The Sevier River (pronounced "severe") is a 400-mile (640 km)-long river in the Great Basin of southwestern Utah in the United States. Originating west of Bryce Canyon National Park , the river flows north through a chain of high farming valleys and steep canyons along the west side of the Sevier Plateau before turning southwest and terminating in the endorheic basin of Sevier Lake in the Sevier Desert . It is used extensively for irrigation along its course, with the consequence that Sevier Lake is usually dry.
159-583: U.S. Route 89 ( US 89 ) in the U.S. state of Utah is a north-south United States Highway spanning more than 502 miles (807.891 km) through the central part of the state, making it the longest road in Utah. Between Provo and Brigham City , US-89 serves as a local road, paralleling (and occasionally concurring with) Interstate 15 , but the portions from Arizona north to Provo and Brigham City northeast to Wyoming serve separate corridors. The former provides access to several national parks and Arizona , and
318-658: A State of Deseret . The Mormon settlements provided pioneers for other settlements in the West. Salt Lake City became the hub of a "far-flung commonwealth" of Mormon settlements. With new church converts coming from the East and around the world, Church leaders often assigned groups of church members as missionaries to establish other settlements throughout the West. They developed irrigation to support fairly large pioneer populations along Utah's Wasatch front (Salt Lake City, Bountiful and Weber Valley, and Provo and Utah Valley). Throughout
477-562: A landslide in 1983. Thistle Creek and Soldier Creek , paralleled by US-89 and US-6, merge near this junction to form Spanish Fork , which the overlapped routes follow northwest through Spanish Fork Canyon into the Utah Valley at Moark Junction . US-89 splits to the north from US-6 there, skirts the west edge of Mapleton , and merges with SR-51 - the old Arrowhead Trail ( US-91 ) - south of downtown Springville . From Springville north to Salt Lake City , US-89 parallels—and for
636-622: A 50-mile (80 km) long basin between the Pavant Range on the west and the Sevier Plateau to the east. In the valley, the Sevier River flows generally northeast, passing the cities and towns of Sevier , Joseph , Elsinore , Monroe , Central Valley , Anabella , Richfield , Glenwood , Venice and Sigurd . Just north of Sigurd, the river is dammed to form Rocky Ford reservoir. The Sevier River then continues north passing
795-602: A Mormon missionary for thirteen years, and a Salt Lake City newspaper owner, finally left Utah and wrote The Rocky Mountain Saints . His book gives a witnessed account of life in Utah, both the good and the bad. He finally left Utah and Mormonism after financial ruin occurred when Brigham Young sent Stenhouse to relocate to Ogden, Utah, according to Stenhouse, to take over his thriving pro-Mormon Salt Lake Telegraph newspaper. In addition to these testimonies, The Confessions of John D. Lee , written by John D. Lee—alleged "Scapegoat" for
954-867: A distance overlaps — Interstate 15 , following the old Arrowhead Trail, once the main highway from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles , through several downtowns. Numerous state highways connect US-89 to I-15, including SR-77 in Springville , SR-114 in Provo , SR-52 in Orem , SR-180 and SR-145 in American Fork , and SR-73 in Lehi . In Provo, US-89 meets US-189 , its only branch, which heads northeast through Provo Canyon to Heber City , connecting to I-80 and bypassing Salt Lake City. North of Lehi, US-89 merges with I-15 (at exit 282), which has been built on or near
1113-650: A drying climate at the end of the ice age, what is now the Sevier Desert became an independent lake, which drained into the Great Salt Lake via a now dry channel in Millard County north of Delta. As Sevier Lake shrank, the Sevier River formed a large delta at its mouth, hence the name of the modern town. Soils become progressively more alkaline and saline closer to Sevier Lake, the result of the river transporting minerals downstream over millennia as
1272-562: A general northerly direction along the thin strip between Willard Bay and the Wasatch Mountains to Brigham City , where it finally turns east away from the I-15 corridor. US-89 meets the current alignment of US-91 in the southern outskirts of Brigham City, turning east for an overlap on the city's southeast bypass. ( SR-13 and SR-90 are the former alignment through Brigham City.) The two routes head east up Box Elder Canyon in
1431-451: A major reason for poor air quality in Utah . On March 18, 2020, Utah suffered a 5.7 magnitude earthquake originating 3.7 mi (6.0 km) northeast of Magna, near Salt Lake City. Utah is known for its natural diversity and is home to features ranging from arid deserts with dunes to thriving pine forests in mountain valleys. It is a rugged and geographically diverse state at the convergence of three distinct geological regions:
1590-546: A peripheral part of New Spain (and later of Mexico). Even while it was Mexican territory, many of the Utah region’s earliest European settlers were from the United States; notable among these were Mormons who were fleeing marginalization and persecution in the United States and arrived via the so-called Mormon Trail . In 1848, after the Mexican–American War , the region was annexed by the U.S. , becoming part of
1749-459: A record snowpack overwhelmed the reservoir system which had not been designed for flood control. Bridges, roads and diversion structures were washed out, and the DMAD and Gunnison Bend dams were partially breached. By May 1984 more than 1.5 million acre feet (1.9 billion m ) of water had flowed into Sevier Lake, temporarily inundating the dry lake bed 35 feet (11 m) deep. Along with agriculture,
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#17327905736351908-465: A regiment of California volunteers in 1862. Connor established Fort Douglas just 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Salt Lake City and encouraged his people to discover mineral deposits to bring more non-Mormons into the territory. Minerals were discovered in Tooele County and miners began to flock to the territory. Beginning in 1865, Utah's Black Hawk War developed into the deadliest conflict in
