706 KEPOKT UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



of the valley. The western portion north of the Gates is sUghtly raised 

 above the eastern portion, so that here the waters of the Bear cannot 

 be used, and only such portions can be utilized as the numerous small 

 streams and springs will water. 



Malade Valley contains 175 square miles of irrigable land. The val- 

 ley is flat, and though the streams have but slight fall, still, as the 

 benches are everywhere low, the water can be taken all over the valley. 



Summing uj), 1 should estimate that this district contains 2,200 square 

 miles of land that can be irrigated and cultivated profitably. It is one 

 of the best agricultural sections of the Western country. This arable 

 area is 17 per cent, of the total area of the section. 



The following table represents in brief the absolute and relative areas 

 respectively of arable, pasture, timber, and worthless lands. 



Arable land 



Pasture-land (where sage is not the predominating growth) 



Sage-land. (This may produce grass, hut not in sufficient abundance to be classed 



as pasture-land.) 



Heavily-timbered land (timber, pine and spruce of large growth) 



Area covered with scattering timber of small size or inferior quality 



Lake area (Bear Lake and swamp) 



Area, 

 square 

 miles. 



2,200 

 5,300 



2,500 



2,000 



800 



200 



Percent- 

 age. 



17 

 41 



19 

 15.5 







1.5 



SETTLEMENTS. 



In the march of emigration towards the setting sun, the drainage area 

 of the Green Eiver has been most carefully avoided. This has surprised 

 me not a little. Although the Green Eiver country, as a whole, is not 

 the most deUghtful place of residence in the world, still there are many 

 fine bits of bottom-land and of bench where the grazing is excellent ; 

 spots which, had they been in Colorado, would long ago have been 

 seized by the squatter. Within that part of the basin which it fell to 

 my lot to survey I can recall but half a dozen ranches. Of these, one 

 derives its principal re'^^enue from the ferry over the Green ; another, 

 at the upper stage-crossing of the Big Sandy, is a stage station ; a third 

 is a very large dairy ranch, located on the Green, at the mouth of Fon- 

 tenelle Creek. Besides these there are two or three cattle ranches on 

 the Green and La Barge Creek. 



In the summer large herds of cattle are ranched in the northern part 

 of the basin, but are driven out of the country southward before the 

 snows of winter set in. 



On Smoking Creek, a branch of Salt Eiver, there is a small settlement 

 vfhose inhabitants are engaged in manufacturing salt from the fine 

 springs in that neighborhood. 



On the Blackfoot there are two or three ranches only. On the other 

 hand, the region of the Bear, Malade, Marsh Creek, and Portneuf is 

 well settled. The valleys of Bear Lake, Cache, and the Malade already 

 support a very considerable population, mostly belonging to the Church 

 of Latter Day Saints. The upper valley of the Bear is mainly in Wyo- 

 ming ; so Mormons have not settled there, and, as the climate is rather 

 severe for agriculture, few "Gentiles" have deemed it worth while to 

 squat there while there is better land to be had for the asking. 



Near the mouth of Smith's Fork, there are several fine ranches, 

 besides two small centers of population, one of them known as Coke- 

 town. From this point down to its mouth there are ranches at short 



