Description
Extending previous CGS mapping efforts along the Front Range region of the state, this publication describes the geology of this 7.5-minute quadrangle encompassing Firestone, Colorado. Also described are the geologic history and structure, mineral resources, groundwater, and geologic hazards. Includes GIS data and two PDF plates. Digital ZIP download. OF-19-02D
From the Geologic History and Bedrock Geology:
The Gowanda quadrangle lies in the northern part of the Colorado Piedmont and is on the northwest flank of the Denver Basin. Like much of the piedmont, the topography in the quadrangle has low relief (76 m elevation difference between lowest and highest points). The quadrangle is drained predominately by St. Vrain Creek and its tributaries, which are tributary to the South Platte River. Quaternary deposits cover almost all the quadrangle and bedrock is exposed in only a few places. The predominant Quaternary deposits include piedmont fluvial sediments of the South Platte River and its tributaries, and eolian sediments derived from alluvium in these stream valleys and from upwind bedrock exposures in the piedmont. Bedrock outcrops in the quadrangle consist of either the upper transition member of the Pierre Shale (Kpt) or the Fox Hills Sandstone (Kfh). The youngest bedrock unit present in the subsurface is the Cretaceous Laramie Formation.
