In 1948 Williams subdivided the Jefferson Formation of northeastern Utah into two formations. The upper formation was referred to as the Late Devonian Jefferson Formation and the lower formation the Early Devonian Water Canyon Formation (Williams, 1948, p. 1138). Since that ti.me detailed study of the Water Canyon Formation has not been made . It is the purpose of this investigation to describe in detail the lithology and paleontology of the formation and their implication as to the environment of deposition of Early Devonian time in northeastern Utah.

Beavers were virtually extirpated from North America during the fur trade, but populations have since recovered. Dams built by recolonizing beaver alter stream habitat by forming deep, slow ponds within the streams. Such changes to the habitat is likely to have consequences for organisms such as macroinvertebrates and fish. The objective of this study was to identify the differences in the macroinvertebrate and trout community in beaver ponds and lotic (e.g. flowing reaches of a stream) reaches in tributaries to the Logan River in northeastern Utah. The macroinvertebrate community of beaver ponds had fewer species, fewer numbers, and lower biomass of macroinvertebrates compared to lotic reaches. Macroinvertebrates that consume leaf litter and predators that prey on other macroinvertebrates characterized beaver pond macroinvertebrate communities. In contrast, lotic reaches contained macroinvertebrates that consume algae and feed on particles floating through the water column. Macroinvertebrates in lotic reaches were morphologically adapted to cling to rocks in the streamflow, while those in beaver ponds were adapted to living within the fine sediment. Bonneville cutthroat trout collected from lotic reaches were larger than those collected from beaver ponds, while the opposite was true for brown trout collected from lotic reaches. I also found that short-term and long-term diets of both brown trout and Bonneville cutthroat trout were similar between trout caught in beaver pond and lotic reaches. Finally, I found that growth rates of trout were also similar between the two habitats. In conclusion, the structure and function of macroinvertebrates, which are dependent on small-scale habitat features, were more affected by inclusion of beaver ponds to the stream network. Conversely, trout collected from beaver ponds and lotic regions were similar in growth and diet. Considering that beavers are used as a common restoration tool, further studies on the effects of beaver on stream communities is essential.

The geology along the southern flank of the Uinta Mountains, located north of Vernal, Utah, has been mapped at the 7.5' scale within two quadrangles: the Dry Fork and Steinaker Reservoir Quadrangles. Ambiguities dealing with stratigraphy, structural geology, and geohazards are currently being addressed as a result of this and other mapping projects in the vicinity. The geologic units in the area range in age from Mississippian to Late Cretaceous and include Uinta-sourced Tertiary units. Brief unit descriptions are provided for each of the units exposed in the map area. The main structural influence on the rocks within the area is that of the Uinta Uplift and its southern bounding fault, the Uinta Basin Boundary thrust. Locally, the Deep Creek fault zone overprints and dissects the southernmost flank of the broad Uinta Anticline. Other smaller structurally complex areas and folds exist east of the Deep Creek fault zone. The Deep Creek fault zone is made up of a series of NW-SE trending faults, likely related to the South Flank fault zone. Many authors have inferred dip-slip movement along the South Flank fault zone, but have not supported these claims using kinematic data. Detailed mapping and kinematic data collected within the study area has produced a better understanding of the deformation history along the fault zones in question. The faults within the Deep Creek fault zone have steep, linear traces upon which both vertical dip-slip and very nearly strike-slip (left-lateral oblique-slip, mainly) movement has occurred. The faults of the Deep Creek fault zone are likely Paleocene in age. The data suggest a bimodal history of deformation which the principal stress field does not seem to be influenced by typical east-northeast-west-southwest Laramide orogenic far-field stresses. The creation and early history of these faults may have been due to localized stress fields related to activity of the underlying Uinta Basin Boundary thrust, or a later period of uplift, a possible accommodation zone between the western and eastern domes of the Uinta Mountain Range, a transfer zone between the Uinta Basin Boundary thrust and the Asphalt Ridge fault, or a combination of these.