2067-471: A valley and formed Navajo Lake . Due to the semi-desert climate, the valleys of the Sevier River basin were historically mostly grassland and shrubland, with the seeds of Oryzopsis hymenoides ( Indian ricegrass ) being an important food source for Native Americans. Many valley plants, such as greasewood , shadscale and saltgrass are adapted to the higher salt content in the soil. The valleys have been heavily modified for farming and grazing, and much of
2226-570: A wide variety of vegetation types. Small hardwoods such as gambel oak , serviceberry , mountain mahogany , maple and scrub oak tend to occur at elevations of 7,500 to 8,500 feet (2,300 to 2,600 m) just below the boundary of the alpine zone, but still high enough to receive significant precipitation. In the lower foothills, pinyon – juniper "pygmy forest" mixed with areas of grassland and sagebrush occur between 5,500 to 7,500 feet (1,700 to 2,300 m) in elevation. Paleo-Indians were present in southwestern Utah as early as 10,000 BC, when
2385-500: Is at high elevation, with the highest point at 12,174-foot (3,711 m) Delano Peak in the Tushar Mountains. There are twelve other peaks in the basin rising more than 11,000 feet (3,400 m). The lowest point is at Sevier Lake, 4,524 feet (1,379 m) above sea level. The basin experiences a continental climate ranging in character from semi-arid to alpine. Precipitation – ranging from 6.4 inches (160 mm) in
2544-591: Is credited with blazing a connection between existing Native American trails through the Sevier basin in 1826; this became part of the northern branch of the Old Spanish Trail , following the middle and upper parts of the river. John C. Frémont traveled along the Sevier River on his 1844 exploration of the Great Basin, which confirmed that the Sevier and other Great Basin streams had no ocean outlet and
2703-641: Is just over the Nevada state line in the southern Snake Range. One of western Utah's most impressive, but least visited attractions is Notch Peak , the tallest limestone cliff in North America, located west of Delta . Much of the scenic southern and southeastern landscape (specifically the Colorado Plateau region) is sandstone , specifically Kayenta sandstone and Navajo sandstone . The Colorado River and its tributaries wind their way through
2862-494: Is marked along State Street , a major north–south street that ends at the Utah State Capitol . After passing through Sandy , Midvale , Murray , Millcreek Township , and South Salt Lake , State Street enters Salt Lake City at the intersection with SR-201 (2100 South). Until 2007, US-89 followed State Street to North Temple (100 North), two blocks from the capitol, but now it turns at 400 South, following
3021-701: Is now I-15, SR-126 , and SR-26 ). The southern part of US-89, running northerly from Kanab , mostly follows a succession of linear valleys. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad opened a branch (later the Marysvale Branch ) from its main line at Thistle to Manti in 1890, and extended it (through a subsidiary, the Sevier Railway ), to Salina in 1891, Belknap in 1896, and Marysvale in 1900. No rail line ever reached farther south, and so residents of towns such as Junction , Panguitch , Alton , Glendale , and Kanab had to travel north to
3180-404: Is responsible for regulating water use in the river system, and monitors reservoir storage levels, canal diversions and stream flows. Total water use in the basin is more than 1 million acre feet (1.2 billion m ) annually, with more than 60 percent dedicated to agriculture. This figure is higher than the naturally available water supply since most of the water is used more than once. Due to
3339-537: Is the central feature of protected state and federal parks such as Arches , Bryce Canyon , Canyonlands , Capitol Reef , and Zion national parks, Cedar Breaks , Grand Staircase–Escalante , Hovenweep , and Natural Bridges national monuments, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (site of the popular tourist destination, Lake Powell ), Dead Horse Point and Goblin Valley state parks, and Monument Valley . The Navajo Nation also extends into southeastern Utah, and
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#17327905736353498-695: Is the longest river entirely within the state of Utah. The Sevier River is formed by the confluence of Minnie Creek and Tyler Creek in Long Valley in Kane County . The headwaters are at an elevation of 7,310 ft (2,230 m) between the Markagunt Plateau (on the west) and the Paunsaugunt Plateau . The river flows north through a wide valley into Garfield County passing Hatch and Panguitch . It then flows through
3657-473: Is the lowest point in the state, at 2,000 feet (610 m). The northernmost portion of the Mojave Desert is also located in this area. Dixie is quickly becoming a popular recreational and retirement destination, and the population is growing rapidly. Although the Wasatch Mountains end at Mount Nebo near Nephi , a complex series of mountain ranges extends south from the southern end of the range down
3816-692: Is the only one to include exit numbers based on its mileage, as opposed to the overlapping I-15 or I-70. The freeway ends after US-89 crosses SR-273 , the former surface alignment of US-91 in both directions, and heads north as a four-lane road along the Wasatch foothills, to the east of Layton and Hill Air Force Base . This portion is planned to be upgraded to freeway status by 2023. After crossing I-84 in Uintah , US-89 enters Ogden , which it traverses via Washington Boulevard, rejoining old US-91 (now SR-26 ) south of downtown. Beyond Ogden, US-89 continues in
3975-585: Is the only state where every county contains some national forest. Utah features a dry, semi-arid to desert climate , although its many mountains feature a large variety of climates, with the highest points in the Uinta Mountains being above the timberline . The dry weather is a result of the state's location in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada in California. The eastern half of
