wagoner and others, 1988, 1990) that advocate relative sea-level 

changes to account for sandstone stacking patterns and depositional environments in the Blackhawk of the Book Cliffs.

In an early paper that employed data from trace fossils 

and sedimentary structures, Howard (1966a) interpreted the 

Panther Tongue of the Star Point Sandstone depositional 

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S31
environments as deltaic rather than shoreface. His study was 

part of a larger body of work that began to accumulate on 

clastic shorelines and depositional processes (e.g., Howard; 

1966b; Reineck and Singh, 1975, p. 311–346; Reading, 

1978, p. 143–177). These texts and others describe the 

sedimentary structures and facies associated with clastic 

shoreline depositional systems, and the reader is referred 

to them for specifi c details. Many of these papers laid 

the groundwork for subsequent development and application 

of sequence stratigraphy to shoreline sandstones, and the 

Blackhawk Formation of the Book Cliffs was one of the 

primary study areas and proving grounds of many new 

ideas and concepts for interpreting shoreface and related 

depositional systems. The reader is referred to the seminal 

works on shoreface sequence stratigraphy for background in 

parasequence defi nitions and stacking patterns, depositional 

environments, and facies relations (Van Wagoner and others, 

1990; Van Wagoner and others 1991).

Swift and others (1987) provided an early application of 

concepts of depositional sequences to the Kenilworth Member 

of the Blackhawk Formation in the Book Cliffs, including 

a detailed sedimentologic analysis of shelf construction and 

depositional processes in a foreland basin.

Kamola and others (1985), Kamola and Howard (1985), 

Kamola (1987), Kamola and Huntoon (1995), and Kamola 

and Van Wagoner (1995) each applied recently developed 

concepts in sequence stratigraphy and clastic shoreline 

sedimentology to analysis of the Blackhawk shoreface 

sandstones in the Book Cliffs. In addition to the interpretation 

of shoreface depositional environments, Kamola and Huntoon 

(1995) and Kamola and Van Wagoner (1995) investigated 

two repetitive shoreface-sandstone stacking patterns in the 

Blackhawk of the Book Cliffs by comparing the 

progradational distances of individual parasequences and 

the position of the updip termination of marine facies 

for each parasequence. They also noted and described the 

updip or landward pinch-outs of shoreface parasequences 

into marginal-marine or nonmarine deposits where tidal-inlet 

facies cut out the shoreface sandstones. Despite the 

recognition of coal beds and their relation to marine or 

marginal-marine facies, these and other sequence stratigraphic 

studies of the Blackhawk in the Book Cliffs did not 

extend sequence stratigraphic concepts to an analysis of 

the continental coal-bearing part of the section. Along with 

the earlier cited works by Flores and coworkers, they do 

provide the basis for recognizing the relation of marine or 

marginal-marine environments to the adjacent coastal-plain 

settings where peat swamps were deposited. They also 

provide the sedimentologic and sequence stratigraphic basis 

for understanding the relation of original peat deposition 

to shoreface sandstone deposition and the subsequent 

distribution of coal beds—on outcrop and in the subsurface—

that is related to parasequence stacking.

Sequence Stratigraphy and 

Coal-Bed Correlations 

In the present coal assessment study of the Star Point 

Sandstone and Blackhawk Formation, analysis of measured 

stratigraphic sections, photomosaic panels of outcrops along 

canyon walls oriented perpendicular to depositional dip of 

the shoreface parasequences, and subsurface well logs all 

led to recognition of depositional facies and a shoreface sandstone stacking pattern cyclicity similar to that described for 

the Blackhawk shoreface-sandstone members in the Book 

Cliffs (Kamola and others, 1985; Kamola and Howard, 1985; 

Kamola, 1987; Kamola and Huntoon, 1995; Kamola and Van 

Wagoner, 1995). The following discussion is by no means 

a complete analysis of the sequence stratigraphy of the Blackhawk and Star Point in the study area akin to the detailed 

sequence stratigraphic studies of comparable rocks in the Book 

Cliffs. More detailed sedimentologic fi eldwork is necessary to 

document and distinguish parasequence and parasequence set 

stacking patterns, facies distribution within the parasequences, 

and recognition of internal sequence boundaries. Nevertheless, 

the current study recognizes several broad relations that elucidate the coal-bed occurrence, geometry, correlation, and distribution in the subsurface, all of which improve the assessment 

of coal resources in the study area. Coal beds generally occur 

landward of the updip pinch-outs of marine shoreface sandstones, as noted by the mapping and sequence stratigraphic 

studies referenced in the previous section of this report. Understanding both the stacking pattern and correlation of shoreface 

sandstone parasequences on the outcrop and the parasequence 

sets in which they are grouped aids in understanding the distribution and correlation of individual coal beds in the subsurface 

and in the analysis of coal resources in the study area.

Shoreface Sandstone Parasequences 

For the present study, stratigraphic sections were measured near photomosaic panels of outcrops to (1) decipher 

sedimentary structures and sedimentary facies, (2) apply an 

interpretation of parasequences and sequence stratigraphy, and 

(3) investigate the relation of coal-bed occurrence to shoreface 

sandstone stacking patterns on outcrop that could then be 

applied to the subsurface well-log cross sections, coal-bed correlations, and coal assessment (Dubiel and Kirschbaum, 1997, 

1998).

Depositional environments were interpreted from sedimentary structures, trace fossils, and facies associations. Cliffforming sandstones in the Star Point are primarily upwardcoarsening successions of marine, lower-shoreface, uppershoreface, and backshore deposits similar to parasequences 

described for the marine sandstone members in the Blackhawk 

S32 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
of the Book Cliffs (Kamola, 1985; Kamola and Van Wagoner, 

1995). Marine parts of individual parasequences display features that indicate shallowing- and coarsening-upward successions from offshore through shoreface to foreshore facies. In 

contrast, the nonmarine parts of the parasequences that are 

assigned to the Blackhawk Formation consist of estuarine and 

lagoonal to continental deposits, including fl uvial channels 

and thin to thick coals. Shoreface parasequences amalgamate 

as generally forward-stepping parasequence sets, and coals 

associated with shoreface sandstone parasequence pinch-outs 

extend in a landward direction over lagoonal deposits and 

older shoreface parasequences. The upper part of the Blackhawk is exclusively continental in origin, composed of primarily fl uvial sandstones and overbank mudstones with minor coal 

beds.

Spieker (1931) noted that the Star Point Sandstone thickens to the west along the canyons eroded in the eastern escarpment of the Wasatch Plateau. Spieker (1931, p. 24) discusses 

the fact that the Star Point, including the interval from the base 

of the Panther to the top of the Spring Canyon, increases in 

thickness from about 350 ft on the eastern fl ank of the plateau 

near Ferron Canyon, to about 600 ft in the central part of 

Huntington Canyon, to as much as 1,000 ft on the western side 

of the Wasatch Plateau near Pleasant Valley and Scofi eld, Utah. 

Spieker (1931) interpreted this to mean that the western shoreline of the Cretaceous Seaway at the time was not far west 

of the present Wasatch Plateau, an interpretation supported by 

more recent tectonic and sedimentologic analyses (Fouch and 

others, 1983; Roberts and Kirschbaum, 1995; Schwans, 1995). 

Photomosaics of outcrops in canyon walls and stratigraphic 

sections measured for this study (Dubiel and Kirschbaum, 

1997, 1998) corroborate Spieker’s (1931) observation of the 

Star Point thickening to the west. This relation can also be 

observed in well logs in the subsurface (plate 1). Our interpretation is that successive shoreface parasequences are generally 

progradationally stacked in the Star Point. In a landward direction where they are superposed—there has been minor truncation of underlying sand bodies, so that one shoreface parasequence directly overlies the next older shoreface sandstone, 

thus forming the single Star Point Sandstone cliff recognized 

by Spieker (1931) and Clark (1928). Spieker (1931) and Clark 

(1928) perhaps also did not recognize the parasequences below 

the Panther that were observed in the present study and the 

fact that those shoreface sandstones thicken to the west and are 

overlain by the Star Point, thus contributing to the apparently 

thickened Star Point section to the west and the south.

