Gene Stevenson - Geologist: River Rats and Rugged Rocks - October 26, 2004
by Lindsey Case

     Rain beat down on handmade wooden shelters beside the San Juan River, as the Westies huddled together for warmth. All the while, the robust voice of Gene Stevenson, former river rat, former Exxon employee, and geologist extraordinaire, filled our cold heads with the historical knowledge of the rocks lining the river.

     Under his tutelage we traveled to Goosenecks State Park where twelve miles of river take wide lackadaisical meanders. Layers of limestone and sandstone mingle revealing a vast array of geologic history within the canyon walls at Goosenecks.

     Gene told us brief stories about the ages of these sedimentary layers. The lower layers are composed of marine deposits which tells us that the ocean once covered Utah. To experience this history better, Gene took us on a hike down Honaker Trail, which winds through these layers all the way to the riverbank. On this trail we found Echinoderm fossils, which are five sided marine worms, as well as metamorphic rocks, called chert.

     Yet throughout the day, Gene's prime topic focused on the history of the river. We learned about the irresponsible delegation of water rights during the Colorado River Compact of 1923. The water rights were determined from a small data set consisting of only one decade. The wettest years were then used as the average water flow. This faulty information still determines who gets what water and how much down stream of each dam in the system.

     After much discussion, weary feet and a new onslaught of rain, the Westies left their new geologist friend for the sanctuary of tents on the slick rock.