4134-467: Is the variety of its terrain . Running down the middle of the state's northern third is the Wasatch Range , which rises to heights of almost 12,000 ft (3,700 m) above sea level. Utah is home to world-renowned ski resorts made popular by light, fluffy snow and winter storms that regularly dump up to three feet of it overnight. In the state's northeastern section, running east to west, are
4293-526: Is underlain by marine sedimentary rock including thick limestone layers, which accumulated prior to the Jurassic when the western US was part of a shallow sea. Uplift during the Jurassic and Cretaceous thrust western Utah above sea level for the first time. Between 100 and 80 million years ago, the Sevier Orogeny created mountains much higher than those found in western Utah today. The Sevier Desert
4452-612: The Arena TRAX station , the Triad Center , and West High School . As it leaves downtown, 300 West curves northwesterly and becomes Beck Street, meeting the modern terminus of SR-186 at Victory Road at the back side of Capitol Hill . US-89 leaves Salt Lake City at exit 312 of I-15 , where it acts as I-15's frontage roads . Just south of I-15's junction with I-215 , US-89 splits to the northeast, passing through Bountiful and Woods Cross . A northerly curve onto 500 West removes
4611-578: The Cache Valley , now SR-38 and SR-30 .) Wyoming's preferred routing, which left US-91 at Provo , instead became US-189 . Beginning in the 1950s, Interstate 15 was constructed, replacing US-91 for through traffic south of Brigham City, and leading to that route's truncation there in 1974. On the other hand, US-89 follows independent corridors south of Spanish Fork and north of Logan. It has not been truncated and mostly follows US-91's final alignment, except between Farmington and Ogden (where old US-91
4770-466: The Cache Valley . In that valley, US-89/US-91 heads northeast, bypassing Wellsville to the east, into downtown Logan . US-91 continues northerly from Logan into Idaho , but US-89 splits to the east, beginning a long climb of the Bear River Range through Logan Canyon . The Logan Canyon Scenic Byway , a Utah and National Scenic Byway , begins at Logan and follows US-89 up the canyon, past
4929-704: The Colorado Plateau ; the north and west parts of the basin are defined by long linear mountain ranges such as the Pavant and Canyon Mountains. To the east and south rise high plateaus and block-shaped mountain ranges, chief of which are the Wasatch and Sevier Plateaus to the east, and the Paunsaugunt and Markagunt Plateaus, the Pink Cliffs and the Tushar Mountains to the south. The entire basin
U.S. Route 89 in Utah - Misplaced Pages Continue
5088-595: The Domínguez–Escalante expedition —left Santa Fe in 1776, hoping to find a route to the coast of California. The expedition traveled as far north as Utah Lake and encountered the native residents. The Spanish made further explorations in the region but were not interested in colonizing the area because of its desert nature. In 1821, the year Mexico achieved its independence from Spain, the region became known as part of its territory of Alta California . European trappers and fur traders explored some areas of Utah in
5247-797: The Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument . US-89 stays near the monument's southern boundary, crossing the East Clark Bench and The Cockscomb and passing south of the Vermilion Cliffs of the Grand Staircase . At the city of Kanab , US-89 meets the north end of US-89A , an alternate route south into Arizona, and abruptly turns north and begins climbing the staircase. Here the Mount Carmel Scenic Byway begins; one of
5406-459: The I-15 corridor, including the densely populated Wasatch Front , receives approximately 15 inches (381 mm). The Great Salt Lake Desert is the driest area of the state, with less than 5 inches (127 mm). Snowfall is common in all but the far southern valleys. Although St. George receives only about 3 inches (76 mm) per year, Salt Lake City sees about 60 inches (1,524 mm), enhanced by
5565-536: The Mountain Meadow Massacre —also came out in 1877. The corroborative testimonies coming out of Utah from Mormons and former Mormons influenced Congress and the people of the United States. In the 1890 Manifesto , the LDS Church banned polygamy. When Utah applied for statehood again , it was accepted. One of the conditions for granting Utah statehood was that a ban on polygamy be written into
5724-602: The Mountain Meadows massacre . Before troops led by Albert Sidney Johnston entered the territory, Brigham Young ordered all residents of Salt Lake City to evacuate southward to Utah Valley and sent out the Nauvoo Legion to delay the government's advance. Although wagons and supplies were burned, eventually the troops arrived in 1858, and Young surrendered official control to Cumming, although most subsequent commentators claim that Young retained true power in
5883-511: The Pooence . The first Europeans to see the river were the Spanish missionaries Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante who led the Domínguez–Escalante expedition of 1776, trying to find a way to Monterey, California from Santa Fe, New Mexico . They arrived at the Sevier River on September 27, two days after leaving the Utah Valley , and camped at a location near
6042-710: The Rocky Mountains , the Great Basin , and the Colorado Plateau . Utah covers an area of 84,899 sq mi (219,890 km ). It is one of the Four Corners states and is bordered by Idaho in the north, Wyoming in the north and east, Colorado in the east, at a single point by New Mexico to the southeast, by Arizona in the south, and by Nevada in the west. Only three U.S. states (Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming) have exclusively latitude and longitude lines as boundaries. One of Utah's defining characteristics
6201-600: The Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Over the next 22 years, more than 70,000 pioneers crossed the plains and settled in Utah. For the first few years, Brigham Young and the thousands of early settlers of Salt Lake City struggled to survive. The arid desert land was deemed desirable by the Mormons as a place where they could practice their religion without harassment. Settlers buried thirty-six Native Americans in one grave after an outbreak of measles occurred during