The Star Point Sandstone in the Wasatch Plateau and 

in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area comprises at 

least three parasequence sets of shoreface and deltaic sandstones; they are the original three tongues of marine sandstones described and named by Clark (1928) and Spieker 

(1931) as the Panther, Storrs, and Spring Canyon. In addition, 

several as yet unnamed parasequence sets of stacked shoreface 

sandstones are present in the Star Point below the Panther 

(Dubiel and Kirschbaum, 1998) and above the thick westwardthinning tongue of Mancos Shale that lies above the Emery 

Sandstone Member in the southern part of the study area (fi gs. 

8B, 8C). These unnamed parasequences and parasequence sets 

extend to the southern boundary of the study area, farther 

south than the Panther’s southern limit (as recognized in the 

literature) in the vicinity of Muddy Creek, and they extend to 

the west into the subsurface of the study area (plate 1).

Spieker (1931, p. 23) refers to the character of the Panther Tongue of the Star Point and how it changes character, 

becomes less prominent, and then grades upward into the main 

body of the Star Point to the south between Rock Canyon and 

Ferron Canyon, within the northern boundary of the Southern 

Wasatch Plateau study area. This relation is confi rmed in the 

present study from measured stratigraphic sections and on 

subsurface well-log cross sections (fi g. 8C; plate 1). The deltaic nature of the Panther Tongue is expressed as imbricate, 

seaward-dipping foreset beds overlain and cut into by distributary channels (Howard, 1966a; Balsley and Horne, 1980). Farther south than Ferron Creek, the Panther contains sedimentary 

facies and bedding interpreted here as indicative of shoreface 

deposition. The Panther is overlain by the Storrs Member 

(or Tongue), and south of Ferron Canyon the shoreface parasequences of the Panther merge upward and are overlain by the 

lowermost parasequences of the Storrs.

Spieker (1931) and Young (1955) apparently did not recognize that, farther south than Muddy Canyon where the Panther Tongue merges with the Storrs and Spring Canyon Members (or Tongues) to form one massive Star Point cliff, several 

additional shoreface parasequences that interfi nger with the 

Mancos Shale are present below the main body of the Star 

Point. These each thicken to the west and south in the study 

area and merge upward toward the southwest with the Star 

Point Sandstone. The overlying sandstone parasequences of 

the Spring Canyon, Storrs, and Panther successively pinch out 

into or interfi nger with nonmarine strata of the Blackhawk 

to the southwest, or they are cut out, similar to the relations 

described for the shoreface sandstones of the Blackhawk in 

the Book Cliffs (Kamola and Huntoon, 1995; Kamola and Van 

Wagoner, 1995). 

These interfi ngerings were mapped by Flores and others 

(1980, 1982, 1984), and they appeared in more detail on 

their contemporary maps of coal resources (Sanchez and 

others, 1983a, 1983b; Sanchez and Brown, 1983a; Sanchez 

and Brown, 1986, 1987; Brown and others, 1987; Sanchez 

and Ellis, 1990; Sanchez, 1990). These interfi ngerings were 

interpreted in those studies to represent the shoreline deposited 

by repeated transgressions and regressions in a micro-tidal, 

fl uvially dominated delta system.

Our current interpretation is that the interfi ngering relations represent the successive landward pinch-outs of shoreface parasequences that were deposited by marine fl ooding 

and subsequent basinward migration of the shoreline, similar 

to interpretations expressed by Kamola and Huntoon (1995) 

and Kamola and Van Wagoner (1995). Marine fl ooding surfaces that indicate an abrupt increase in water depth separate 

individual parasequences within the parasequence sets. The 

increase in water depth on fl ooding also served to elevate water 

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S33
tables in the nonmarine and continental settings, thereby providing the accommodation space for plant growth, peat development, and coal preservation. Wave-dominated shoreface features characterize most of the easily recognizable sandstone 

parasequences. Fluvial-dominated deltaic sandstones predominate in the Panther Tongue north of the study area and near its 

typical exposures at Panther Canyon near Helper, Utah, with 

a gradational change to wave-dominated shoreface deposits to 

the south near Muddy Canyon in the central part of the study 

area.

Each of these landward pinch-outs of shoreface sandstone 

parasequences has associated with it coal that extends from 

on top of the shoreface sandstone into the nonmarine strata 

in a landward direction. In a seaward direction, the coals commonly thin and pinch out below the next stratigraphically higher 

shoreface sandstone. In places, the coals are absent, but their 

former presence is indicated by a bleached zone in the top of 

the underlying shoreface sandstone, commonly referred to as 

a white cap (e.g., Spieker, 1931; Balsley and Horne, 1980). 

Spieker (1931) attributed the white color to leaching of ironbearing minerals by acidic waters derived from the overlying 

peat swamps. Balsley and Horne (1980, p. 71–75) discounted 

this theory as being only part of the answer: They attributed the 

leaching instead to sediment bypass of labile iron-bearing minerals in the original depositional setting, admitting that some of 

the white cap may be due to infl uence from the peat swamp. 

Observations from the present study that support a former peatswamp presence include root trace fossils extending downward 

from coal beds into the white cap and isolated pods of coal 

at the top of the white cap that are cut out below overlying 

shoreface sandstones, indicating a previously more extensive 

coal bed. These observations suggest that the formation of 

the white caps is related to leaching of iron-bearing minerals 

by solutions expelled from overlying peat swamps. The peat 

swamps originally developed in continental settings that either 

prograded over the shoreface deposits or that developed on top 

of the shoreface sediments as sea level began to turn around and 

transgress the shoreface environment. This scenario would raise 

water tables in the freshwater continental depositional system, 

providing the accommodation space to grow and preserve thick 

peat deposits that could subsequently form coal.

The coals that extend landward from the upper surfaces 

of the shoreface sandstones can be correlated in the subsurface 

based on stratigraphic position above the Star Point Sandstone 

and based on similarity of geophysical log response. A crucial 

step in correlating individual coal beds is to recognize the geographical location and stratigraphic position of the sandstone 

parasequence pinch-outs in the well-log cross section (fi g. 10). 

These pinch-out locations were based on both previous studies 

(Flores and others, 1980, 1982, 1984; Sanchez and others, 

1983a, 1983b; Sanchez and Brown, 1983a; Sanchez and Brown, 

1986, 1987; Brown and others, 1987; Sanchez and Ellis, 1990; 

Sanchez, 1990), and from observations and photomosaics of 

outcrops along canyon walls, from stratigraphic sections measured for this study, and from the subsurface well-log cross 

sections.

Coal Distribution, Quality, 

and Resources of the 

Blackhawk Formation in the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau

Coal Distribution 

Cretaceous rocks along the eastern escarpment of the 

Wasatch Plateau and in the Book Cliffs to the north contain 

coal-bearing sections within several rock units. The section of 

Cretaceous strata on the western fl ank of the San Rafael Swell 

dips to the west so that potentially coal bearing sections in 

each of the Dakota Sandstone, Ferron Sandstone and Emery 

Sandstone Members of the Mancos Shale—and in the Blackhawk Formation—may underlie the Southern Wasatch Plateau 

study area.

Coal may be present in the Dakota Sandstone in the 

subsurface of the study area, but fi eld investigations east of 

the Wasatch Plateau identifi ed only thin, discontinuous coal 

beds in the Dakota (M.A. Kirschbaum, unpub. measured sections). Coal also may be present in the Ferron and Emery 

Sandstone Members, which lie in the subsurface and stratigraphically lower in the section than the Blackhawk—these 

units are known to contain coal in Castle Valley, east of the 

study area (e.g., Ryer, 1981, 1984; Methany and Picard, 1985; 

Bunnell and Hollberg, 1991). However, because the beds dip 

west into the subsurface on the west fl ank of the San Rafael 

Swell, the Ferron and Emery coals would be present in the 

study area at depths greater than 5,000 ft or more for the 

Ferron (Bunnell and Hollberg, 1991; oil and gas drill hole 

Porcupine Ridge Unit # 1, T. 22 S., R. 3 E., sec. 30, Pan 

American Petroleum Corporation) and 3,000 ft or more for the 

Emery (e.g., Ryer, 1992; Roberts and Kirschbaum, 1995; oil 

and gas drill hole Porcupine Ridge Unit # 1, T. 22 S., R. 3 E., 

sec. 30, Pan American Petroleum Corporation). Because of the 

great depth to these coal-bearing units, the coal resources of 

the Ferron and Emery were not assessed as part of this study. 

