Geology and uranium-vanadium deposits in the Salt Wash Member, Morrison Formation, King Tutt Mesa area, San Juan County, New Mexico
— Virginia T. McLemore and William L. Chenoweth

Uranium and vanadium minerals were first discovered in 1918 in the King Tutt Mesa area in the east Carrizo Mountains. These minerals in the east Carrizo Mountains are restricted to the Salt Wash Member, the basal member of the Jurassic Morrison Formation, which was deposited in an eastward prograding fluvial system. The ore bodies at King Tutt Mesa tend to parallel fluvial, paleostream channels in the lower third of the Salt Wash Member and are restricted to discontinuous paleostream channel sandstones that are separated by thin lenses of siltstones, shales and mudstones. The ore bodies tend to form small, irregular, subhorizontal clusters that are elongate and blanket-like; only a few ore bodies have yielded more than 1000 lbs of U₃0₈. The deposits at King Tutt Mesa are high in vanadium, unlike most uranium deposits in the Grants district in New Mexico; the U:V ratio averages 1:10 and ranges from 1:1 to 1:16. Most models for formation of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits suggest deposition at a groundwater interface between two fluids of different chemical compositions and/or contrasting Eh conditions. During diagenesis, dilute ground water flowed down dip and encountered deeper saline, basin brines. At this interface, uranium-vanadium minerals precipitated forming the tabular ore bodies. Subsequent oxidation locally occurred, forming a halo of uranium-vanadium minerals surrounding the primary deposits. The King Tutt Mesa area has excellent potential for additional, small uranium deposits down-dip of the known deposits and also on nearby Horse Mesa.