7352

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7352
• Author: Woolley, R. R.
• Title: Editor
• USFW Year: Series
• USFW - Doc Type: 1930
• Copyright Material: NO

to a very narrow width, with a rather steep slope. The current
swift, and the water surface is choppy. The boulders in the char
were all a safe distance below the water surface, and the boats
through with almost. express-train speed. The ride was decide
thrilling.
Very good camp sites are numerous throughout the Green Rn
canyons above the Uinta Basin, and among the best ones was the J
in Split Mountain Canyon on a large sand bar at the foot of a spit
rapid about `his miles down the canyon. The eddy from the r
was a good swimming hole but not very inviting because the w
was so muddy. A clear spring near the upper end of the bar furni-1
good drinking water, the clean, white sand offered plenty of
places for beds; and a large pinon added to the beauty of the se
with the vertical rock cliffs rising immediately behind it, an(P
wonderful buttressed wall receding in the distance down the cane
- The coloring is dull gray with a little red and ocher, and the shado
the late afternoon, extending artistically over the general scene
a very beautiful effect.
At the mouth of the canyon about 150 feet above the river
` left wall is a large cave. To reach it one must climb up over a
huge boulders that have sloughed off the main cliff and nearly`
the entrance. The cave is about 20 feet in diameter and r
circular, and. the highest place in the ceiling is 8 to 10 feet abo
floor. The floor is-covered to an unknown depth with sand as„
the finest flour, which has drifted in and formed a large mound
center. Animal bones,were strewn around, and from all app
the place is a resort for wild beasts.
:Split Mountain Canyon is 7 miles long and has a. total fall
_
feet, or an average of 20.7 feet to the mile.
Canyon th
IIInfa Bwsin.-After leaving S list Mountain
z
flows with a gentle. current in a meandering course among low,
hills; usually barren of vegetation and lacking in scenic interes
two or three places, however, attention is drawn by some aba=n
and mechanical devices along the banks, marking they
of old ,placer operations: -At one place h--huge-dredge was-
and several buildings were erected, but reports indicate that;
dredge was never put into operation. Everything is now in a
dated condition, and the site is a dismal reminder of an e?vs
:n }fa meanderings the river pages within a mile of the l3
lxionsl Monent, about 6 miles northeast of the rattler
i?ti
densea Tlus quarry, as tt is eommonlyAcalled, is one of_the
- I amt?stS eeme, es of - rehistoric a ant` ?' ly sts; and it has fcrr? =
number of very aigr ifleant specimens of ;dtrcEaurs.
About 3 miles above Jensen Brush Creek enters the river from the
>. Its waters are used extensively for irrigating the bench lands
! be vicinity of Jensen. At Jensen a bridge spans the river on the
Cictory Highway and there is a general merchandise store that is the
ast place at which supplies may be purchased on the eastward trip
it the small settlements in the Yampa and White River Valleys
Colorado are reached.
About 2.4 miles below Jensen Ashley Creek enters the river from
0)e west, and at a point I?2" miles farther down is a small tract of
atom land with a few acres sloping back from the river. Here a
'able attempt has been made to irrigate the higher lands by pumping
u eter with a centrifugal pump driven by a tractor engine.
For miles through the Uinta Basin Green River flows in a channel
with vertical cut banks, in some places as high as 20 feet above the
niter, fringed with willows and here and there small groves of cotton-
? L(, ds. Back from the banks there are in places broad stretches of
8?)parently level country which join the rolling hills in the distance.
Ai horseshoe Bend, 17 miles below Jensen, the stream makes a large
loop with the two ends not over half a mile apart, separated by a spur
running south from Asphalt Ridge. The distance around this loop
r-. S':_. miles, the fall-in the river is-less than 10 feet, and numerous
sand bars greatly retard navigation.
Immediately below the Indian agency at Ouray the Duchesne
fiver empties into the GrAn, carrying the. principal part of the _
entire run-off of the Uinta Basin. It was at this place that General
Ashley left a cache to take with him when -he returned from his trip
down the Green and proceeded up the valley of the Duchesne. It
was here also that Major Powell camped for several days.
Less than 2 miles below the mouth of the Duchesne`the White
lover joins the Green from the east. As the Green continues -in its
circuituous course toward Desolation Canyon it passes through a
barren; uninteresting territory. About 5 miles below the mouth of
the IN-bite River the Uteland mine is a conspicuous landmark on-tbe
west bank. The property is now abandoned, and its several build-
"'ps are in a dilapidated condition, but the_camp apparently saw
eons.derable activity at one time.
Just inhere Desolation Canyon begins is difficult to indicate,
bt.'ause of the. absence of a well-defined gorge. The broad open river
course simply winds among scattered rolling hills. Accordingly, the
length of the river course across the Uinta Basin is somewhat arbitra-
my taken as 83 rnrles.: In this listaaee the total fall is-?55 feet; or-an
-
Overage fall of 1.87 feet to the mile.
Desolation Canyon,- Desolation Canyon is indeed 0' "td'
r`?1ed.for, e falorPowellsaj?s,"} isaregzanof.viildest eaofad6ha
Ile walls are almost `withotwvegetat on. Only here' and there ere
R fax, dwarf bushes clinging to the rocks and some cedars growing