Westwater Canyon

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Westwater Canyon.

Westwater Canyon is a canyon located on the Colorado River in Eastern Utah between Grand Junction, Colorado and Moab, Utah. The inner gorge of the canyon is made up of black Precambrian rock and contains class III and IV rapids which are well sought after by whitewater enthusiasts. The most notable rapid, called "Skull", is by far the most significant, and is the origin of legend, tragedy and triumph. There are also many other famous rapids known to the boating community such as last chance rapid and sock-it-to-me

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees a permitting system for whitewater travelers for this section of the Colorado River, and boaters must follow special rules and regulations. Many boaters pack camping equipment in on rafts and make the 17-mile trip from Westwater ranger station to Cisco landing over 1-2 days.

Westwater Canyon runs through a wilderness study area and has been proposed for designation as a wild and scenic river along with Ruby Canyon just upstream.

The Westwater Ranger Station put-in to the Rose Ranch takeout is a 17 mile journey through redrock and black gneiss. Most whitewater is compacted in the Marble gorge where rescue of swimmers or recovery of capsized vessels is limited by vertical canyon walls. A trip through this section of the Colorado River is often said to be like a taste of the Grand Canyon, without having to commit to a multi-week trip or the waiting lists required to boat the Grand.

[edit] Geology

The geology of Westwater Canyon is very similar to nearby National Parks such as Canyonlands National Park, Colorado National Monument, and Arches National Park. The uppermost rocks in the canyon date from the Triassic Era and are composed of the the reddish, cliff-forming Wingate Sandstone atop the green to purple, slope-forming Chinle Formation. Within the inner gorge of Westwater, a large unconformity separates the Chinle Formation from the Precambrian basement rocks composed of metamorphic Vishnu Schist (black) and Zoroaster Granite (pink). Westwater Canyon and Ruby Canyon are the only places on the Colorado River outside of the Grand Canyon where Precambrian rocks are exposed.