Dominguez Butte
{{Short description|Butte in San Juan County, Utah, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain
|name = Dominguez Butte
|other_name =
|photo = Dominguez Butte from northeast.jpg
|photo_caption = Northeast aspect
|elevation_ft = 4476
|elevation_ref = {{cite web|url=https://listsofjohn.com/peak/24382|title=Dominguez Butte - 4,476' UT|website=listsofjohn.com|accessdate=2020-10-12}}
|prominence_ft = 656
|isolation_mi = 0.66
|map = Utah#USA
|map_caption = Location in Utah
|map_size = 230
|label_position = top
|location = Navajo Reservation
San Juan County, Utah, U.S.
|range = Colorado Plateau
| etymology = Francisco Atanasio Domínguez
|coordinates = {{coord|37.0306535|N|111.2782173|W|type:mountain_region:US-UT_scale:100000_source:GNIS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|range_coordinates =
|coordinates_ref = {{cite gnis|id=1450336|name=Dominguez Butte|accessdate=2020-10-12}}
|topo = USGS Gunsight Butte
|rock = Entrada Sandstone
|age = Jurassic
|first_ascent =
|easiest_route =
}}
Dominguez Butte is a 4,476-foot (1,364 meter) elevation sandstone summit located south of Lake Powell, in San Juan County of southern Utah. It is situated on Navajo Nation land, {{convert|13|mi}} northeast of the town of Page, and towers over 700 feet above the surrounding terrain as a landmark of the area. Dominguez Butte has a brief appearance in the 1968 film Planet of the Apes, when a spaceship crash lands in Lake Powell.
Geology
Dominguez Butte is a butte composed primarily of Entrada Sandstone, similar to Padres Butte {{convert|1.5|mi}} to the north, and Boundary Butte {{convert|2|mi}} to the south. The Entrada Sandstone overlays Carmel Formation, and below that Page Sandstone at lake level. Above the Entrada layers is Romana Sandstone capped by Morrison Formation.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lakepowell.org/documents/Lake%20Powell%20Geologic%20Guide.pdf |title=T.C. Chidsey, Jr., D.A. Sprinkel, G.C. Willis, P.B. Anderson Lake Powell Geologic Guide, page 63. |access-date=2020-11-12 |archive-date=2020-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814151533/http://www.lakepowell.org/documents/Lake%20Powell%20Geologic%20Guide.pdf |url-status=dead }} It is located in the southern edge of the Great Basin Desert on the Colorado Plateau. Precipitation runoff from this feature drains into the Colorado River watershed.
History
Francisco Atanasio Domínguez (1740–1805) was a Franciscan missionary and explorer who led the 1776 Domínguez–Escalante expedition. Guided by local Native Americans, the expedition attempted to cross the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry, but found it too difficult. A second ford of the Colorado River, named the Crossing of the Fathers, was successfully made two miles north of Dominguez Butte on November 7, 1776. The descent to the crossing was so treacherous that they had to carve steps into the stone to ensure the livestock could make it down to the river. Today, this ford lies beneath Lake Powell.{{cite web |url= http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/explorers/sitea28.htm | title= Crossing of the Fathers (lost site) |publisher= U.S. National Park Service |work= Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings |date= 2005-03-22 |accessdate= 2016-07-29| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140202112429/http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/explorers/sitea28.htm| archivedate=2014-02-02}}[https://www.nps.gov/dino/learn/historyculture/the-dominguez-and-escalante-expedition.htm The Dominguez and Escalante Expedition, NPS.gov]
This butte's name was officially adopted in 1976 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to commemorate Atanacio Domínguez.
Gallery
File:Dominguez Butte in UT.jpg|West aspect
File:Lake Powell Glen Canyon.jpg|West aspect
File:Dominguez Butte UT.jpg|East aspect
File:Dominguez Butte.jpg|Dominguez Butte from northwest
File:Lake Powell aerial.jpg|Aerial view looking south. Dominguez Butte left of center nearest water's edge.
(Tower Butte upper right corner. Padres Butte in lower right corner. LeChee Rock centered on horizon)
File:Dominguez and Tower.jpg|Dominguez Butte centered, Tower Butte far right. From the north.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Dominguez Butte is located in an arid climate zone with hot, very dry summers, and chilly winters with very little snow.{{cite journal | author = Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. | year = 2007 | title = Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification | journal = Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume = 11 |issue=5 |page=1633 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P | issn = 1027-5606 |doi-access=free }} Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit.
{{Weather box
|location = Page, Arizona
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 64
|Feb record high F = 72
|Mar record high F = 82
|Apr record high F = 91
|May record high F = 102
|Jun record high F = 107
|Jul record high F = 109
|Aug record high F = 106
|Sep record high F = 100
|Oct record high F = 93
|Nov record high F = 77
|Dec record high F = 66
|year record high F =109
|Jan high F = 43.1
|Feb high F = 50.3
|Mar high F = 59.5
|Apr high F = 68.5
|May high F = 78.5
|Jun high F = 90.2
|Jul high F = 95.1
|Aug high F = 92.0
|Sep high F = 83.5
|Oct high F = 69.7
|Nov high F = 53.8
|Dec high F = 43.7
|year high F =69.0
|Jan low F = 26.3
|Feb low F = 30.4
|Mar low F = 37.0
|Apr low F = 43.6
|May low F = 52.6
|Jun low F = 62.3
|Jul low F = 68.3
|Aug low F = 66.4
|Sep low F = 58.4
|Oct low F = 46.6
|Nov low F = 34.7
|Dec low F = 27.1
|year low F =46.1
|Jan record low F = −11
|Feb record low F = 6
|Mar record low F = 18
|Apr record low F = 25
|May record low F = 31
|Jun record low F = 44
|Jul record low F = 56
|Aug record low F = 46
|Sep record low F = 40
|Oct record low F = 24
|Nov record low F = 16
|Dec record low F = 1
|year record low F= −11
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.61
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.48
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.65
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.50
|May precipitation inch = 0.40
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.14
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.58
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.69
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.66
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.99
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.56
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.48
|Jan snow inch = 2.1
|Feb snow inch = 1.2
|Mar snow inch = 0.2
|Apr snow inch = 0
|May snow inch = 0
|Jun snow inch = 0
|Jul snow inch = 0
|Aug snow inch = 0
|Sep snow inch = 0
|Oct snow inch = 0
|Nov snow inch = 0.5
|Dec snow inch = 1.4
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 4.5
|Feb precipitation days = 4.0
|Mar precipitation days = 5.2
|Apr precipitation days = 3.5
|May precipitation days = 3.2
|Jun precipitation days = 1.7
|Jul precipitation days = 4.6
|Aug precipitation days = 5.2
|Sep precipitation days = 4.5
|Oct precipitation days = 4.3
|Nov precipitation days = 3.2
|Dec precipitation days = 3.9
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.9
|Feb snow days = 0.6
|Mar snow days = 0.3
|Apr snow days = 0
|May snow days = 0
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0
|Nov snow days = 0.2
|Dec snow days = 0.6
|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web
| url = http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20/az/026180.pdf
| title = Climatography of the United States No. 20 (1971–2000)
| year = 2004
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| accessdate = 2010-05-31
}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
|date=August 2010
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Dominguez Butte}}
- Weather forecast: [https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/2-5538290/United%20States/Utah/San%20Juan/Dominguez%20Butte Dominguez Butte]
Category:Landforms of San Juan County, Utah
Category:Geography of the Navajo Nation
Category:Glen Canyon National Recreation Area