6360-577: The Sevier Desert , where it is used heavily for irrigation in the Delta area, and is dammed at the DMAD and Gunnison Bend reservoirs. The river is essentially dry for the last 30 miles (48 km) below Delta, through its confluence with the also dry Beaver River before reaching the intermittent Sevier Lake bed. The Sevier River drainage basin is on the border of the Basin and Range Province and
6519-742: The U.S. government intensified due to the practice of plural marriage , or polygamy , among members of the LDS Church. The Mormons were still pushing for the establishment of a State of Deseret with the new borders of the Utah Territory. Most, if not all, of the members of the U.S. government opposed the polygamous practices of the Mormons. Members of the LDS Church were viewed as un-American and rebellious when news of their polygamous practices spread. In 1857, particularly heinous accusations of abdication of government and general immorality were leveled by former associate justice William W. Drummond, among others. The detailed reports of life in Utah caused
U.S. Route 89 in Utah - Misplaced Pages Continue
6678-612: The Uinta Mountains , which rise to heights of over 13,000 feet (4,000 m). The highest point in the state, Kings Peak , at 13,528 feet (4,123 m), lies within the Uinta Mountains. At the western base of the Wasatch Range is the Wasatch Front , a series of valleys and basins that are home to the most populous parts of the state. It stretches approximately from Brigham City at the north end to Nephi at
6837-616: The Utah Scenic Byways , it stretches north to SR-12 at Bryce Canyon Junction . The Vermilion Cliffs are ascended via the canyon carved by Kanab Creek . Near the White Cliffs , US-89 meets SR-9 at Mt. Carmel Junction , where travelers can turn to reach Zion National Park . The final "step" is the Pink Cliffs , where the highway follows alongside the Virgin River to the highest point on US-89 in southern Utah and
6996-461: The Utah Territory , which included what later became Colorado and Nevada. Disputes between the dominant Mormon community and the federal government delayed Utah's admission as a state: in 1896, after it agreed to outlaw polygamy, it was admitted as the 45th state . People from Utah are known as Utahns. Slightly over half of all Utahns are Mormons , the vast majority of whom are members of
7155-616: The death of Joseph Smith in 1844, Brigham Young , as president of the Quorum of the Twelve , became the leader of the LDS Church in Nauvoo, Illinois . To address the growing conflicts between his people and their neighbors, Young agreed with Illinois Governor Thomas Ford in October 1845 that the Mormons would leave by the following year. Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers reached
7314-512: The lake-effect snow from the Great Salt Lake, which increases snowfall totals to the south, southeast, and east of the lake. Piute Reservoir The Sevier River drainage basin of 11,574 square miles (29,980 km ) covers more than 13 percent of Utah and includes parts of ten counties, of which the river flows through seven. The name of the river is derived from the Spanish Río Severo , "violent river". The Sevier
7473-501: The least income inequality of any U.S. state. Over time and influenced by climate change , droughts in Utah have been increasing in frequency and severity, putting a further strain on Utah's water security and impacting the state's economy. The name Utah derives from the name of the Ute tribe , meaning 'people of the mountains'. However, no such word exists in the Utes' language, and
7632-461: The railhead at Marysvale. The old county road through Circleville Canyon was poorly constructed, with steep grades and a rough surface. The State Road Commission designated the highway from Nephi east through Salt Creek Canyon and then south through these valleys to Kanab as a state road in or soon after 1910. Initially, the route from the summit at Long Valley Junction to Kanab went through Alton and Johnson Canyon , entering Kanab from
7791-660: The 1860s, water demand was so high by the 1890s that planning began for much bigger dams and reservoirs. Otter Creek Reservoir was constructed between 1897 and 1901 by a consortium of ten irrigation companies in the Sevier Valley. The reservoir impounds Otter Creek, a tributary of the East Fork Sevier River, and also stores water diverted from the East Fork through a short canal. It has a storage capacity of 52,700 acre-feet (65,000,000 m ). Piute Dam
7950-474: The 1910s) at its south end, but the remainder was a new roadway, through an area not previously served by improved roads . The route passed the dam was initially designated as an alternate route of US-89, but when completed on 20 February 1959, it instead became US-89's mainline, as it was a better route during all weather, and the old route (SR-11 south of Kanab) became U.S. Route 89 Alternate . Major numbering changes were made in Utah's state highway system in
8109-469: The 1920s. State Route 2 left SR-1 at Logan and ran east through Logan Canyon to Garden City ; this had been built with federal aid as a forest road in about 1918. The road north from Garden City to Idaho was added to the system in 1921, and became part of State Route 3 . In 1927, the legislature added State Route 49 , an alternate southern entrance to Ogden that left SR-1 at Farmington and merged with SR-5 ( US-30S ) at Uintah . (Present SR-60
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#17327905736358268-424: The 1960s and 1970s, beginning with the construction of Interstate Highways and culminating in the 1977 renumbering , where state route numbers concurrent with other types were dropped entirely. However, most of these changes were not visible to the public, as signs continued to display US-89 and other U.S. Routes and Interstates. The following changes were made to state routes related to US-89: In particular, SR-11