It should be noted that the Ferron and Emery coals, along 

with the more deeply buried coals of the Blackhawk Formation west of the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area boundary, all may have potential for containing coal-bed methane 

resources throughout the Wasatch Plateau. The Ferron currently produces methane from a coal-bearing interval just east 

of the Wasatch Plateau near Price, Utah (see Doelling and 

others, 1979; Smith, 1981c; Gloyn and Sommer, 1993; Dallegge and Barker, chap. L, this CD-ROM, and references 

therein for a discussion on coal-bed methane resources).

The continental, coastal-plain, and marginal-marine 

Blackhawk Formation is the primary coal-bearing unit in the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau study area, and it is the major 

focus of the present assessment of coal resources in that area. 

Marine-shoreface sandstones of the Star Point Sandstone are 

intimately associated with coal beds of the Blackhawk because 

S34 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
0 6 miles

38 ̊37'30"

39 ̊15'

111 ̊35' 111 ̊7'30"

Younger K-T

Geologic units:

Blackhawk Fm.

Star Point Ss.

Mancos Sh.

Shoreface sandstone

 pinch-outs

Faults

EXPLANATION

4 

3 

2 

1 2

0

-1 -2

5 6 

7 8 

GEOLOGY NOT MAPPED

Sanpete County

Sevier County

Emery County

Figure 10. Map showing location of sandstone pinch-outs in the Star Point Sandstone in the Southern Wasatch 

Plateau study area (modifi ed from Flores and others, 1982; Flores and others, 1984; Dubiel and Kirschbaum, 1997, 

1998). Numbers correspond to labeled sandstone pinch-outs correlated on plate 1.

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S35
the shoreface parasequence stacking patterns and related fl ooding surfaces in part dictate the location and distribution of 

those coals. Fluctuations in sea-level, sediment supply, and 

(or) tectonic subsidence produced an interfi ngered repetitive 

pattern of stacked shoreface sandstones and peat swamp 

deposits that dictated the present distribution of coal in the 

outcrop and the subsurface.

Earlier Nomenclature and Correlation of Coal Beds 

At the time of Spieker’s (1931, p. 62) initial study of coal 

resources in the Wasatch Plateau, none of the coal beds were 

recognized by generally accepted names, and only the Castlegate “A” bed was determined to be continuous with a named 

bed in another area, having been correlated to exposures in 

the Book Cliffs coal fi eld at Castlegate, Utah. Spieker (1931, 

p. 62) acknowledged the diffi culty in correlating beds of coal 

along outcrops, especially in areas where rocks were not 

continually exposed, and he did not have the benefi t of the 

extensive suite of drill holes or geophysical well logs that 

exist today. Based on what appeared to be consistent coal-bed 

occurrences at regular, recognizable distances above the Star 

Point Sandstone in certain canyons, Spieker (1931) named 

the Hiawatha, Upper Hiawatha, Muddy No. 1, Muddy No. 

2, Ivie, Upper Ivie, Saleratus, Blind Canyon, Bear Canyon, 

Wattis, Bob Wright, U.P., Haley, and Gordon coal beds and 

several other minor coal beds. He named the Hiawatha bed 

after exposures at the town of Hiawatha for a thick continuous 

coal bed that he believed was typically at or near the base of 

the Blackhawk and on top of the Star Point Sandstone over 

much of the Wasatch Plateau. Many of these coal-bed names 

have persisted to this day (e.g., Doelling and Smith, 1982, 

fi g. 11, p. 13; Hayes and Sanchez, 1979; Sanchez and Hayes, 

1979, and other maps in this series), although the present 

correlations may not be the same as those reported by Spieker 

(1931; see also, discussion in Flores and others, 1980).

At the time of Doelling’s (1972a ) comprehensive compilation, there were 22 named coal beds that were more than 

4 ft thick in the Wasatch Plateau, and he retained most of 

the coal-bed names as Spieker (1931) had defi ned them. Signifi cant reinterpretations of these original coal-bed correlations 

were made (Flores and others, 1980) based on landward pinchouts recognized within the Star Point Sandstone (Hayes and 

Sanchez, 1979; Marley and Flores, 1977; Sanchez and Hayes, 

1979). These reinterpretations demonstrated that the Hiawatha 

bed of Spieker (1931) and Doelling (1972a) was not continuous throughout the Wasatch Plateau and that many of Spieker’s 

(1931) correlations of coal beds were thought to be in error 

based on the reinterpreted stratigraphy. As a specifi c example, 

in the area of Muddy Canyon in the central part of the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area, the Hiawatha coal bed northeast of Muddy Canyon was shown to correlate with the Muddy 

No. 2 coal bed southwest of Muddy Canyon, which was stratigraphically higher than the Hiawatha coal bed as recognized in 

that area (Flores and others, 1979).

Based on these interpretations of sandstone interfi ngerings within the Star Point, a series of maps and charts depicted 

measured sections and drill holes and proposed new names and 

correlations for coal beds in the Wasatch Plateau (Sanchez and 

others, 1983a, 1983b; Sanchez and Brown, 1983; Sanchez and 

Brown, 1986; Brown and others, 1987; Sanchez and Brown, 

1987; Sanchez and Ellis, 1990; Sanchez, 1990). Previously 

recognized coal beds were identifi ed by zone names in these 

reports because of discontinuities (pinch-outs) and bifurcations 

in the coal beds (Sanchez and others, 1983a). These reports 

named the Last Chance, Upper Last Chance, Knight, Acord 

Lakes, Axel Anderson, and Blind Canyon coal zones for the 

area covered in this report on the Southern Wasatch Plateau 

study area. Several additional coal-zone names were proposed 

for the area in the Northern Wasatch Plateau study area (see 

Tabet and others, 1999).

In the present study of the southern Wasatch Plateau, 

several discrepancies were noted between coal correlations 

of these older reports and the correlations developed as a 

result of fi eldwork and stratigraphic cross sections of well logs 

constructed for the present report. Therefore, the coal-zone 

names and coal-bed names from those previous papers were 

not used in the present report. Reinterpretations of coal-bed 

correlations for the present study have important implications 

for exploration, for current mining plans and production, and 

for the assessment of coal resources because they revise not 

only the terminology applied to certain coal beds but also the 

way in which specifi c coal beds are precisely correlated in the 

subsurface of the southern Wasatch Plateau.

Lower Blackhawk (LBH) Coal Zone 

For the present study of the southern Wasatch Plateau, 

measurement of stratigraphic sections in the fi eld, construction 

of well-log cross sections, and application of sequence stratigraphy to shoreface sandstone parasequences and coal stacking 

patterns indicated correlations for some coal beds that were 

different than those previously published in the literature. For 

these reasons, the following approach was used to identify a 

single coal zone in the Blackhawk Formation and to correlate 

individual coal beds within that coal zone.

In the southern Wasatch Plateau, coal occurs primarily in 

and is produced exclusively from the Blackhawk Formation. 

Spieker (1931, p. 61) noted that all of the principal coal beds 

occur in the lower 250 to 350 ft of the Blackhawk Formation. 

Doelling (1972a) stated that all of the minable coal occurs 

in the lower third of the Blackhawk Formation. Sanchez and 

others (1983a) stated that the thickest and most persistent coals 

in their study area were within 180 ft of the base of the Blackhawk Formation. Sanchez and Hayes (1979) reported that the 

thickest and most persistent coal beds in the Flagstaff Peak 

quadrangle were within 83 ft of the base of the Blackhawk. 

These studies and their observations of coal occurrences in the 

Blackhawk suggest that there is some precedence for defi ning 

a coal zone in the lower part of the Blackhawk Formation.

S36 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
The upper part of the Blackhawk contains only thin, 

discontinuous coal beds, based on previous published accounts 

(e.g., Spieker, 1931; Doelling, 1972a) and on observations and 

analyses of outcrop measured sections, geophysical well logs, 

and cross sections constructed for this study (fi g. 9; plate 1). 

