Home Care In Circleville, UT

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CIRCLEVILLE, Piute County — Farmers in southern Utah are scratching their heads and trying to figure out what caused an unusual phenomenon in an irrigation pond. Earlier this week, Gary Dalton of Circleville discovered a mysterious crater that suddenly appeared under the water.

"The sun was just right," Dalton said, "so, I saw this blasted thing that no one had ever seen."

He noticed it after most of the water was drained from the pond for irrigation. Just beneath the surface he saw concentric circles in the pond botom with a diameter of about 25 feet. The outer ring is a circular depression filled with algae. An inner circle looks as though something erupted from beneath, forming what looks startlingly like a small volcanic crater.

"My heck, I guess that's Martian art," Dalton said. "I don't know."

Experts from the Utah Geological Survey took a look and were initially baffled.

"Well, yeah, we've got several theories," said veteran geologist Bill Lund as he examined the pond. "Most of them have gone up in smoke."

Most of the theories were disposed of almost immediately.

The sun was just right, so I saw this blasted thing that no one had ever seen.

–Gary Dalton, crater finder

Some had speculated that the feature was caused by a natural spring, pushing up from under the pond after being supercharged by recent rains. But Lund said that theory was quickly disproved by aerial photos that were taken before the pond was excavated two-and-a-half years ago.

"This was an alfalfa field and there was no spring here," Lund said. "It's not a spring."

Another theory was that a buried pipeline had been punctured during construction of the pond. But Lund said there is no pipeline.

Another possibility is that there was a burp of methane gas from decaying organic material under the pond. Lund strongly doubts that theory because the local geology isn't the type that sometimes causes such events. "If we were in coal country," Lund said, "I'd be thinking about that a little harder but — you know — we're not."

Earthquakes sometimes will cause similar features in sand or mud, due to liquefaction of soils. But Lund ruled that out because there have no earthquakes in the Circleville area powerful enough to trigger liquefaction.

When Dalton's son Michael was asked what his own pet theory is, he said the obvious: "I have no idea." Another son joked that it was either a volcanic eruption or a Martian landing.

During the geologists' visit, Dalton and his sons maneuvered a platform-lift over the crater to get a closer look.

Although the Dalton's saw a fiery meteor in the sky a few weeks ago, Lund has essentially ruled that out as the cause; the sighting took place long before the crater appeared. Also, no one in nearby Circleville reported hearing any loud booms.

"We don't think it's an impact crater," Lund said. "We don't think anything hit there."

Hovering over the crater in the lift, the curious farmers and geologists lowered a tape measure into the crater. The central depression is about 7 inches deep. They were able to push the handle of a pitchfork another 13 inches or so straight down in the soft center.

"Obviously something came up and created this ring," Lund said. "But then it collapsed back on itself and closed off the vent. Whatever the vent was is closed."

From those observations, a leading theory emerged: a geologic condition called collapsible soils. The pond has been drained and refilled more than a dozen times in the last two years. The theory is that the repeated loading of weight on the soil eventually led some of the soil under the pond to collapse, creating a small eruption.

"As it collapsed and compacted," Lund said, "it forced some air and some water up and created this thing. It looks like a one-off thing. It just happened one time. That's it."

That remains the most likely explanation, even though Lund said he has never seen such a phenomenon take place under water.

"I mean there are still some unanswered questions here," Lund said. "That's for sure."

That's probably just as well with the Dalton family. They can still savor some of the mystery while refilling their pond and getting back to the business of growing crops.

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ST. GEORGE — The brief break from the heavy monsoon rains was just that: brief. The National Weather Service says Southern Utah is in for another week of flood watches and brief, but heavy, thunderstorms similar to that seen just over a week ago.

Update Aug. 9, 5:25 p.m. The NWS has issued a flash flood warning for west central Kane County and east central Washington County as follows:

“Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the south end of Zion National Park and the city of Springdale. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.50 to 1 inch are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.”

