ZT 
J^OTES ON THE UNAWEEP COPPER DISTRICT 
COLORADO. 
/ 
By B. S. ButIuER. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The following notes are the result of a visit of two days to the 
Una weep district, in September, 1913. The time spent was alto¬ 
gether too short for a detailed study of the geology, and owing to 
the meager development and the fact that most of the properties 
were idle opportunity for a very satisfactory study of the ore de¬ 
posits was lacking. The geology, however, is relatively simple, and 
it is believed that the more important features bearing on the ore 
deposits are recorded in the following paragraphs. The writer 
wishes to acknowledge assistance and courtesies from Mr. J. S. Shaw, 
of Grand Junction, and Mr. F. B. Grant. 
The Unaweep district is located in Mesa County, Colo., 12 to 15 
miles west of AYliitewater, a station on the Montrose branch of the 
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The wagon road to the district has 
rather heavy grades for the first 8 to 9 miles, beyond which it fol¬ 
lows Unaweep Canyon with moderate grade. The heavy grades are 
due to the fact that the road passes over a spur of the mesa instead 
of following the Unaweep Canyon, but a road following the grade 
of the canyon could be constructed. The bottom of Unaweep Can¬ 
yon in the central portion of the district has an elevation of about 
6,250 feet. Most of the prospects are several hundred feet above 
the bottom of the canyon. A small stream in the canyon furnishes 
water for irrigating a few ranches devoted mainly to the raising of 
alfalfa. Several of the prospects have developed sufficient water 
for uses other than domestic, and the side canyons have small springs 
that furnish w^ater for a part of the year. 
TOPOGRAPHY AND PHYSIOGRAPHY 
Topographically and physiographically the district is typical of 
the plateau country. Unaweep Canyon is a great cut through the 
plateau from the canyon of Gunnison River on the east to that of 
Dolores River on the west. The divide between the two drainage 
29262°—14 
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