The stratigraphic cross sections substantiate the fact that the 

thickest and most laterally extensive coal beds in the Southern 

Wasatch Plateau study area are confi ned to the lower part of 

the Blackhawk Formation. For the purposes of this study, the 

lower Blackhawk (LBH) coal zone was defi ned as the lower 

part of the Blackhawk Formation that contains signifi cant, 

thick, and laterally extensive coal beds that could be traced 

and correlated in well logs and on the outcrop. In general, the 

lower Blackhawk coal zone in the southern Wasatch Plateau 

contains from one to fi ve, laterally extensive, thick coal beds 

in a stratigraphic interval that extends about 150 ft above the 

Star Point Sandstone (fi g. 9). Stratigraphically higher in the 

Blackhawk section, coal beds are present, but they are thinner 

and more discontinuous. Typically, the discontinuous coal beds 

cannot be traced for any signifi cant distance in the subsurface 

between available well logs. Commonly they are present in 

only one well log and are not traceable to the next adjacent 

well log. Within the LBH coal zone, individual coal beds can 

be correlated and traced throughout the study area both on the 

outcrop and in subsurface cross sections of well logs, based 

on similarity in geophysical log traces and the sequence stratigraphic concepts and parasequence stacking patterns described 

earlier in this report. Locally in the LBH coal zone, a coal 

bed may be absent in one well log due to channeling by a 

fl uvial sandstone or to depositional thinning of the coal, but 

commonly it is present again in adjacent well logs in the cross 

section (fi g. 9; plate 1).

Coal-Bed Correlations in the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau Study Area 

Landward interfi ngerings of shoreface sandstones of the 

Star Point Sandstone with nonmarine rocks of the Blackhawk 

Formation that were previously mapped by Flores and others 

(1979) are reinterpreted here (fi g. 10) to represent the landward updip extent of marine shoreface parasequences both in 

the Panther, Storrs, and Spring Canyon Members (or Tongues) 

of the Star Point and in the several unnamed parasequences 

below the Panther Tongue. Our reinterpretation recognizes that 

several of the interfi ngerings are true interfi ngering of beds, 

in that the shoreface sandstone parasequences actually are 

interbedded with nonmarine strata of the Blackhawk; however, 

several other of the relations described by Flores and others 

(1979) as interfi ngerings actually represent erosional truncations of the shoreface parasequences by barrier-inlet sand 

bodies, spits, or fl ood-tidal deltas (e.g., Reinson, 1992) similar 

to those described for the Blackhawk in the Book Cliffs (see 

Kamola and Huntoon, 1995; Kamola and Van Wagoner, 1995). 

We refer to these relations here collectively as parasequence 

pinch-outs regardless of whether they were formed by depositional interfi ngering or by erosional truncation.

Although these relations may not all be interfi ngerings 

as originally described, the locations mapped by Flores and 

others (1979) are accurate in that they show the general location of the updip extent of the parasequences. Flores and others 

(1979, 1982) mapped three pinch-outs in Convulsion Canyon, 

which we observed, although one is present at a slightly different locality than they indicated. We noted similar multiple 

shoreface parasequence pinch-outs in other areas, some of 

which were not noted by the previous studies. Along I-70 and 

Ivie Creek, there are three shoreface parasequence pinch-outs. 

In Muddy Canyon there is one pinch-out. In Ferron Canyon 

there are two pinch-outs, and in Rock Canyon there are two 

pinch-outs. There may be additional parasequence pinch-outs, 

as yet unrecognized, due to the limited fi eldwork performed to 

address this issue in the study area.

Recognizing the updip extent of the shoreface parasequence pinch-outs is important because coal beds that extend 

landward from them either directly overlie the shoreface sandstones or they overlie lagoonal rocks that are about 10 ft thick 

on top of the shoreface sandstones. To the northeast in the 

study area, stratigraphically higher shoreface sandstones successively pinch out to the southwest into nonmarine rocks of 

the Blackhawk, as they do in the Book Cliffs (Young, 1955; 

Balsley and Horne, 1980; Kamola and Van Wagoner, 1995). 

Thus, both the shoreface parasequences and their associated 

coals appear to “step up” in the stratigraphic section (fi g. 

9; plate 1). Each coal in the LBH of the study area, when 

correlated and traced to the northeast, can be demonstrated to 

overlie a shoreface sandstone parasequence. Coal-bed correlations on the cross sections (plate 1; fi g. 9) were made using 

colored patterns, such as red, blue, green, and gray. The coal 

beds are simply referred to in this discussion by the color with 

which they are correlated on the fi gures and plate, for example, 

as the red coal or the blue coal.

In the southernmost part of the study area from 

Ivie Creek north to Convulsion Canyon, three thin and 

discontinuous coals and two extensive and thick coals are 

present and recognizable on the subsurface cross section 

(plate 1). The purple coal is the lowermost of the thin coals, 

and it lies directly on or just above the Star Point shoreface 

sandstone in this southernmost part of the study area. The 

green coal and the orange coal are the next two thin coals, 

and they lie about 30 ft and 50 ft, respectively, above the 

purple coal. The two coals that are more continuous and 

thicker lie stratigraphically higher in the section. Of these 

two thicker coals, the red coal lies about 25 ft above the 

orange coal in the section, and the blue coal lies another 

20 to 50 ft above the red coal in the section. The red coal 

can be traced to the north and east where, in the vicinity of 

Convulsion Canyon, it lies directly on the top of a shoreface 

parasequence sandstone of the Star Point. Overlying the 

red coal is the blue coal, which can be traced throughout 

the study area. To the northeast of Muddy Canyon, it also 

lies directly on the next, stratigraphically higher, shoreface 

parasequence sandstone of the Star Point.

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S37
The red coal on top of one of the sandstone parasequences extends from south of Convulsion Canyon northward 

to Muddy Canyon, where it thins and terminates beneath 

the next overlying sandstone parasequence up-dip pinch-out 

observed in Muddy Canyon. The blue coal also extends from 

south of Convulsion Canyon north to Muddy Canyon, and it 

lies on top of the next higher parasequence pinch-out of the 

Star Point. The model developed for this study (fi g. 9), in 

which coals occur on top of sandstone parasequences, would 

suggest that the blue coal extends farther to the northeast 

in the subsurface, even though well logs from northeast of 

Muddy Canyon were not publicly available during this study 

to demonstrate this extension. Measured stratigraphic sections 

(Spieker, 1931; Sanchez and Brown, 1983) on outcrops to the 

northeast of Muddy Canyon do show an extension of the blue 

coal to the northeast of Muddy Creek.

A stratigraphic section measured for this study in Convulsion Canyon indicates that the bed currently being mined 

at the SUFCO mine in the subsurface north of Convulsion 

Canyon is the blue coal. In the SUFCO mine, the red coal 

and the blue coal are referred to as the Hiawatha and Upper 

Hiawatha, respectively (Chris Kravitz, SUFCO mine geologist, 

oral commun., 1998), following the original terminology of 

Spieker (1931).

Above the blue coal, two additional coals, the brown 

coal and the gray coal, are present in the area west of 

Muddy Creek, and they undoubtedly extend farther in the subsurface to the northeast. They do not extend farther south than 

Muddy Canyon into the area west of Link Canyon, Quitchipah 

Canyon, or Convulsion Canyon. The brown coal is about 30 ft 

above the blue coal, and the gray coal is another 40 ft above 

the brown coal. These coals thin and become discontinuous 

to the west and south in the study area, in a direction that 

is landward from their presumed sandstone parasequences, 

which lie to the northeast in the subsurface. The coals also 

thicken to the northeast, presumably where they extend to 

a position overlying their respective sandstone parasequence 

pinch-outs, although that relation cannot be seen directly due 

to the lack of publicly available well logs in the study area 

northeast of Muddy Creek.

Coal Quality 

The coal in the Blackhawk Formation of the Southern 

Wasatch Plateau study area has an apparent rank of highvolatile B and C bituminous and is noncoking (Doelling, 

1972a, p. 126; Hucka and others, 1997). The Blackhawk coals 

are generally low in sulfur, low in ash, and generally contain 

a high percentage of resin (Spieker, 1931; Doelling, 1972a). 

Proximate analysis data for the southern Wasatch Plateau from 

Doelling (1972a) are summarized in table 2A and indicate (on 

an as-received basis) an average ash content of about 7 percent 

(20 samples), an average sulfur content of about 0.5 percent 

(20 samples), and an average caloric value of 12,260 Btu/lb 

(19 samples). Analyses from sites from north to south across 

the area, for the Ricci mine (closed), the Link Canyon mine 

(closed), the SUFCO mine (presently operating), and the Clear 

Creek mine (closed) are summarized from Doelling (1972) on 

table 2B. These analyses indicate that the rank of the coal 

decreases toward the southern end of the Wasatch Plateau. 