8427-715: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City; Utah is the only state where a majority of the population belongs to a single church. The LDS Church greatly influences Utahn culture, politics, and daily life, though since the 1990s the state has become more religiously diverse as well as secular. Utah has a highly diversified economy , with major sectors including transportation, education , information technology and research, government services, mining, multi-level marketing , and tourism. Utah has been one of
8586-558: The East Fork in Black Canyon, above Tropic Reservoir, is classified as a Blue Ribbon trout fishery. This stretch was restored by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources between 1992 and 2006 due to damage from the 1983 flooding. Marysvale Canyon is also known for its trout during the non-irrigation (low water) season, being located in the tailwater of Piute Dam. Fishing is generally poor downstream of Marysvale Canyon due to
8745-456: The I-70 freeway from Sevier to Salina , the old alignment can still be driven, and is state-maintained north of Elsinore as SR-258 , SR-118 (which overlaps I-70 Business through Richfield ), SR-24 , and US-50 . Both highways stay mainly in the west half of the Sevier River's valley, with the faster I-70/US-89 bypassing the surface road's communities. Just south of Salina , I-70 curves to
8904-594: The Intermountain Power Agency announced it would be converting the plant to natural gas operations. Gold was mined at several places along the river starting in the late 19th century. In 1896 the Sevier Railroad was extended to the gold mining area of Belknap and in 1900 tracks were laid through Marysvale Canyon to reach the diggings around Marysvale, with the line thereafter known as the "Marysvale Branch". The boom town of Kimberly in
9063-602: The LDS Church's first three temples in Utah, each started after but finished many years before the larger and better-known temple built in Salt Lake City was completed in 1893), as well as Parowan, Cedar City, Bluff, Moab, Vernal, Fillmore (which served as the territorial capital between 1850 and 1856), Nephi, Levan, Spanish Fork, Springville, Provo Bench (now Orem ), Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Lehi, Sandy, Murray, Jordan, Centerville, Farmington, Huntsville, Kaysville, Grantsville, Tooele, Roy, Brigham City, and many other smaller towns and settlements. Young had an expansionist view of
9222-445: The Navajo Lake area. Larger mammals include mule deer , pronghorn (antelope), black bear and cougar . Also once found in the area were the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep , bison , grizzly bear and timberwolves which were all hunted to extinction in the 1800s or early 1900s. The deer population was nearly extirpated during the era of western settlement, although it has since recovered. The foothill and transition zones support
9381-609: The Olympic venues built along the Wasatch Front continue to be used for sporting events. Preparation for the Olympics spurred the development of the light-rail system in the Salt Lake Valley , known as TRAX , and the reconstruction of the freeway system around the city. In 1957, Utah created the Utah State Parks Commission with four parks. Today, Utah State Parks manages 43 parks and several undeveloped areas totaling over 95,000 acres (380 km ) of land and more than 1,000,000 acres (4,000 km ) of water. Utah's state parks are scattered throughout Utah, from Bear Lake State Park at
9540-410: The Pacific Ocean; he subsequently learned this body of water was a giant salt lake . After the discovery of the lake, hundreds of American and Canadian traders and trappers established trading posts in the region. In the 1830s, thousands of migrants traveling from the Eastern United States to the American West began to make stops in the region of the Great Salt Lake, then known as Lake Youta. Following
9699-405: The Pahvant Utes who lived around Sevier Lake, the Sanpits Utes from whom the name of Sanpete Valley and Sanpete County is derived from, and the Moanunt Utes who lived on the upper Sevier River. The Paiutes lived to the south and west of the delta, and the Goshutes inhabited drier areas to the northwest. Settlers William Wolfskill and George C. Yount noted some Native Americans who called the river
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#17327905736359858-480: The Pahvants attacked a railroad survey crew led by Captain John W. Gunnison , killing eight members of the party near what is now the town of Delta. Despite the massacre, immigration continued with 30 Mormon families settling in the Richfield area in 1864, followed by 100 more the next year, further straining relations with the tribes. Between 1865 and 1872 more than 150 violent confrontations occurred between Mormon settlers and various Native American groups including
10017-420: The Paleo-Indians but it is not known whether they are the descendants or an entirely different group. The Desert Archaic culture declined around 1500 BC, for reasons that are uncertain but have been attributed to massive flooding at that time. Beginning about 500 AD, people of the Fremont culture inhabited the Sevier basin; a Fremont village site called Nawthis has been discovered in the Salina area dating to
10176-433: The Sevier Desert. The Sevier River basin is bordered to the south by the drainage basins of Virgin River , Kanab Creek , Paria River , and Dirty Devil River , all tributaries of the Colorado River . To the east, it is bordered by the Price and San Rafael River basins, tributaries of the Green River , which flows into the Colorado River . On the north, it is bordered by the Utah Lake – Great Salt Lake basin, and to
10335-415: The Sevier River basin immediately prior to European arrival migrated into the area possibly centuries after the decline of the Fremont culture. The traditional lands of these three peoples converged on the Sevier River delta in what is now Millard County. The Utes dominated most of the area traversed by the Sevier River including the Sevier Valley and the headwaters of the river. Notable sub-groups including
