148 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 
dish band about the foot of the white cliffs. The 
relation of these beds to the Uinta Basin is shown 
in figure 37 
In the vicinity of Rulison the cliffs are very con- 
spicuous, and from Rulison to Grand Valley the 
train runs practically at their feet. These cliffs, 
which tower to a height of 3,500 feet above the 
railroad, are but the points of long spurs which 
far back from the river unite ina broad, unbroken 
plateau. The upper part of the cliffs is composed 
of white shale and sandstone known to geologists 
as the Green River formation. These rocks, al- 
though originally dark, weather uniformly to a 
dull white. The base of the cliffs is made up of 
the maroon shale of the Wasatch formation, which 
is exposed at several places between Grand Valley 
and Salt Lake City. As shown in Plate LXIII, 
the Green River formation makes prominent cliffs 
on the north side of the valley and occurs also in 
the high parts of Battlement Mesa, on the south. 
Its presence is generally indicated by its white 
color, which shows wherever the cover of brush 
and trees has been removed. In such places it is 
soon cut into castellated forms. 
Most of the lower part of the valley is irrigated 
and produces good crops and considerable fruit. 
A sloping terrace on the south side of the river, 
opposite the village of Grand 
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aM } Grand Valley. Valley, is irrigated by streams 
iE ili Elevation 5,104 feet. that come down from the higher 
BE: h I! dame ea ata: parts of Battlement Mesa, and 
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the scene here is a pretty picture 
of rural peace and prosperity. The principal 
scenic feature isthe great white cliff (Pl. LXTII) 
immediately back of the village. All except about 
600 feet at the base of this cliff is composed of 
shale of the Green River formation, which, aside 
from its striking color, is notable because it con- 
tains a large amount of organic material, mostly 
remains of plants, from which oil may be obtained 
by destructive distillation. Oil has not yet been 
produced commercially from this shale, but it 
probably will be when crude oil from wells be- 
comes scarcer and the demand for gasoline is 
greater than it is to-day. This shale has bee? 
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fell gt 
See eee ee 
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SS 
Figure 37,—Section across Uinta Basin from Newcastle (on the right) to Palisade (on the left). 
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