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12 THE GREEN RIVER AND ITS UTILIZATION
<br />is in an extremely rugged aroa., with snow-capped peai:s rising
<br />altitudes of more than 13,000 feet and deep, precipitous intcrVenlCt
<br />gorges. Trail and Wells Creeks unite to form the main streali
<br />and for the first 25 miles of its course it flows northwestward thro
<br />the beautiful Green River Lakes; then it turns south and continj
<br />in that direction to the Utah line. Above the Green River >la
<br />the canyon is a narrow rock-bound gorge, which gradually wid
<br />out to the vicinity of Kendall. From this place the stream r-
<br />through a rolling plateau as far as Daniel, passing through a sh
<br />canvon about 4 miles long, cut in rolling hills southeast of AsA
<br />Ridge 15 miles north of Daniel. The la der tributaries ente
<br />the stream above Daniel are Roaring Fork and Wac, Tepee, R
<br />Gypsum, Twin, and Bva: ,er Creeks, all of which rise in the hij
<br />InOlintain s. ti
<br />At Daniel the run-off from a portion of the Absaroka R: oesT
<br />brought in by Horse Creek, which flows to the east and for 4
<br />miles above its mouth parallels the Green River in the same brill
<br />bottom land. Both streams in their parallel courses are sluggish '
<br />winding, with many sloughs, channels, and islands.
<br />About 3 miles below the mouth of Horse Creek the Green R
<br />turns from -an easterly course to the south, with increased velo`
<br />Thence down as far as the mouth of Slate Creek it is bordered on,
<br />s l
<br />east by a bench plateau 200 to 300 feet above the channel, in
<br />places breaking off in a precipitous bluff and in others deseendm
<br />easy slopes to the riser, with its edge in most places 2 or 3 miles
<br />from the stream.
<br />About 30 miles downstream from Daniel the East Fork, the la
<br />tributary of the upper Green, joins the main stream, carrying the-1
<br />off front the entire mountainous area that forms the northea tern v
<br />of the basin from Green River Pass for 40 miles to the southeast j
<br />At 2 miles below the mouth of the East Fork the Green River wul,
<br />a right-angle turn to the west, and about 4-miles farther downst ,l
<br />it makes _another .turn to the south and receives the run-off
<br />-Muddy Creek and North, Middle, - and fiovth- Piney Cre_ksrY
<br />entering from the west. From South Piney Creek to the cow
<br />Green River, Wyo., the stream takes a southerly course thrr '
<br />broad bottoms covered with groves of cottonwood. Labarge, Fob
<br />nelle and Slat? Creeks, all relatively small streams, enter fro.,
<br />_t>iest. The wasters of SlatQ_ Creek are a1laline. Sandy Cre-e;• a
<br />enters in this stretch; it conies in from the east and drains the iiAi
<br />tsinous and plateau area that forms the southern part of the ea LFy
<br />of-the 1v1 in in `-vv r^rrnin$-'
<br />B Iow tt+r. .?oath of.Sandy Week the slope a 'the rater ?,ary
<br />flat, and its a)urse it tortuous, until it-enters the deep c-anynnc-i
<br />``,-_.,us ?l?, 'ta Uinta inta Range, $9 9 miles belowt°he town of Green i$
<br />?c
<br />??
<br />UPPER GREEN RIFER BASIN 13
<br />Ahout: 2 miles below the town, Bitter Creek empties into the Green
<br />••"r,nt the east, carrying the run-off from the Leucite Hills, northeast
<br />the town, and from the Aspen Mountains and bad-land area to the
<br />sc-utheast-. About 30 miles farther downstream Blacks Fork enters
<br />rom the west., draining the east slopes of the Bear River Range and a
<br />noel! portion of the north slopes of the Uinta range. Hams Fork, the
<br />principal tributary of Blacks Fork, joins that stream at. Granger, and
<br />L,an this place the Oregon Short Line Railroad, leaving the main line
<br />:i the Union Pacific, follows Hams Fork upstrearn as far as Kemmerer
<br />+c here. it crosses the divide into the Bear River drainage basin. About
<br />miles below the Utah-Wyoming State line Henrys Fork enters from
<br />;',e west, carrying the run-off from a portion of the north slopes of the
<br />Pinta Range.
<br />GREEN' RIVER TRIBUTARIES
<br />The principal tributaries to the Green River in its upper basin in
<br />downstream order along the river are Horse and Cottonwood Creeks
<br />from the west; the East Fork from the east; North, lbliddle, and
<br />youth Piney Creeks, Labarge Creek, and Fontenelle Creek from the
<br />nest; Sandy Creek from. the east; and Blacks Fork and Henrys
<br />Fork from the west.
<br />Horse Creek rises on the eastern slope of the Wyoming Range at
<br />about 9,500 feet above sea level. It is a relatively small spring and
<br />snow fed stream- with a flashy run-off during May, June, and July but
<br />a very low steady flow during the rest of the year. 'In the upper 16
<br />railes of its course it flows through a deep canyon; for the remaining
<br />20 miles it flows southeastward across the broad Green River Valley
<br />10 its junction with the Green River near Daniel. Its drainage basin
<br />comprises about 195 square miles of rolling hills and mountains, well
<br />erassed and timbered. All the -small effluents of the stream are col-
<br />lected into two main branches in the valley behind the basin rim.
<br />These two branches break through the rim and unite in the basin
<br />several miles above the mouth of the creek.
<br />Cottonwood Creek, apparently the same as Marsh Creek of the
<br />Hnvden "S&Vey,1 drains about tot squarenvlas of mountainous area -
<br />on the eastern slopes of the Wyorning Range, rising at an altitude of
<br />N-000 feet. It is formed by its North and South Forks, which unite
<br />"bout 10 miles southwest of Daniel, after emerging from their deep
<br />c'ar - to the west, beyond the edge of the valley. Fron: this june-
<br />tion the creek flows southeastward in `9 shallow trough and Joins the
<br />Green River about_' 15 MResouth of Daniel.. Beginning at a point 6
<br />rifles below the Junctionof the two forks, the creek divides Into two
<br />ra allel chftnnelei mile apart and 9 rniIas long; . These "channz re?.
<br />site. 6 miles above the ntoith of the cree}c, Beth the N'ort'h and
<br />xuih Forks in the upper parts of the, course-$otr throrcglt seep
<br />9Eydea, P, V., op- flit-, p_528
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