ABOUT THIS BOOK

Despite being the second-driest state in the U.S., a substantial portion of Utah’s geologic and cultural history involves rivers, and the effects of flowing water are evident across the state. This book is about the geology of the rivers that shaped Utah’s present landscape, the ancient rivers that left their deposits as a part of the mountains, and the mythical rivers that inspired early exploration.

Parry approaches his subject from many angles—the mountain building events that provide a source for the rivers, the physiographic provinces that give the modern rivers their character, and the deposits of sand and gravel that formed as ancient rivers flowed. Fossil and modern fish fauna are described to provide a unique guide to some aspects of rivers not available by any other method. The description of rivers is completed with the 'historical' account of rivers that did not exist—the mythical rivers of Utah.

Transcending the notion of a traditional geology text, Parry provides detailed commentary on historical exploration and the development of the local scenery. His ambitious scholarship offers a fresh look at Utah’s changing landscape throughout geologic time.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

William T. Parry is professor emeritus of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah and author of A Hiking Guide to the Geology of the Wasatch Mountains (University of Utah Press, 2005), and All Veins, Lodes, and Ledges throughout their Entire Depth (University of Utah Press, 2004).

REVIEWS

"A fresh way to look at Utah’s changing landscape using the most common landform on earth, the river valley."—William Case, Utah Geological Survey

"I believe that anyone who enjoys Utah’s wild waterways will want to have this book in their backpack!"—Dr. Kathleen Nicoll, University of Utah

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents
List of maps
Acknowledgments	
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. How Rivers Function
Chapter 3.The Mountains from which Rivers Flow	
Chapter 4. Physiography of Utah
	The Middle Rocky Mountains: The Uinta and Wasatch Mountains
	The Great Basin
	The Colorado Plateau
	Salt Anticlines
	Cosmogenic Dating of Geomorphic Surfaces
Chapter 5. Ancient Rivers
	The Oldest River System
	Triassic River System
	Jurassic Rivers
	Rivers from Sevier Mountain Building
Chapter 6. The Green River
	The Green River Crossing of the Uinta Mountains
	Browns Park to Split Mountain
	Split Mountain to Green River, Utah
	Green River to the Colorado River Confluence
Chapter 7. The Colorado River
	Westwater Canyon to Moab, Utah
	Moab to the Needles
	The Needles to Lake Powell
Chapter 8. The San Juan River
	Colorado Border to Comb Ridge
	Comb Ridge to Lake Powell
Chapter 9. The Weber River
	Chalk Creek
	Beaver Creek
	East Canyon Creek
	Ogden River
Chapter 10. The Provo River
Chapter 11. The Bear River
	Little Bear River
	Logan River
	Blacksmith Fork
Chapter 12. High Uinta Rivers
Chapter 13. The Duchesne River
	Strawberry River
Chapter 14. The Sevier River
	Bear Creek
	Circleville and Marysvale Canyons
	East Fork of the Sevier River
	Sevier River from Marysvale to Sevier, Utah
	Sevier Valley
	Mills Valley to Sevier Lake
Chapter 15. The Buenaventura, Utah's Mythical River
Chapter 16. Smaller Utah Rivers of the Colorado Plateau
	Paria River
	Beaver River
	Virgin River
	Escalante River
	Muddy Creek
	Fremont River
	Dirty Devil River
	San Rafael River
	Price River
Chapter 17. The Fish
	Modern Fish
	Tertiary Fish
	Cretaceous Fish
	Jurassic Fish
	Triassic Fish
Chapter 18. Conclusion
Glossary
References

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