More recent compilations of chemical analyses for the southern Wasatch Plateau (SUFCO mine) are reported by Keith 

(1989) and Sommer and others (1991) and show similar 

values and ranges to the earlier analyses reported by Doelling 

(1972a). A summary of the U.S. Geological Survey USCHEM 

database can be found in Affolter (chap. G, this CD-ROM). 

Other physical and petrographic data is presented in Hucka 

(1991) and Hucka and others (1997), including maceral composition, coal hardness and rank of coal at the SUFCO mine, 

and data on correlation of the chemical structure of the coals in 

the Wasatch Plateau with methane formation and retention.

Coal Resources 

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) 

Methods and Calculations 

To assess the coal resources of the southern Wasatch 

Plateau, digital fi les were created for various geologic, geographic, physiographic, and cultural features. These spatial 

data are stored, analyzed, and manipulated in a geographic 

information system (GIS) using ARC/INFO and ARC/VIEW 

software developed by the ESRI (Environmental Systems 

Research Institute, Inc.). The GIS coverages and ArcView 

Projects for the southern Wasatch Plateau are in Appendix 2 

(see Biewick and Mercier, chap. D, this CD-ROM, for explanation on accessing these coverages). Spatial data that required 

gridding for the generation of contour and isopach maps 

were processed using EarthVision (EV; Dynamic Graphics, 

Inc.). Contour lines generated in EV were converted into ARC/

INFO coverages using a program called ISMARC, which the 

USGS received from the Illinois Geological Survey. Various 

geographical, cultural, and physiographic features within the 

southern Wasatch Plateau were compiled and manipulated as 

coverages in ARC/INFO. Integrating these coverages with the 

geologic information in the spatial database allowed calculations of the coal resources and characterization of the coal distribution within a variety of geologic and geographic parameters. The following paragraphs describe the GIS methods 

and the procedures that were used to produce the various ARC/

INFO polygon coverages utilized to make calculations for 

the assessment of the coal resources of the southern Wasatch 

Plateau.

In the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau region of 

the United States, more than 20 coal zones in fi ve different 

formations are being assessed for the National Coal Resource 

Assessment. Certain steps in the process of calculating coal 

resource estimates and of producing the numerous accompanying maps for each assessment unit were automated and 

S38 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
standardized for the project. Roberts and others (1998) established an accurate, reliable, and time-effi cient method of combining an ASCII fi le containing location data (x, y coordinates) 

and coal-thickness data with multiple layers of digital spatial 

data pertaining to coal distribution and coal resource-reporting 

parameters to ultimately arrive at coal tonnage estimates. As 

many as six commercially available software packages were 

used in conjunction with three custom programs to process 

digital data. These programs range from simple conversion 

programs to highly sophisticated geographic information systems (GIS), two-dimensional modeling programs, graphics 

packages, and spread-sheet software. The following discussion 

(adapted from Roberts and others, 1998; see also Roberts, 

chap. C, this CD-ROM) summarizes the GIS methodology 

used to calculate coal resources in the southern Wasatch Plateau from the digital StratiFact (GRG Corp., 1996) spatial 

database.

First, a bounding polygon (usually a rectangle) is defi ned 

that encompasses the area confi ning all the geologically referenced data points and polygon coverages. Polygon coverages were created and stored in ESRI (Environmental Systems 

Research Institute, Inc.) ARC/INFO software. Individual polygon coverages contain geologic, geographic, and cultural elements such as States, counties, townships, sections, 7.5′ quadrangles, coal and surface ownership (procedures used to produce the individual GIS coverages were described in the earlier 

section of this report on Methods Employed in the Assessment), and they are all clipped to internally fi t within the 

original bounding polygon. The x, y-coordinate maximum and 

minimum values of the polygon are specifi ed when gridding 

coal and overburden thickness.

For each outcrop and subsurface data point within the 

StratiFact database, fi les were generated that contain the elevation of a datum used to calculate a “ structure contour” map 

of a horizon on which to calculate the overburden thickness at 

each point (fi g. 11). In the southern Wasatch Plateau, the top 

of the Star Point Sandstone (equivalent to the base of the coalbearing Blackhawk Formation) was used because it is an easily 

identifi able stratigraphic unit recognized in virtually all of the 

data points in the database. The generated fi le also contains 

data on the coal thickness and the overburden thickness (thickness from the coal to the surface of the ground) at each data 

point, which are then introduced into Dynamic Graphics, Inc., 

Earth Vision (EV) program. The data are gridded using the 

x, y-coordinate extent of the bounding polygon. One map is 

produced that displays isopach lines of total (net) coal thickness at each data point (fi g. 12). U.S. Geological Survey digital elevation models (DEM’s) of the 7.5′ quadrangles in the 

study area were used to subtract the elevation of the Star 

Point Sandstone from the ground-surface elevation at each data 

point, producing a map of the overburden thickness (fi g. 13) 

overlying the coal at each data point. Once satisfi ed with the 

coal and overburden isopach lines from the gridding process, 

the lines and fi les were saved in an ASCII format as a “contour 

Table 2A. Table showing the average and range of values for proximate chemical analyses of 

Blackhawk Formation coals from the southern Wasatch Plateau. 

[Number of analyses shown in parentheses. Values reported on an as-received basis; modified from Doelling, 

1972a] 

 Moisture Volatile 

matter 

Fixed carbon Ash Sulfur Btu/lb 

 (22) (19) (19) (22) (22) (19) 

Average 9 38.1 46.1 7 0.5 11,626 

Maximum 13.9 40.6 50.4 10 0.6 12,260 

Minimum 5.6 35.2 43.3 5.4 0.3 10,540 

Table 2B. Table showing average as-received chemical analyses of coal from mines in the southern Wasatch 

Plateau. 

[Modified from Doelling, 1972a] 

Moisture Volatile 

matter 

Fixed carbon Ash Sulfur Btu/lb Mine 

8.4 39.1 45.2 7.3 0.5 11,922 Ricci 

8.3 38.1 46 8 0.4 11,674 Link Canyon 

8.7 38.3 46.6 6.5 0.5 11,770 SUFCO 

13.4 36.2 43.8 6.7 0.6 10,570 Clear Creek 

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S39
output fi le,” which is one of the EarthVision plotting options. 

The program ISMARC was then used to convert the contour 

output fi le from EarthVision to a fi le that is in “arc-generate”

format. The output fi le from ISMARC was then processed in 

ARC/INFO using an Arc Macro Language (AML) program 

(convert-ism.aml), also received from the Illinois Geological 

Survey, that converts it into an ARC/INFO polygon coverage. 

Each polygon created using this AML was attributed with 

a value for thickness, which is the mean thickness of the 

value for the contour lines that defi ne each polygon. The 

ISMARC and “convert-ism.aml” programs expedite conversion of the EarthVision contour lines from overburden or coalisopach calculations into ARC/INFO coverages. The resultant 

coverages can then be displayed and checked for errors using 

ArcView (ESRI). Because the contours were transformed into 

ARC/INFO coverages (both polygons and lines), the coverages could then be converted to shapefi les and imported into 

graphic software, such as Adobe Illustrator, through a commercially available plug-in: MAPublisher (Avenza Software 

Marketing, Inc.). MAPublisher allows lines to be labeled and 

polygons fi lled with colors or patterns based on the attributes 

of the original ARC/INFO coverage.

Calculating coal resource tonnages for the assessment 

area was straightforward using EarthVision. First, a polygon 

coverage was created that is the union of all the polygons for 

which tonnages would be reported (i.e., county, quadrangle, 

township, surface ownership, coal mineral ownership, reliability, overburden, coal-thickness categories, etc.). This polygon coverage next was imported into EarthVision as a single 

polygon fi le. Although several attributes were associated with 

the individual polygons making up the unioned polygon, only 

one attribute label is allowed when importing the unioned 

polygon. The “coverage-id” attribute was chosen to label the 

individual polygon within the unioned polygon because it represents a unique identifi er for each polygon.

