﻿342 
  EEPOET 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SUEVEY. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  heights 
  are 
  on 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  Uucorapahgre 
  

   Plateau 
  : 
  

  

  Approximate 
  Approximate 
  Elevation, 
  

  

  latitnde. 
  longitude. 
  feet. 
  

  

  Station 
  14 
  38.08 
  107.54 
  9,561 
  

  

  Station 
  15 
  38.12 
  107.56 
  10.202 
  

  

  Station 
  18 
  38.16 
  108.07 
  9,557 
  

  

  Statiou23 
  38.25 
  108.25 
  9,228 
  

  

  Station26 
  38.30 
  108.35 
  9,789 
  

  

  Station32 
  38.35 
  108.38 
  9,518 
  

  

  Station 
  36 
  - 
  38.42 
  108.45 
  

  

  Station33 
  38.43 
  108 
  48 
  9,315 
  

  

  Station 
  41 
  38.50 
  108.47 
  9,525 
  

  

  Station43 
  38.49 
  108.53 
  9,334 
  

  

  Station47 
  38.52 
  109.00 
  8,600 
  

  

  Station 
  48 
  38.52 
  108.58 
  8,766 
  

  

  West 
  of 
  the 
  Uncompaligre 
  Plateau 
  the 
  country 
  assumes 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  

   broken 
  plateaus 
  and 
  mesas, 
  a 
  character 
  which 
  it 
  maintains 
  to 
  the 
  Wa- 
  

   satch 
  Mountains, 
  varied 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  groups 
  of 
  erup- 
  

   tive 
  mountains. 
  

  

  The 
  Eio 
  San 
  Miguel 
  beads 
  in 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  Mountains, 
  and, 
  emerging 
  

   from 
  them, 
  takes 
  a 
  general 
  northwest 
  course, 
  which 
  it 
  keeps 
  to 
  its 
  junc- 
  

   tion 
  with 
  the 
  Dolores, 
  following 
  the 
  southwestern 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  Uncom- 
  

   pahgre 
  Plateau. 
  Its 
  course 
  is 
  entirely 
  in 
  cauon, 
  and 
  in 
  few 
  cases 
  are 
  

   there 
  any 
  bottom-lands. 
  In 
  one 
  place, 
  where 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  west 
  course 
  for 
  a 
  

   few 
  miles, 
  there 
  are 
  half 
  a 
  dozen 
  square 
  miles 
  of 
  bottom-lands. 
  The 
  

   plateau, 
  along 
  its 
  course, 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  named 
  the 
  San 
  Miguel 
  Plateau, 
  

   is 
  very 
  flat 
  and 
  uniform, 
  gradually 
  falliog 
  from 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  8,000 
  feet 
  

   near 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  to 
  6,000 
  at 
  its 
  mouth. 
  The 
  caiion 
  walls 
  

   range 
  from 
  200 
  to 
  2,000 
  feet 
  in 
  height, 
  but 
  the 
  ruling 
  height 
  is 
  800 
  to 
  

   1,000 
  feet. 
  They 
  are 
  very 
  rugged, 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  passed 
  in 
  few 
  places. 
  

   A 
  few 
  heights 
  along 
  its 
  course 
  are 
  appended. 
  

  

  Miles. 
  Elevation, 
  Fall 
  per 
  

   feet. 
  mile, 
  feet. 
  

  

  In 
  valley 
  below 
  Bear 
  Creek 
  Pass, 
  (head) 
  10, 
  200 
  g^Q 
  

  

  Junction 
  of 
  east 
  branch 
  12 
  7,700 
  

  

  Exit 
  from 
  the 
  mountains 
  22 
  7,200 
  

  

  Crossing 
  of 
  the 
  Navajo 
  trail 
  40 
  6,300 
  

  

  Foot 
  of 
  ^Yestern 
  bend 
  64 
  5,500 
  

  

  Mouth 
  86 
  5,000 
  

  

  50 
  

   50 
  

   33 
  

   23 
  

  

  This 
  stream 
  was 
  gauged 
  in 
  September 
  at 
  the 
  crossing 
  of 
  the 
  !N"avajo 
  

   trail, 
  and 
  found 
  to 
  carry 
  288 
  cubic 
  feet 
  of 
  water 
  per 
  second. 
  Bat 
  a 
  very 
  

   small 
  part 
  of 
  this 
  water 
  can 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  irrigation. 
  

  

  The 
  San 
  Miguel 
  Plateau 
  is, 
  near 
  the 
  mountains, 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  scat- 
  

   tering 
  growth 
  of 
  heavy 
  pine. 
  Farther 
  north, 
  pine 
  gives 
  way 
  to 
  sage 
  

   and 
  grass. 
  Here 
  is 
  also 
  found 
  in 
  great 
  abundance 
  the 
  Yucca 
  augusti- 
  

   foUa, 
  whose 
  pulpy, 
  sweet 
  seed-vessels 
  form 
  a 
  staple 
  article 
  of 
  food 
  among 
  

   the 
  Indians. 
  

  

  The 
  Eio 
  Dolores 
  heads 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  and 
  southwestern 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  

   San 
  Juan 
  Mountains. 
  Its 
  course 
  after 
  leaving 
  the 
  mountains 
  is 
  at 
  first 
  

   nearly 
  south, 
  then, 
  suddenly 
  turning 
  back 
  almost 
  upon 
  itself, 
  it 
  flows 
  

   northerly 
  against 
  the 
  slope 
  of 
  a 
  plateau, 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  buries 
  itself 
  deeper 
  

   and 
  deeper. 
  In 
  approximate 
  latitude 
  37° 
  50' 
  it 
  reaches 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  this 
  

   plateau, 
  and 
  by 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  zigzags, 
  alternately 
  with 
  the 
  dip 
  and 
  

   the 
  strike 
  of 
  steeply 
  inclined 
  beds, 
  it 
  reaches 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  

   Disappointment 
  Creek. 
  This 
  valley 
  has 
  an 
  elongated 
  saucer 
  shape, 
  be- 
  

   ing 
  surrounded 
  on 
  all 
  sides 
  by 
  beds 
  dipping 
  toward 
  its 
  center. 
  The 
  

   Dolores 
  flows 
  around 
  the 
  west 
  and 
  north 
  sides 
  of 
  this 
  valley 
  on 
  the 
  

   outside 
  'of 
  its 
  rim, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  way 
  being 
  in 
  a 
  caiion 
  between 
  this 
  rim 
  

  

  