Update Aug. 9, 4:40 p.m. Flood advisories and flood watches have been issued by the National Weather Service for throughout the afternoon the following cities and townships: Milford, Circleville, Kanab, Alton, St. George, Hurricane, Koosharem, Bryce Canyon City, Cedar City, Panguitch, Escalante, Springdale, Brian Head, Beaver and Ivins.

Broader areas include Southwest Utah, Lower Washington County, Zion National Park, Southern Mountains, Upper Sevier River Valleys, Bryce Canyon Country and South Central Utah,

The advisory continues to remind citizens that “excessive runoff may result in flash flooding of slot canyons, normally dry washes, slickrock areas and other low-lying flood-prone locations.”

Update Aug. 9, 12:30 p.m. Information added from weather service, including a heavy monsoon pattern expected to last throughout the week.

A flood watch has been issued that covers all five of Southern Utah’s counties through Tuesday until midnight but is likely to continue for a long period after that.

The weather pattern was elevated from Monday, when it had looked like this was going to be a milder monsoonal pattern than the one that downed trees and flooded Southern Utah city streets at the start of the month, as previously reported by St. George News. It also appeared that it would be just a one-day flood pattern, but now appears likely to continue through at least next Monday.

Christine Kruse, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Salt Lake City office, told St. George News that while predicting the weather has some unpredictability – especially in Southern Utah – residents should be ready for the same kind of flooded streets and slot canyons they saw in the last week of July.

“It’s really hard to use comparisons,” Kruse said. “What I can tell you is it’s going to be a decent monsoon surge going into next week.”

Kruse said it may right now be a flood watch for Southern Utah, where flooding is possible, but residents should expect flood warnings, where flooding is imminent or occurring, over the next few afternoons and evenings.

The flood watch is in effect at 1 p.m. Tuesday and will continue into the evening. Cities included in the watch are Milford, Circleville, Kanab, Alton, St. George, Hurricane, Koosharem, Bryce Canyon City, Cedar City, Panguitch, Escalante, Springdale, Brian Head, Beaver and Ivins. Also included are Zion National Park, the Southern Mountains, upper Sevier River valleys, Bryce Canyon country and southcentral Utah.

According to the weather service, under this watch, flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible. Excessive runoff may result in flash flooding of slot canyons, normally dry washes, slickrock areas, and other low-lying, flood-prone locations.

A flood watch for Tuesday afternoon also was issued for portions of northwest Arizona, southeast California and Nevada, including the following areas, in northwest Arizona, Lake Havasu and Fort Mohave, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Northwest Deserts and Northwest Plateau.

In Nevada, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Las Vegas Valley, Lincoln County, northeast Clark County, Sheep Range, Southern Clark County, Spring Mountains-Red Rock Canyon and western Clark and southern Nye County.

Precautions

Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. The public should monitor the latest forecasts and be prepared to take action.

Turn around. Don’t drown.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the National Weather Service offer the following safety rules for flash flooding:

During any flood emergency, stay tuned to official weather reports via radio, television and social media. Cell phone users can also sign up to receive weather alerts as text messages. You can also follow St. George News and Cedar City News for weather alerts and updates relevant to Southern Utah.

For the most current conditions, warnings and advisories, go to the National Weather Service-Salt Lake City office website.

| Updated: 6:49 p.m.

Legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy, born with the name Robert Leroy Parker, grew up in the southern Utah town of Circleville, where the tiny cabin the Parkers called home in the 1870s has become a popular spot for travelers to visit while cruising along U.S. Highway 89.

To the dismay of leaders in Piute and Garfield counties, however, the historic home will not be among the first sites designated as state monuments under enabling legislation Gov. Gary Herbert signed this year.

Herbert, who happens to be a cousin to the Parkers, declined to include the site on a list of proposed monuments released Wednesday to the Legislature. Instead, the leading candidates are Danger Cave and Old Iron Town, both of which the Utah Division of State Parks already manages.