Short tons of coal were calculated using the volumetrics 

utility within EarthVision. The two-dimensional grid of coal 

thickness supplied the thickness values used to calculate the 

coal tonnage within each polygon. Running the volumetrics 

routine produced an ASCII-formatted fi le (volumetrics report) 

that lists by polygon-id (same as coverage-id) a value for 

area and short tons for each polygon within the polygon fi le. 

A program written at the USGS called “evrpt” converts this 

volumetrics report to a tab-delimited ASCII-formatted fi le. 

The “evrpt” program strips the header information from the 

volumetrics report and calculates the average coal thickness 

for each polygon that EarthVision used to calculate the shortton value. The resultant output fi le from the “evrpt” program 

was then imported into ArcView as a table.

In ArcView, the table was joined to the attribute table 

of the ARC/INFO unioned polygon coverage using the “polygon-id” (EarthVision) and “coverage-id” (ARC/INFO). The 

result of joining the two tables was a new table with a 

record that contains a short-ton value for every polygon in 

the unioned polygon. The joined table was next exported from 

ArcView as a delimited ASCII fi le or a “.dbf” fi le and read 

directly into a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel. 

Once in Excel, the “Pivot Table” utility was used to create 

tables that reported resource estimates using several categories 

in the spreadsheet.

Coal Resources in the Southern Wasatch Plateau 

Coal resources in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study 

area were calculated using the methodology of Wood and 

others (1982, 1983). The overall methodology was discussed 

in the Methods Employed in the Assessment section of this 

report; specifi c salient details are referred to in the following 

discussion. Coal resources reported here represent all beds of 

coal within the lower Blackhawk (LBH) coal zone of this 

report that are greater than 1.2 ft thick and under less than 

about 5,500 ft of overburden. Coal that is deeper than 6,000 

ft is not considered to be a resource according to Wood 

and others (1983), and, within the Southern Wasatch Plateau 

study area, Blackhawk coal beds do not occur at depths 

greater than about 5,500 ft. Coal resources were determined 

by multiplying the volume of coal by the average density of 

coal (Wood and others, 1983, table 2, p. 22). The volume 

of coal was the product of the net coal thickness and the 

areal distribution shown on the net coal isopach map (fi g. 

12). The density of coal used in resource calculations in the 

southern Wasatch Plateau is 1,800 short tons per acre-foot for 

bituminous coal (Wood and others, 1983, table 2, p. 22). Note 

that coal resources reported in the tables were rounded to 

two signifi cant fi gures after all calculations were completed, 

including the addition of some categories to give subtotals 

and totals. Thus, some categories in the resource tables may 

appear to not equal the sum of their components because of 

the independent rounding.

Coal resources are reported by coal overburden 

categories. Overburden categories represent a maximum 

overburden because the overburden thickness was calculated 

from the Earth’s surface to the top of the Start Point 

Sandstone (which is equivalent to the base of the lower 

Blackhawk coal zone). The top of the Star Point Sandstone 

was used because: (1) this horizon is easily identifi ed in 

both measured sections and geophysical logs, and (2) it is 

a relatively uniformly dipping surface (except for the small 

area of parasequence pinch-outs) upon which to make the 

“structure” contour map. Overburden thickness (fi g. 13) was 

calculated by gridding the elevation data for the top of 

the Star Point Sandstone in both measured sections and in 

drill holes, and then subtracting that grid from the surface 

elevation grid imported from 1:24,000 digital elevation 

models for each of the 7.5′ quadrangles in the study area. 

Maximum overburden lines are shown on resultant maps at 

intervals of 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 ft (fi g. 13). Coal 

resources are reported in overburden categories for intervals 

of 0–500 ft, 500–1,000 ft, 1,000–2,000 ft, 2,000–3,000 ft, 

and greater than 3,000 ft by integrating the overburden and 

net-coal isopach map.

S40 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
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Zone of shattered rock

● Data point locations

Faults

Structure contours (in feet);

contour interval 200 ft

7800

Figure 11. Map showing elevation contours on the top of the Star Point Sandstone in the Southern Wasatch Plateau 

study area (referred to in the text as a structure contour map) and the location of the zone of shattered rock. Map 

shows only faults that bound the western margin of the study area and faults that bound the shattered zone.

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah 41
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2.3-3.5

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● Data point location 

Figure 12. Map showing data point locations, isopachs of net coal, and net-coal thickness categories (thickness 

categories according to Wood and others, 1983) in the lower Blackhawk coal zone in the Southern Wasatch 

Plateau study area. Note that isopachs show net coal and not individual bed thickness.

S42 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
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Overburden Categories (ft)

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Figure 13. Map showing data point locations, overburden thickness, and thickness categories above the base of 

the Blackhawk Formation in the southern Wasatch Plateau.

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah 43
Reliability categories (fi g. 14) are based on the distance 

that the coal occurs from each data point for coal thickness 

measurement. Identifi ed resources are located within a 3-mi 

radius of a data point, and hypothetical resources are located 

beyond a 3-mi radius from a data point (Wood and others, 

1983). The majority of the area of the southern Wasatch Plateau is considered to contain identifi ed resources. In the northwestern part of the study area, where there is both a lack of 

data from measured sections due to no outcrops and a lack of 

drill-hole data, there are primarily hypothetical resources. The 

area just west of the zone of shattered rocks that lies in the 

northeastern part of the study area contains little subsurface 

data, but the resources calculated there are considered to be 

in the identifi ed category because the data that was used from 

measured stratigraphic sections and from drill holes east of the 

zone of shattered rock were within a 3-mi radius, even though 

they are located in the Northern Wasatch Plateau study area 

around North Horn Mountain (see Tabet and others, 1999). 

Although confi dence levels have not been established for 

these categories of identifi ed and hypothetical resources, hypothetical resources are defi ned to reside more than 3 mi from 

a data point (Wood and others, 1983), and thus they are considered to be less accurate.

Coal Resources in the Lower Blackhawk Coal Zone 

Coal resources reported in this study are for total in-place 

original resources of coal in the lower Blackhawk coal zone 

in the southern Wasatch Plateau, and they do not indicate 

the amount of coal that can be economically mined from the 

southern Wasatch Plateau. All coal resources in this report 

are reported as short tons. The coal resources reported here 

also do not account for coal already produced from active 

and (or) inactive mines within the study area. The amount 

of coal produced by mining in the southern Wasatch Plateau 

from 1870 through 1997 can be derived by subtracting the 

production for the Salina Canyon coal fi eld from the Sevier 

County total production (Doelling, 1972a; Jahanbani, 1996). 

This calculation gives a total amount of 63 million short tons 

of coal mined in the study area. During the period from 1990 

to 1997, when only the SUFCO mine was producing, 28.7 million short tons of coal were produced from the Sevier County 

portion of the southern Wasatch Plateau. (Comments on the 

technical availability and production of the coal resources in 

the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area and comparison of 

availability and production of the coal resources of the Northern Wasatch Plateau study area are at the end of the following 

discussion on the overburden and net thickness categories of 

coal resources.) Note that the numbers reported in the resource 

tables and discussed in this report are rounded to two signifi -

cant fi gures, according to the methodology of Wood and others 

(1983) and to match the inherent precision in some of the units 

used in the coal assessment calculations. All calculations of 

resources were carried out to the precision of the original data, 

and all numerical calculations such as summing categories in 

the tables carried the original precision of the data. Finally, 

all values were rounded to report the categories in the tables. 

Thus, due to this independent rounding as a fi nal step, some 

categories may appear to not sum correctly in the tables.

Coal resources of the lower Blackhawk coal zone are 

cross-tabulated for fi ve net-coal thickness categories, two reliability categories, fi ve overburden categories, and two county 

categories for the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area (table 

3); resources are reported separately for the zone of shattered 

rock (table 4) within the Joes Valley fault zone that lies near 

the northeast margin of the study area. The coal resource 

data are also summarized by surface ownership (table 5), by 

coal ownership (table 6), by township (table 7), and by 7.5′

quadrangle (table 8).