10494-444: The Sevier River became part of Utah Territory . The first Mormon settlers arrived in the Sevier Valley in late 1849 under the direction of Brigham Young , but they and other whites passing through the region soon clashed with Native Americans. Sometime in early October 1853 a party of California-bound emigrants opened fire on a group of Pahvant Utes who had come to their camp to trade, killing one. In retaliation, on October 26, 1853,
10653-608: The Sevier River provides some of the only water-based habitats in a large desert area, it is used by abundant migratory waterfowl, including geese, ducks, cranes, and shorebirds. Gunnison Bend Reservoir is visited by thousands of snow geese each spring. Other birds common to the Sevier basin include pheasants in agricultural and riparian areas; chukars in foothill areas and grouse in the hills and mountains. There are also multiple raptor species, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Fur-bearing animals such as beaver and river otter were once widespread before being trapped out in
10812-449: The Sevier basin has had a long history of mining and resource extraction, which continues in some areas of the basin today. Coal, rock salts and other minerals have been mined from the Salina area since the 1870s. In 1871 Mormon settlers reportedly found "anthracite coal in almost inexhaustible quantities" in Salina Canyon. In 1891 the Sevier Railroad, a branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW), reached Salina, and
10971-414: The Tropic Ditch, which diverted water 15 miles (24 km) from the East Fork of the Sevier River through what is now Bryce Canyon National Park to the town of Tropic . Agriculture was made difficult by frequent flooding of the Sevier River. In June 1909 heavy snowmelt broke the Gunnison Bend Dam and flooded the town of Deseret under three feet (0.91 m) of water. It was not until about 1912 when
11130-437: The Tushar Mountains was one of the largest gold mining camps in Utah. Other boom towns of the period included Bullion City, Webster and Alunite, the latter of which produced significant quantities of aluminum ore. Uranium was first discovered in Piute County in 1948. During the height of the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s, large amounts of uranium were mined along the upper Sevier River near Marysvale. The Marysvale district
11289-430: The U.S. states and territories, Utah, with a population of just over three million, is the 13th largest by area , the 30th most populous , and the 11th least densely populated . Urban development is mostly concentrated in two regions: the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, which includes the state capital, Salt Lake City , and is home to roughly two-thirds of the population; and Washington County in
11448-586: The United States had taken control of New Mexico and California. The entire Southwest became U.S. territory upon the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , February 2, 1848. The treaty was ratified by the United States Senate on March 11. Learning that California and New Mexico were applying for statehood, the settlers of the Utah area (originally having planned to petition for territorial status) applied for statehood with an ambitious plan for
11607-622: The Utah/Idaho border to Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum deep in the Four Corners region and everywhere in between. Utah State Parks is also home to the state's off highway vehicle office, state boating office, and the trails program. During the late 20th century, the state grew quickly. In the 1970s growth was phenomenal in the suburbs of the Wasatch Front. Sandy was one of the fastest-growing cities in
11766-539: The Utes (supposedly when they rejected an offer by the Utes to sell them slaves) and escaped to a stream they called Río Severo , Spanish for "violent". In 1821, the Sevier River basin became Mexican territory following the Mexican Revolution . Mountain man William H. Ashley explored the area in 1825 in search of beaver; the river was dubbed the "Ashley River" by Jedediah Smith in Ashley's honor. Smith
11925-464: The Utes refer to themselves as Noochee . The meaning of Utes as 'the mountain people' has been attributed to the neighboring Pueblo Indians , as well as to the Apache word Yuttahih , which means 'one that is higher up' or 'those that are higher up'. In Spanish , it was pronounced Yuta ; subsequently, English-speaking people may have adapted the word as Utah . Thousands of years before
12084-485: The Utes, Paiutes, Apache and Navajo , a period now known as the Black Hawk War after Timpanogos chief Antonga Black Hawk . Livestock grazing had decimated the local grasses whose seeds were a staple food for Native Americans, forcing them to raid white settlements and steal cattle for food. By June 1866 most of the settlements had been abandoned as the fighting increased. One of the bloodiest single episodes
12243-526: The access road to the Beaver Mountain ski area , to Garden City and on to the state line. Bear Lake Summit (elevation 7800 ft/2377 m), at the top of the range, is the highest point on US-89 in Utah, from which it descends the east slope via horseshoe curves to Garden City on the shore of Bear Lake (elevation 5900 ft/1798 m). The final segment of US-89 to the Idaho state line follows
12402-685: The administration of James Buchanan to send a secret military "expedition" to Utah. When the supposed rebellion should be quelled, Alfred Cumming would take the place of Brigham Young as territorial governor. The resulting conflict is known as the Utah War , nicknamed "Buchanan's Blunder" by the Mormon leaders. In September 1857, about 120 American settlers of the Baker–Fancher wagon train, en route to California from Arkansas, were murdered by Utah Territorial Militia and some Paiute Native Americans in
12561-400: The area had been resettled, and the white population increased rapidly for a number of years. During this time, Richfield grew into the largest city in the Sevier Valley, sometimes referred to as "the hub of Central Utah". The Deseret Telegraph was extended from Salt Lake City as far as Monroe in 1872. Development was slower to reach the upper Sevier country south of Marysvale Canyon, which