(Scott Sommerdorf | Tribune file photo) Visitors peer into an excavated part of Danger Cave, a significant archaeological site near Wendover that has yielded evidence of prehistoric habitation dating back 11,000 years. Utah Division of State Parks on Wednesday asked the Legislature to designate Danger Cave and Old Iron Town, a historic ironwork site near Cedar City, as Utah's first state monuments under legislation enacted this year.

“We thought we would start with these sites because we already own and manage them and have signs and facilities in place,” State Parks boss Jeff Rasmussen told the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee.

The state monument proposals arose from legislation championed by Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy. HB14 passed this year after three years of failed efforts.

“It sets a pattern where Utah goes to local authorities for approval. This is from the ground up,” Eliason said. “The locals said, ‘Yes, we want this designated a state monument.’ They are confined to the smallest section of land needed to preserve these resources. I would consider this a down payment of future sites.”

Eliason named two additional places, which already see heavy visitation, he believes are worthy of monument status: Spiral Jetty, the rock structure artist Robert Smithson built into the bed of the Great Salt Lake; and Kanarraville Falls, a slot canyon hiking destination outside its eponymous Iron County town.

Both are on land owned by the state, giving them a leg up for inclusion as monuments, but more groundwork is to be done before they can be run by the Legislature and the governor for approval.

Rasmussen spelled out three criteria for a site’s consideration.

“It must be extraordinary,” he said. “We are hoping to confine these to a few extra-special sites instead of hundreds of them. We hope to limit monuments to sites that showcase the first, the last, the only, the most important, or best preserved element of its type.”

If a site falls short of these measures, then it must either make a major contribution to history or harbor “astounding” scenic values.

State Parks also requires that the proposed monument be financially self-sustaining, come with dedicated funding or have a long-term partner to cover costs; and have buy-in from area stakeholders and county officials.

According to Rasmussen, Danger Cave and Old Iron Town fully meet these criteria.

“Danger Cave is one of the most important and renowned archaeological sites in North America and was used to set a timeline for all Great Basin archaeology,” he said. “[The connected] Jukebox Cave also contains unusual black pictographs that show people riding horses and using weaponry."

(Scott Sommerdorf | Tribune file photo) Hikers examine ancient cave art in Danger Cave near Wendover, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015.

Old Iron Town is a pioneer-era metalworking site, famed for its conical charcoal kilns, that is “symbolic of the Utah leadership’s efforts to remain independent of the United States’ economy by developing their own industrial centers," Rasmussen said.

Between 1868 and 1876, the town was a thriving community with a school, boardinghouse and post office. Iron produced there was used to build railways and to caste the 12 oxen that support the baptismal font in the St. George Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“These state monument designations are going to bring significance to these sites and help drive tourism and the local economies,” Rasmussen said. “I think that’s pretty exciting.”

The next step is for the Legislature to pass resolutions to designate Danger Cave and Old Iron Town as state monuments.

State Parks will manage the new monuments in a category distinct from parks, which come with expectations of first-rate amenities and facilities — the kind of improvements that will not be available at state monuments.

Rasmussen hopes the public will regard the monuments as important destinations but will know not to expect much more than informational signs. Still, Eliason pushed back on the idea that the state should not provide any facilities at the monuments.

“If you make the drive to Danger Cave or Spiral Jetty and there are no facilities there whatsoever, it would not stop people from doing what they need to do and that could contribute to the degradation of the area,” the legislator told his colleagues.

"That's called fertilizer," one of the committee members interjected with a laugh.

As for Butch Cassidy’s boyhood home, there is not much there — other than the historic structure, which visitors can’t enter, and a picnic table.

Cassidy may have robbed banks and trains, but many considered him a folk hero for his ability to evade justice before fleeing to South America, where he is believed to have met his end in a shootout with Bolivian troops.