According to a recent census on longwall coal mining 

in the United States (Fiscor, 1998, p. 26), current longwall 

mining at the SUFCO mine, the only active operation in the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau study area, is in the Upper Hiawatha 

bed (the blue coal of the lower Blackhawk coal zone of this 

report). The SUFCO mine has a reported seam height of 14.2 

ft (170 in), the cutting height of the longwall mining operation 

is 12.5 ft (150 in), and the overburden is 1,000 ft (Fiscor, 1998, 

p. 26). Comparing these current mining parameters to the coal 

resources reported in table 3, the following observations and 

coal resource fi gures can be summarized for net-coal thickness 

categories and overburden categories in ranges similar to those 

being currently mined in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study 

area. Note that the maps and tables in this report refer to 

the net-coal thickness for the aggregate of all beds greater 

than or equal to 1.2 ft in the lower Blackhawk coal zone and 

not to individual coal beds. However, the stratigraphic cross 

sections (plate 1) demonstrate that individual coal beds of 

similar minable thickness, such as the red coal and the blue 

coal, are prevalent in the study area. The area that these beds 

individually cover may not be as large as the overall area 

encompassed by the greater-than-7-ft thickness categories on 

the isopach map of total net coal (fi g. 12).

For the overburden category of 500 to 1,000 ft and for 

the net-coal thickness category of 7.0 to 14.0 ft, there are 35 

million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Emery County 

(with 5.3 million short tons of hypothetical coal resources), 

2.5 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sanpete 

County (with no hypothetical coal resources), and 370 million 

short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sevier County (with 

no hypothetical coal resources). For this overburden category 

of 500 to 1,000 ft and for the net-coal thickness category of 

7.0 to 14.0 ft, there is a total of 420 million short tons of 

coal resources in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. 

In the same overburden category of 500 to 1,000 ft but 

for the net-coal thickness category of greater than 14.0 ft, 

there are 71 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in 

Emery County (with 5.7 million short tons of hypothetical coal 

resources), 87 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources 

in Sanpete County (with 4.8 million short tons of hypothetical 

coal resources), and 290 million short tons of identifi ed 

coal resources in Sevier County (with no hypothetical coal 

S44 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
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23S 7E 

22S 7E 

21S 7E 

20S 7E 

19S 7E 

24S 7E 

0 6 miles

38 37'30"

39 15'

111 35' 111 7'30"

25S 3E 25S 6E 25S 4E 25S 5E 25S 7E 

Reliability Categories

Identified

Hypothetical

Zone of shattered rock

● Data point location

Figure 14. Map showing data point locations and coal reliability categories in the southern Wasatch Plateau.

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah 45
Table 3. Table showing estimated coal resources in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater in several overburden categories in the lower Blackhawk (LBH) coa

southern Wasatch Plateau. [Resources shown in millions of short tons. Does not include coal within the zone of shattered rock. Values rounded to two significant figures. Totals may not add durounding. Includes both identified and hypothetical resources, by county]  0-500 ft overburden 0-500 500-1,000 ft overburden  County Reliability Net-coal thickness total Net-coal thickness 

 1.2-2.3 2.3-3.5 3.5-7.0 7.0-14.0 >14.0 1.2-2.3 2.3-3.5 3.5-7.0 7.0-14.0 

 Emery Identified 0.04 0.10 0.78 45 28 73 0 0 0.29 35  Hypothetical 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.3  Emery total 0.04 0.10 0.78 45 28 73 0 0 0.29 40 

 Sanpete Identified 0 0 0 1.4 25 26 0 0 0 2.5  Hypothetical 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  Sanpete total 0 0 0 1.4 25 26 0 0 0 2.5  Sevier Identified 0.39 2.1 43 120 84 240 1.6 4.4 59 370  Hypothetical 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  Sevier total 0.39 2.1 43 120 84 240 1.6 4.4 59 370  Grand total 0.43 2.2 44 160 140 340 1.6 4.4 60 420 

 1,000-2,000 ft 1,000-2,000 2,000-3,000 ft 2,000-3,000 >3,000 ft  overburden total overburden total overburden  County Reliability Net-coal Net-coal Net-coal  thickness thickness thickness 

 1.2-2.3 2.3-3.5 3.5-7.0 7.0-14.0 >14.0 7.0-14.0 >14.0 >14.0 

 Emery Identified 0 0 0 11 220 230 0 43 43 0  Hypothetical 0 0 0 0.54 46 47 0 5.8 5.8 0  Emery total 0 0 0 11 270 280 0 49 49 0 

 Sanpete Identified 0 0 0 26 750 770 0 430 430 9.7  Hypothetical 0 0 0 0 240 240 0 1,100 1,100 1,100 1 Sanpete total 0 0 0 26 990 1,000 0 1,509 1,509 1,100 1 Sevier Identified 1.2 2.1 61 280 810 1100 1.43 260 260 63  Hypothetical 0 0 0 0 2.8 2.8 0 27 27 72  Sevier total 1.2 2.1 61 280 810 1,200 1.43 290 290 140  Grand total 1.2 2.1 61 310 2,100 2,400 1.43 1,800 1,800 1,200 1
resources). For the overburden category of 500 to 1,000 ft and 

for this net-coal thickness category of greater than 14.0 ft, 

there is a total of 460 million short tons of coal resources in the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau study area.

For the next overburden category, similar to that presently 

being mined in the study area, of 1,000 to 2,000 ft and for 

the net-coal thickness category of 7.0 to 14.0 ft, there are 11 

million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Emery County 

(with 0.54 million short tons of hypothetical coal resources), 

26 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sanpete 

County (with no hypothetical coal resources), and 280 million 

short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sevier County (with 

no hypothetical coal resources). In the overburden category of 

1,000 to 2,000 ft and for the net-coal thickness category of 7.0 

to 14.0 ft, there is a total of 310 million short tons of coal 

resources in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. For the 

same overburden category of 1,000 to 2,000 ft and for the netcoal thickness category of greater than 14.0 ft, there are 220 

million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Emery County 

(with 46 million short tons of hypothetical coal resources), 

750 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sanpete 

County (with 240 million short tons of hypothetical coal 

resources), and 810 million short tons of identifi ed coal 

resources in Sevier County (with 2.8 million short tons of 

hypothetical coal resources). In the overburden category of 

1,000 to 2,000 ft and for the net-coal thickness category of 

greater than 14.0 ft, there is a total of 2,100 million short tons 

of coal resources in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area.

For the next overburden category, similar to that presently 

mined in the study area, of 2,000 to 3,000 ft and for the netcoal thickness category of 7.0 to 14.0 ft, only Sevier County 

has identifi ed resources, with a total of 1.43 million short 

tons. In the same overburden category of 2,000 to 3,000 ft 

but for the net-coal thickness category of greater than 14.0 ft, 

there are 43 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in 

Emery County (with 5.8 million short tons of hypothetical coal 

resources), 430 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources 

in Sanpete County (with 1,100 million short tons of hypothetical coal resources), and 260 million short tons of identifi ed 

coal resources in Sevier County (with 27 million sort tons of 

hypothetical coal resources). For the overburden category of 

2,000 to 3,000 ft and for the net-coal thickness category of 

greater than 14.0 ft, there is a total of 1,800 million short tons 

of coal resources in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area.

There are also resources in the overburden category of 0 

to 500 ft, although this overburden thickness is slightly less 

than that for the current mining location. For the overburden 

category of 0 to 500 ft and for the net-coal thickness category 

of 7.0 to 14.0 ft, there are 45 million short tons of identifi ed 

coal resources in Emery County (with no hypothetical coal 

resources), 1.4 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in 

Sanpete County (with no hypothetical coal resources), and 120 

million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sevier County 

(with no hypothetical coal resources). In the overburden category of 0 to 500 ft and for the net-coal thickness category 

of 7.0 to 14.0 ft, there is a total of 160 million short tons 

Table 4. Table showing estimated coal resources in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater in the lower Blackhawk (LBH) coal zone within the zone of 

shattered rock in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. 

[Resources shown in millions of short tons. Values rounded to two significant figures. Totals may not add due to independent rounding. All resources in the 

shattered zone are in the identified reliability category and are in Emery County, Utah] 

 0-500 ft 0-500 500-1,000 ft 500-1000 1,000-2,000 ft 1,000-2,000 Grand 

 overburden total overburden total overburden total total 

 Net-coal thickness Net-coal thickness Net-coal thickness 

 1.2-2.3 2.3-3.5 3.5-7.0 7.0-14.0 >14.0 3.5-7.0 7.0-14.0 >14.0 7.0-14.0 >14.0 

 0.07 0.31 9.9 120 150 280 2.2 48 100 150 36 79 110 540 

Table 5. Table showing estimated coal resources by surface ownership in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater in 

the lower Blackhawk (LBH) coal zone in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. 

