WSP08184

• File Number: 8200.765
• Description: White River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 11/1/1966
• Author: USFS
• Title: Water and Related Land Resources - White River Basin in Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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History

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The White River Basin ~as part of the home and hunting ground for the
Confederated Ute Indian tribes until l868, when the confederacy was
broken into three units. The Utes ~ere a ~ar1ike people and ~hite
settlement ~ithin their domain created many conflicts. The treaty in
1868 provided for an Indian Agency to be established near the present
town of Meeker, ~ithin the Northern Ute Indian Reservation which
included the White River Basin. Colonel Nathan C. Meeker was one of
the early-day Indian agents.

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Colonel Meeker and eleven others were killed and many whites taken
prisoners in the Meeker Massacre that occurred on September 29, 1879.
United States military troops quieted the rebellion ~ith the help of
Chief Ouray of the Uncompahgre Utes. An Army post known as "Camp on
the White River, Colorado" was established after the Meeker Massacre
and was maintained until 1883. Military troops moved the Utes to their
present reservation in Utah. Settlers were kept from entering the old
reservation area until September 4, 188l. Early settlement was on
natural meadows located along river valleys or ~here hay fields or
meadows could be irrigated from streams. The town of Meeker grew up
around the Army post shortly after l881 and was incorporated November 4,
1885.

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Since early settlement, grazing of livestock on rangeland bordering
valley farms and hay ranches has been the principal agricultural
operation. Records for the White River National Forest,~ Blanco
Ranger District, show 26,000 head of cattle and horses in 1907, but
no sheep. First sheep grazing on national forest land was in 1911.
Since then, sheep and cattle numbers have fluctuated. In 1936, one of
the heaviest stocking years, records sho~ that 97,000 head of sheep,
29,377 head of cattle, and 350 head of horses ~ere grazed on national
forest land. Grazing controls on public domain began with passage of
the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934.

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Timber operations date back to 1870 when the government operated a
sawmill in connection with the White River Indian Agency.

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] The White River Plateau Timber Reserve (no~ White River National
Forest) was established October 16, 189L under the Creative Act of
March 3, 1891, by Proclamation of President Benjamin Harrison. Thus,
the ficst "Forest Reserve" in Colorado was established. "Forest Reserves"
were transferred from U,S.D.I. to U.S.D.A. in 1905 and their name was
changed to National Forests in 1907.

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