The Parker cabin met at least one of the criteria for monument status last month when the commissions of Piute and Garfield counties endorsed designating the spot. But Herbert isn’t ready to give his stamp of approval as required by HB14.

(Courtesy | Uintah County Library Regional History Center) Butch Cassidy as a young man, circa 1880s.

“Gov. Herbert has chosen to take a gradual approach to approving new state monuments," said spokeswoman Anna Lehnardt. "At the moment, our office is considering a number of monuments for potential recommendation. This is a new process, and we want to make sure we make these determinations carefully.”

The governor revealed his kinship to the outlaw at an Oct. 7 screening of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, staged by the Utah Film Commission to mark the movie’s 50th anniversary.

“He was kind of the person that they [Herbert’s family members] didn’t talk about too much when I was growing up — not that there was anything that they liked about Butch Cassidy,” Herbert said, recalling his grandfather’s response to the film, with Paul Newman starring as Cassidy, when it was released in 1969.

(20th Century Fox | AP file photo) In in this 1969 file photo, actors Robert Redford, left, as the Sundance Kid and Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy appear in this scene from the film ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.''

“My grandfather was about 90 years old, and they took him to a movie,” Herbert said. “They called my grandma and grandpa ‘Ma’ and ‘Pa.’ So he came out of the movie, they said, ‘Pa? What did you think about that movie about Butch?’ And he said, ‘You know, I knew Butch Cassidy. He was nothing but a damn crook.’”

Whether Cassidy is revered or reviled, he played a role in Utah history that is subject to much debate and conjecture. It may take some time before state leaders decide to enshrine his childhood home as a monument, but, in the meantime, anyone can pay a visit.

Tribune reporter Sean Means contributed to this story.

ST. GEORGE — What do Southern Utahns need to know about avalanche risk?

Depending on conditions, anyone heading into Utah’s backcountry in snowy, mountainous terrain is at risk of triggering an avalanche, Brett Kobernik, an avalanche forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center, told St. George News.

While the center doesn’t offer regular forecasting in southwest Utah, including the Tushar Mountains and Brian Head or Zion back countries, they cover the region when warranted by the conditions, Kobernik said.

For instance, if there are pre-existing weak layers of snow under the current snowpack and weather forecasts predict large amounts of snow.

The “biggest clue” that an area is currently at risk of avalanches is evidence of recent occurrences, including slopes that have “cracked out,” where the snow has slid off, or a pile of debris at the bottom of a slope, Kobernik said.

Other signs people should be aware of include heavy snowfall and powerful wind, which can create snowdrifts that are often sensitive while forming or directly after, Kobernik said.

As a precaution, those traveling in Utah’s backcountry should avoid being on or below avalanche terrain, which is dictated by how steep a slope is, he said.

“The magic number is 30 degrees,” he said. “So if a slope is steeper than 30 degrees, it’s possible that you could have an avalanche on it. If you stay on slopes less steep than 30 degrees, you’re safe.”

However, “the one caveat” for this advice is that an avalanche can also be triggered from below a steep slope, Kobernik said, adding that he chooses travel routes to avoid such slopes.

“(It’s) the easiest way to stay safe in the backcountry,” he said.

Those caught in an avalanche should “fight like Hell,” Kobernik said.

“If you’re actually caught, and you’re traveling downhill, you do anything you can to get off of that moving snow,” he said. “You try to swim, grab trees, grab a hold of anything — rocks, anything that you might be able to use to get yourself to stop.”

Additionally, backcountry visitors should carry avalanche gear, including a shovel, an avalanche probe and an avalanche beacon, Kobernik said, adding that every member of the party should have that equipment on hand.

“If you are buried in an avalanche, then your partners can use the electronic beacon to locate where you are under the snow and use the probe to determine exactly where you are and the shovel to dig you out,” he said. “Hopefully.”