[Resources shown in millions of short tons. Non-Federal surface includes both State and private land. Values rounded 

to two significant figures. Totals may not add due to independent rounding. Surface ownership accurate as of 

September 1998; see figure 5 and text for explanation] 

 Overburden (ft) 

Surface owner 0-500 500-1,000 1000-2,000 2,000-3,000 >3,000 Grand Total 

Federal 320 870 2,300 1,800 1,200 6,500 

Non-Federal 26 75 190 1.7 0 290 

Grand total 340 940 2,400 1,800 1,200 6,800 

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S47
Table 6. Table showing estimated coal resources by coal ownership in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater in the 

lower Blackhawk (LBH) coal zone in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. 

[Resources shown in millions of short tons. Non-Federal surface includes both State and private land. Values rounded 

to two significant figures. Totals may not add due to independent rounding. Coal ownership accurate as of September 

1998; see figure 5 and text for explanation] 

 Overburden (ft) 

Coal ownership 0-500 500-1,000 1000-2,000 2,000-3,000 >3,000 Grand Total 

Federal 320 890 2,300 1,800 1,200 6,500 

Non-Federal 21 54 170 1.5 0 250 

Grand total 340 940 2,400 1,800 1,200 6,800 

Table 7. Table showing estimated coal resources by township in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater in the lower 

Blackhawk (LBH) coal zone in the southern Wasatch Plateau. 

[Resources shown in millions of short tons. Values rounded to two significant figures. Totals may not add due to 

independent rounding] 

 Overdurden (ft) 

Township 0-500 500-1,000 1000-2,000 2,000-3,000 >3,000 Grand Total 

18S 4E 0 0 0 56 170 230 

18S 5E 0 0 36 250 160 450 

18S 6E 0 22 68 3.3 0 94 

19.5S 5E 0 0 21 55 78 150 

19S 4E 0 0 0 160 250 400 

19S 5E 14 55 410 290 110 870 

19S 6E 10 12 20 0.6 0 43 

20S 4E 0 0 52 400 300 760 

20S 5E 32 57 580 390 26 1,100 

20S 6E 32 46 190 45 0 310 

21S 3E 0 0 20 1.6 0 22 

21S 4E 0 5.4 380 190 110 690 

21S 5E 43 200 330 1.5 0 570 

21S 6E 31 36 3.4 0 0 71 

22S 3E 2.9 13 12 0 0 28 

22S 4E 33 210 220 0 0 460 

22S 5E 46 49 24 0 0 120 

23S 3E 0 5.6 1.1 0 0 6.7 

23S 4E 39 170 68 0 0 270 

23S 5E 0.74 0 0 0 0 0.74 

24S 4E 59 72 8.1 0 0 140 

25S 4E 1.7 0 0 0 0 1.7 

Grand Total 340 940 2,400 1,800 1,200 6,800 

S48 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
of coal resources in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. 

For the same overburden category of 0 to 500 ft and for the 

net-coal thickness category of greater than 14.0 ft, there are 

28 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Emery 

County (with no hypothetical coal resources), 25 million short 

tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sanpete County (with no 

hypothetical coal resources), and 84 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sevier County (with no hypothetical 

coal resources). In the overburden category of 0 to 500 ft and 

for the net-coal thickness category of greater than 14.0 ft, there 

is a total of 140 million short tons of coal resources in the 

Southern Wasatch Plateau study area.

Finally, there are resources in the overburden category of 

greater than 3,000 ft. For the overburden category of greater 

than 3,000 ft there are only resources in the category of netcoal thickness of greater than 14.0 ft. There are no identifi ed 

or hypothetical resources in Emery County, 9.7 million short 

tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sanpete County (with 

1,100 million short tons of hypothetical coal resources), and 

63 million short tons of identifi ed coal resources in Sevier 

County (with 72 million short tons of hypothetical coal 

resources). In the overburden category of greater than 3,000 

ft and for the net-coal thickness category of greater than 

14.0 ft, there is a total of 1,200 million short tons of coal 

resources in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. All of 

the overburden categories and all of the net-coal thickness 

categories for each of the three counties results in a total 

of identifi ed and hypothetical coal resources in the Southern 

Wasatch Plateau study area of 6,800 million, or 6.8 billion, 

short tons of coal.

For a perspective on the portion of this 6.8 billion short 

tons of coal resources that might potentially be mined, one can 

make a comparison to the northern Wasatch Plateau, which has 

similar stratigraphy, coal occurrences, and mining practices 

(for discussion, see Tabet and others, 1999). For the northern 

Wasatch Plateau, Tabet and others (1999) report original inplace coal resources of 9.4 billion short tons, of which they 

state that 57 percent were originally potentially minable. From 

what is potentially minable, they estimate that 30 percent 

can actually be economically produced; thus, only about 17 

percent of the original in-place resource is estimated to be 

recoverable. For comparison, studies of coal resources in the 

Eastern United States have determined that less than 10 percent of the original coal resource reported in the ground, in the 

areas studied, could actually be mined economically at today’s 

prices (Rohrbacher and others, 1994).

Table 8. Table showing estimated coal resources by 7.5′ quadrangle in beds 1.2 ft thick or greater in the 

lower Blackhawk (LBH) coal zone in the Southern Wasatch Plateau study area. 

[Resources shown in millions of short tons. Values rounded to two significant figures. Totals may not add due to 

independent rounding] 

 Overburden (ft) 

7.5’ quadrangle 0-500 500-1,000 1000-2,000 2,000-3,000 >3,000 Grand Total 

Acord Lakes 45 210 570 130 39 990 

Emery West 64 140 140 0 0 350 

Ferron 34 28 0 0 0 61 

Ferron Canyon 22 86 420 310 70 900 

Ferron Reservoir 0 0 100 430 470 1,000 

Flagstaff Peak 55 140 590 370 76 1,200 

Heliotrope Mountain 0 4.20 390 600 550 1,500 

Hilgard Mountain 0 0.03 0.29 0 0 0.32 

Johns Peak 56 68 6.3 0 0 130 

Old Woman Plateau 63 220 81 0 0 360 

Walker Flat 2.9 1.7 0 0 0 4.60 

Water Hollow Ridge 1.3 9.6 110 11 0 130 

Yogo Creek 2.00 32 37 0 0 71 

Grand Total 340 940 2,400 1,800 1,200 6,800 

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S49
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Abbay, T.R., 1979c, Geophysical logs of four coal drill holes, The Cap 

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S50 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
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Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S55
Appendix 1—Location, Lithologic, and Stratigraphic Data for 

Coal Assessment of the Southern Wasatch Plateau

Appendix 1 contains location, lithologic, and stratigraphic data used in the coal assessment of the Southern Wasatch Plateau 

study area. The data are available in ASCII format, .dbf, and Excel spreadsheet fi les on disc 2 of this CD-ROM.

Appendix 2—ArcView project for the 

Coal Assessment of the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Utah

The digital fi les used for the coal resource assessment of the southern Wasatch Plateau are presented as views in the 

ArcView project. 

The ArcView project and the digital fi les are stored on both discs of this CD-ROM set—Appendix 2 of chapter S resides 

on both discs. Persons who do not have ArcView 3.1 may query the data by means of the ArcView Data Publisher on disc 1. 

Persons who do have ArcView 3.1 may utilize the full functionality of the software by accessing the data that reside on disc 2.

An explanation of the ArcView project and data library—and how to get started using the software—is given by Biewick and 

Mercier (chap. D, this CD-ROM). Metadata for all digital fi les are also accessible through the ArcView project.

S56 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
Click on image below to bring up high-resolution image of plate 1.

National Coal

Resource

Assessment

Click here to return to Disc 1 

Volume Table of Contents

Plate 1. Location diagram and cross section showing geology and coal resources of the Blackhawk Formation, southern Wasatch Plateau, 

central Utah.

Geology and Coal Resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the Southern Wasatch Plateau, Cental Utah S57