Guide to the Fossil Lake Region
       
Fossils For Sale Catalog

A "Gar" - Lepisosteus - courtesy of Mike.

Fossil Lake is the capital of the fossil fish world.  The former Eocene Lake was one of three lakes that once dominated the Utah, Wyoming, Colorado corner region during that epoch.  Fossil lake was the smallest but deepest of the three lakes and now produces more fossil fish that any other area of the world.  Fossil Butte National Monument is located approximately 9 mile West of Kemmerer, Wyoming on US 30.

Kemmerer, Wyoming can be found at an elevation of 6940 ft, approximately 50 miles North and East of Evanston, in the South West corner of the grand state of Wyoming.  Driving towards town was somewhat of a shock, even for an old westerner like me.  As I drove along towards the town I was startled by the number and size of the snow fences perched to protect the road and the railroad style gates used to close roads during winter storms. The area was much more desolate and parched than I had expected. Suddenly as I crested a small hill out in the middle of nowhere, the towns of Diamondville and Kemmerer spread out before me with a combined population of 4000 souls. My first thought was that this must be a collection of 4000 antisocial people who don't really want much to do with the rest of the world. That turned out to be a rather narrow and off-base supposition. For example, the individual who holds the leases on the quarries which I was to visit travels the world extensively in his business and his former wife was a member the Carter Administration. 

There are two different types of quarry sites and the tools, recovery methods and types of specimens are quite different between the quarries although several of the same species of fossil fish are found in both sites. The first site is the "split-fish" quarry - you can find fossilized fish in these formation by simply splitting the layers of sediment apart - very little preparation of the specimen is required.  The split-fish quarry is in a region that was formerly along the marshy edges of the lake and now resides at about 7390 ft in elevation according to my topo (that elevation would be before the overburden is removed).  An area of the split-fish quarry has been set aside were the tourist can try their luck.  But be forewarned, if you find anything rare, it will be retained by the lease-holder.  That is imminently fair considering his investment in setting up the quarry.
On the other hand, the "18 inch layer" quarry is from the deepest  center of the lake and now resides around 7120 ft according to my topo (that elevation would be before the overburden is removed).  Time and pressure have compacted the sediments into much harder layers of rock.  In the 18 inch layer the specimens are seldom exposed when the layers of sediment are cleaved.  Instead, a weak impression of the larger skeleton components appears when the surface of the rock is exposed to a light at the correct angle.  It takes a good deal of skill to see the hidden fossils within the strata.  Even more skill is required to expose and prepare the fossilized fish.  I believe the gar above is from the 18 inch layer.

The work in the quarries was hard - and I was the designated slave of the week. But it was interesting to see how the fossil fish are "mined" - of course I already had seen how Mike (my host) is set up to prepare the specimens for-sale. By the time I got out of town, my hands felt like masses of protoplasmic jelly. Fortunately, the pain and swelling has resided. I think I will save up some vacation and go back next year (if invited). 

Enjoy,

Trekker