It’s difficult to find a person buried in a debris pile resulting from an avalanche, and the chances of survival drop significantly after 15 minutes under the snow, Kobernik said.

While enough oxygen is present in the snowpack, people tend to breathe in their own carbon dioxide and asphyxiate. A person found in time has about a 93% chance of survival, according to the center’s website. After 45 minutes, their chances drop to 20-30%. But nearly zero individuals survive after two hours.

“Your only chance to survive is if your partners can dig you out,” he said.

For this reason, Kobernik suggests taking turns when recreating on or near avalanche terrain.

“The rule is you only put one person on the slope at a time, so if something does happen, then one person’s caught — not the entire group,” he said.

Additionally, while search and rescue personnel in mountainous regions are versed in avalanche safety gear and regularly train throughout the winter, Kobernik said it could take several hours to reach a scene after an avalanche is reported.

“If search and rescue is called, oftentimes, it ends up being a body recovery, unfortunately,” he said.

In 90% of cases, the victim of an avalanche or a member of their group triggered it, according to the center’s website, adding that it is highly unlikely for a person to “get out of the way” as an average-sized, dry avalanche moves at approximately 80 mph.

The last fatal avalanche reported in southwest Utah was in February 2019, when three individuals from Washington County were snowmobiling near Circleville Mountain, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.

The group had ridden in the area before but had no formal avalanche training.

At the end of the first day riding on the trip, the men parked under a bowl north of the peak when an avalanche was triggered from the east, the center reported.

Two riders were caught in the snow, with one fully buried approximately 10-15 feet downhill from his snowmobile, and one partially buried about 40 feet from his snowmobile. None of the men had avalanche rescue gear.

Of the partially buried man, only his fingers stuck out of the snow, which was enough for him to dig himself out of the debris and call 911.

The two surviving riders searched for their fully buried companion for approximately 30 minutes and waited for search and rescue. However, rescue crews couldn’t approach safely until the following day, when they recovered the remaining rider’s body, according to the center.

To learn more about avalanche risks and safety, visit the Utah Avalanche Center’s website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alysha Lundgren joined the St. George News team in 2022. She began her career as a freelancer, writing resource articles for families of children with disabilities. She's also covered topics such as astronomy, recreation and nature. Originally from Nevada, Alysha fell in love with Utah quickly after moving to Cedar City. In her free time, she enjoys wandering and photographing Utah's gorgeous landscapes or hunkering down in a blanket to play video games or read a good book.

Twitter: @STGnews

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SALT LAKE CITY — A flood watch has been issued for much of southern Utah Tuesday until midnight. The weather threat was rated as moderate.

National Weather Service’s Salt Lake City office issued the watch Tuesday afternoon. It also said a new flood watch will be in place again Wednesday from afternoon through evening.

Flash Flood Warning including Springdale UT and Rockville UT until 8:15 PM MDT pic.twitter.com/pWiJZ52s8K

— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) August 9, 2022

“Excessive runoff may result in flash flooding of slot canyons, normally dry washes, slickrock areas and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” NWS said in a release.

The flood watch is for much of the southern portion of the state, including the following areas:

That includes the cities of:

NWS warned residents to monitor forecasts and be alert for flood warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.

It also warned drivers to turn around rather than drown if they encounter flooded and impassable roads and other low-lying areas. Hikers and those pursuing recreation should be prepared for the potential for fast moving water or reschedule plans.

The eastern portion of the state is under a hazardous weather outlook for thunderstorms that could produce thunderstorms and potentially heavy rainfall.

Flooding and flash flooding in Utah has been known to be hazardous and deadly.

There is an increased risk of flash flooding for southern Utah National Parks and recreation areas. Make sure to check in with local visitor centers or ranger stations before heading out and have a plan if threatening weather approaches. More at: https://t.co/7kgSJJ8aoF #utwx pic.twitter.com/j7G5lxq9RL

— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) August 9, 2022

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