12720-596: The area were moved to the Uintah Reservation in northeastern Utah. Many resisted the move, with several Ute bands traveling back to the Sanpete Valley early in 1872. Their presence alarmed Mormon settlers, as the Utes expressed discontent with conditions at the reservation. After the federal government sent additional supplies to the Uintah reservation, the Utes retreated. By summer 1872 many towns in
12879-707: The arrival of Europeans, the Ancestral Puebloans and the Fremont people lived in what is now known as Utah, some of which spoke languages of the Uto-Aztecan group. Ancestral Pueblo peoples built their homes through excavations in mountains, and the Fremont people built houses of straw before disappearing from the region around the 15th century. Another group of Native Americans, the Navajo , settled in
13038-518: The basin is privately owned and 8 percent is owned by the state of Utah. The Sevier River corridor is a major transportation route, with U.S. Route 89 closely following the river for over 100 miles (160 km) from its headwaters as far as Gunnison, and I-70 paralleling the river for about 30 miles (48 km) between Sevier and Salina. Surface rock in the Sevier River basin is composed mostly of Tertiary igneous rock and sedimentary rock ranging in age from Jurassic to Quaternary . This
13197-488: The basin is used for beef production, although there is a major turkey industry in Sanpete County. For the purpose of water distribution the basin is divided into upper and lower sections, with the dividing point at Vermillion Diversion Dam near Richfield. There are 175 irrigation companies in the Sevier River basin, with 72 of them serving over 1,000 acres (400 ha) each. The Sevier River Water Users Association
13356-689: The basin, including coal in the Salina area, beryllium in the Delta area, and gypsum in the Richfield area. The dry Sevier Lake bed as well as deposits in the Redmond area, are a major source of salts, including halites and potassium sulfates . Historically, uranium was mined near Marysvale . Above Marysvale Canyon, the colorful formations of Big Rock Candy Mountain are a widely recognized geological site in central Utah; yellow, red and orange bands are
13515-547: The basin, of which about half is located in Millard and Sanpete counties alone. The upper reaches of the river and many mountain tributaries are home to cutthroat trout , brook trout and rainbow trout , of which cutthroat are the only native species. Much of the lower part of the river is a warm water fishery with brown trout , carp , suckers and channel catfish . Common fish found in reservoirs are walleye , smallmouth bass , yellow perch and northern pike . Because
13674-531: The climate was much wetter during the Pleistocene ice age and the Sevier basin was partially occupied by pluvial Lake Bonneville. Wetlands along the shoreline and a much fuller Sevier River provided abundant habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting a larger human population. Lake Bonneville had dried up by about 7000 BC, and the aridifying climate limited plant and animal resources. The Desert Archaic culture, characterized by small semi-nomadic bands, succeeded
13833-401: The country at that time. Today, many areas of Utah continue to see boom-time growth. Northern Davis , southern and western Salt Lake , Summit , eastern Tooele , Utah , Wasatch , and Washington counties are all growing very quickly. Management of transportation and urbanization are major issues in politics, as development consumes agricultural land and wilderness areas and transportation is
13992-824: The dam." The dam was originally completed to a height of 60 feet (18 m), and was raised to 90 feet (27 m) between 1913 and 1916. Water rights were sold to three other irrigation districts in the Lower Sevier. Sevier Bridge Reservoir has a capacity of 236,145 acre-feet (291,281,000 m ), making it the fourth biggest man-made lake in Utah. Parts of the Upper Sevier, and its higher tributaries and feeder lakes, are good trout waters, particularly in National Forest lands. The basin has native cutthroat trout , and many streams contain introduced brook, brown and rainbow trout. A 20-mile (32 km) stretch of
14151-537: The desert valleys to more than 40 inches (1,000 mm) in the mountains – falls largely as snow during the winter and early spring, and as monsoon thunderstorms in late summer and early fall. As of 1999, there was an estimated annual runoff of 823,000 acre-feet (1.015 × 10 m ) in the Sevier River basin, but only about 32,900 acre-feet (40,600,000 m ) of that reached Sevier Lake, and mostly in wet years. Even before irrigation, however, not all of this water reached Sevier Lake due to large evaporation losses in
14310-606: The district. Trains stopped running regularly on the Marysvale Branch in 1972, and in 1983 heavy flooding washed out much of the tracks along the Sevier River. That year the Thistle mudslide near Spanish Fork severed the northern end of the line, which was subsequently abandoned by the D&;RGW. The Sevier River is extensively dammed and diverted to serve more than 350,000 acres (140,000 ha) of farmland. Most of
14469-437: The early 1800s, and predators such as kit foxes, coyotes, and cougars still roam less populated areas of the basin. In the high mountains and plateaus above 8,000 feet (2,400 m) elevation, conifer-aspen forest prevails in the alpine zone with forests of white fir , Douglas fir , ponderosa pine , red cedar , spruce and quaking aspen . Engelmann spruce , limber pine and the occasional bristlecone pine are found at
14628-572: The early 19th century from Canada and the United States. The city of Provo, Utah , was named for one Étienne Provost , who visited the area in 1825. The city of Ogden, Utah , was named after Peter Skene Ogden , a Canadian explorer who traded furs in the Weber Valley. In late 1824, Jim Bridger became the first known English-speaking person to sight the Great Salt Lake . Due to the high salinity of its waters, he thought he had found
14787-524: The east end of SR-14 , a summit at Long Valley Junction ( elevation 7450 feet/2300 m). North from Long Valley Junction, US-89 descends through the valley of the Sevier River , meeting SR-12 , a scenic highway that leads to Bryce Canyon National Park , at Bryce Canyon Junction , SR-143 in Panguitch (which leads to Cedar Breaks National Monument ), and SR-20 at Bear Valley Junction . As
