UINTA BASIN IN UTAH 25
<br />2 TIRE GRE ,N HOVER AND ITS UTILIZATION _
<br />south slope of the Uinta Range. In this stretch it is joined by the East
<br />and Nest Forks abo•at halfway down and by the Southwest Fork near
<br />the mouth of this canyon. Here the course is changed from almost
<br />south to southeast and, about 10 miles farther down the streams
<br />reaches the margin of the range, and the canyon gives way to a broad
<br />valley. Through this valley the grade of the stream flattens, an4
<br />numerous beaver ponds are to be seen. Upon leaving this valley;
<br />the course is southward through a broad canyon for 15 miles to the
<br />Duchesne. This canyon is bordered on its west side by Farm Creel'
<br />Mountain and on its east side by a high. broken plateau, which slopes
<br />southeastward toward Lake Fork ,and is known as the Purple and
<br />Blue Beneb country.
<br />The Strawberry River with its tril-utaries drains the southwestern
<br />portion of the Uinta Basin. It rises along the east slopes of the
<br />Wasatch Range just south of the headwaters of the West Fork of the
<br />Duchesne. Its catchment basin is a rolling plateau that drains from
<br />the west, north, and east into Strawberry Valley, the lower part ol
<br />which has been converted into a reservoir by the United States
<br />Bureau of Reclamation to store water for use in irrigating lands -0'
<br />the Utah Lake Valley west of the Wasatch Range. The capaci4
<br />of this reservoir is 250,000 acre-feet, and the water is diverted fro*
<br />its original drainage basin to the Great Salt Lake drainage basis
<br />through a tunnel 19,900 feet long leading from the west side of tW
<br />Strawberry Riverlrorn elm Dns that lie nearly .pa allaI t?i one =nnin a northeasterly course, but none of them carry much water. All
<br />reservoir under the divide. With this development already ta'>
<br />much of the Strawberry River water out of the basin, it is obviot
<br />-that any further development along the river must be limited . to t4
<br />surplus water of the stream, which is an uncertain quantity, a1thou0
<br />during some years more water flows into the Strawberry Reserver
<br />than it will hold, and the surplus passes down the river. The. Stram'
<br />berry Dam is built in what is known as "The N-arroa-S," where t#3'
<br />river enters its canyon after leaving Strawberry Valley. For aboq
<br />-2 es b turn to m ththe course of e eat the stream iQ lr
<br />s in this direction for about and tbeml
<br />makes a sharp miles to its confluence with -the Duchesne River at the town 4,
<br />Duchesne. The Strawberry River Canyon is broad, with flat botlkJ
<br />lands which are farmed wherever the soil conditions are favorable:
<br />'early halfway between Strawberry Valley and Duchesne Crass
<br />Creek empties into-the Strawberry Fiver from the north. This str am
<br />with its, main tributary, Red Creek, drains much of the territory z
<br />between the-Strawberry and Duchesne Rivers and is the only lerj
<br />tribuitary entering h the nort'v side of the river. The flow of Lti
<br />Creek is vasty, ?v ewe. the channel -ay be overflowed b-cc-i-,
<br />a thunde? torm.o er, its basin, and within a few hours it may'a
<br />ractical-, pty.._From the south a number of tributaries enter
<br />Y, em
<br />- --
<br />of them are very muddy in the wet seasori or during local thunder-
<br />storms, but the natural low-water floe- is negligible.
<br />Lake Fork is formed by its two main branches, the West Fork
<br />and the East or Yellowstone Fork, which unite a few miles south of
<br />the margin of the Uinta Range. The West. Fork rises just east of
<br />Rock Creek, in a number of small glacial lakes at the base of 'Mount
<br />Lovenia, which stands at an altitude of 13,350 feet. The catchment
<br />area is broad, open, and flat bottomed, with many marginal cirques,
<br />characteristic of all the basins on the south slope of the Uinta Ran,,e.
<br />For 7 or 8 miles below the catchment area the stream occupies a
<br />narrow rocky inner gorge, beyond which the 4eancen widens into a
<br />broad U-shaped valley. Aloon Lake occupies the head of this valley,
<br />and about 10 miles below- the lake the two forks unite. The East.
<br />Fork also rises in glacial lakes, at the base of Filson Peak and Kings
<br />Peaks immediately east of the catchment basin of the West Fork.
<br />Wilson Peak rises to an altitude of 13,095 feet, and the two Kings
<br />Peaks are the highest points in Utah, 13,496 and 13,498 feet above
<br />sea level. Most of the lakes that drain into the. East Fork lie above
<br />11,000 feet. The stream flows southeastward for about 20 miles
<br />through a very rugged canyon, and about midway down its-canyon
<br />Swift Creek, a rather large tributary, comes in from the east. A
<br />smaller stream enters from the west a little farther down. After
<br />leaving the canyon, the East Fork flows a little west of south through
<br />a broad open valley to its confluence with the best Fork. From
<br />this point Lake Fork in its southeasterly course to the Duchesne
<br />flows through about 25 miles of broad flat-bottomed canyon, bordered
<br />on both sides by sloping, irrigated bench land.
<br />The Uinta River rises on the east dope of the Kings Peaks and
<br />drains the south slope of the Uinta Mountains for about 15 miles
<br />east of these peaks. It has the largest catchment area of all the
<br />Duchesne River tributaries. The main basin is a broad open region,
<br />with comparatively -slight relief. -Several headwater streams wonder
<br />from lake to-lake or meadow to meadow, collecting the water from
<br />the melting snow and rains. At the lower margin of the main basin
<br />these headwater tributaries unite to form one stream which enters
<br />the rugged inner gorge of the Uinta Canyon. This inner gorge reaches
<br />a maximum depth of 100 feet in about 4 miles and dies out in another
<br />=' miles. The entire length of the canyon is about 20 miles,- and
<br />it finally gives way to the broad open country beyond the margin of
<br />the range.-_, After leaving the. mountains the Uinta receiv,es'Pale,
<br />Farm, and W-M-- teroeks Creeks from the north and east; Below
<br />the mouth of Whiterocke Creek the river flows.through n broad;
<br />gently sloping valley to its confluence with the Duchesne near
<br />Randlett. In this IDwer stretch of -about 25,miles Deep-Creak comes _
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