NATURAL  GAS  NEAR  SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH. 
By  G.  B.  Richardson. 
During  a  study  of  underground  water  in  the  valley  of  Jordan 
River,  Utah,  in  the  summer  of  1904,  natural  gas  was  found  escaping 
from  a  number  of  water  wells,  and  examination  revealed  its  common 
occurrence  in  the  vicinity  of  Salt  Lake  City.  About  eight  years  ago 
this  field  was  extensively  prospected,  and  for  over  a  year  the  city  was 
supplied  with  natural  gas.  Though  the  quantity  obtained  proved! 
insufficient,  gas  is  still  found  in  greater  or  less  abundance,  which  leads 
to  sporadic  attempts  to  further  develop  the  field.  It  seems  desirable, 
therefore,  to  record  a  the  little  that  is  known  of  the  occurrence  of 
natural  gas  in  this  vicinity.  An  outline  of  the  topographic  and  geo- 
logic relations  of  this  region,  and  all  available  information  com 
cerning  the  presence  of  other  hydrocarbons,  oil  and  asphalt,  are  giver 
in  a  paper  by  J.  M.  Boutwell,  on  pages  468^79. 
Natural  gas  occurs  at  a  number  of  localities  along  the  easteri 
shore  of  Great  Salt  Lake,  notably  in  the  vicinity  of  Brigham  an< 
Corinne,  near  the  mouth  of  Bear  River,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Sal 
Lake  City,  adjacent  to  the  mouth  of  Jordan  River.  Only  the  lasti 
mentioned  field  was  visited  by  the  writer.  Near  Salt  Lake  City  ga 
has  been  found  in  an  ill-defined  area,  extending  at  least  10  mile 
west  of  the  city  and  15  miles  north,  as  far  as  Farmington.  This  are 
was  formerly  occupied  by  Lake  Bonneville,^  the  Pleistocene  predeces 
sor  of  Great  Salt  Lake. 
The  surface  is  almost  flat,  though  the  country  rises  gently  eastwari 
to  the  base  of  terraces  that  mark  the  shores  of  the  ancient  lak 
Within  the  last  fifteen  years  the  level  of  Great  Salt  Lake  has  beef 
gradually  lowered  about  10  feet,  and  the  shore  line  varies  consider 
bly  in  horizontal  position  annually,  consequent  upon  the  changir ! 
a  The  statistics  here  recorded  were  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  R.  J.  Haywood  a 
II.  L.  Driver,  of  Salt  Lake  City. 
&  Gilbert,  ti.  K.,  Lake  Bonneville  :  Hon,  U,  S.  Geol.  Survey,  vol.  1,  1800, 
480 