14946-404: The east, rising alongside Salina Creek , and US-89 exits into downtown Salina, where it rejoins its pre-freeway alignment. US-50 overlaps US-89 between I-70 and Salina, following I-70 east and a separate alignment northwest from the area; the short Interstate 70 Business also uses this roadway as a business spur from I-70 to the city. North of Salina, US-89 bypasses Redmond ( SR-256 follows
15105-419: The east. A more direct route via Long Valley was considered, serving the communities of Glendale , Orderville , and Mt. Carmel , but this would have required difficult construction over a mesa covered in loose sand to reach Kanab. In summer 1912, the commission added a branch from Long Valley Junction to Mt. Carmel, allowing these communities access to the state road system, along with a connection west from
15264-529: The eastern Great Basin. West of the Great Salt Lake , stretching to the Nevada border, lies the arid Great Salt Lake Desert . One exception to this aridity is Snake Valley , which is (relatively) lush due to large springs and wetlands fed from groundwater derived from snow melt in the Snake Range , Deep Creek Range , and other tall mountains to the west of Snake Valley. Great Basin National Park
15423-400: The fastest growing states since 2000, with the 2020 U.S. census confirming the fastest population growth in the nation since 2010. St. George was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000 to 2005. Utah ranks among the overall best states in metrics such as healthcare , governance, education, and infrastructure. It has the 12th-highest median average income and
15582-655: The former alignment of SR-186 and SR-176 west and north on 300 West, and rejoining its pre-2007 route at North Temple. In this area, modern US-89 runs for one block with the UTA TRAX Red Line in its median before crossing the TRAX line in Main Street 's median, then passing the Frank E. Moss United States Courthouse , Pioneer Park , the historic Warehouse District at Pierpont Avenue, Japantown , Vivint Arena ,
15741-585: The former route through the town) and passes through Centerfield to Gunnison , where it meets SR-28 and finally turns away from the Sevier River. At Gunnison, US-89 turns east before curving northeast into the Sanpete Valley , formed by the San Pitch River , a tributary of the Sevier River . Along US-89 in this valley are several small cities: Manti , Ephraim , Mount Pleasant , and Fairview . Between Ephraim and Mount Pleasant, US-89 meets
15900-559: The happiness of the very early Church members before polygamy. They independently published their books in 1875. These books and the lectures of Ann Eliza Young have been credited with the United States Congress's passage of anti-polygamy laws by newspapers throughout the United States, as recorded in "The Ann Eliza Young Vindicator", a pamphlet which detailed Ms. Young's travels and warm reception throughout her lecture tour. T. B. H. Stenhouse, former Utah Mormon polygamist,
16059-534: The highest elevations. Precipitation is sufficient to support many perennial streams and springs, which nourish mountain meadows and numerous small high elevation lakes. Large wildfires once regularly occurred on the mountains and plateaus, but since the beginning of the 20th century fires have been heavily suppressed. The high country is home to small mammals such as ground squirrels, red squirrels, snowshoe hare, chipmunks and porcupine. Pika and marmot are found near mountain peaks and flying squirrels can be found in
16218-705: The highway continues north, the valley narrows significantly into the Circleville Canyon before opening out near the town of Circleville . In this part of the valley, the Sevier River is dammed to create the Piute Reservoir , and US-89 meets SR-62 near Kingston . North of Marysvale , the valley again narrows into the Marysvale Canyon , which carries the river to its confluence with Clear Creek and US-89 to its overlap with Interstate 70 , beginning at Sevier . Although US-89 follows
16377-589: The highway from Bountiful's Main Street, and it merges with I-15 at exit 317 to bypass Centerville and Farmington , where the old road (former US-91 , but never US-89) is SR-106 , through the narrow strip of land that separates Farmington Bay from the Wasatch Mountains . US-89 leaves I-15 at exit 324, where the Legacy Parkway also ends, and proceeds north on a freeway . This portion of US-89
16536-525: The junction to Cedar City . Several years later, in December 1915, the commission added the Mt. Carmel-Kanab road over the sand hills to the system and began construction of a sand-clay road in 1916. A connection from Pigeon Hollow Junction north to Thistle was also added in 1912, following the rail line through a canyon and providing another route to Salt Lake City. In 1919, the state legislature redefined
16695-614: The lake receded. The largest sand dunes in Utah, found in Little Sahara Recreation Area , were formed from Sevier River delta deposits moved over thousands of years by prevailing winds. There have been relatively recent volcanic activity in the Sevier basin between 1000 and 1500 AD, when basalt flows occurred on the Markagunt and Paunsaugaut Plateaus and in Pahvant Valley. One of these flows dammed
16854-528: The lake's west shore, its location constrained by the Bear River Range just to the west. When US-89 was created in 1926, it only went as far north as Springville , where travelers could continue to Salt Lake City via US-91 . The highway was extended north to the Canada–US border near Glacier National Park in the mid-1930s, though a dispute between Utah and Idaho on the one side and Wyoming on
17013-547: The latter connects I-15 with Logan , the state's only Metropolitan Statistical Area not on the Interstate. When US-89 was established in the state in 1926, the road initially extended north to US-91 in Spanish Fork . Following the extension of the former to the Canada–US border , Interstate 15 was constructed roughly paralleling US-89 to the west and replacing US-91 south of Brigham City. During this process, US-89
17172-597: The legislature in 1927, with both the main route and the loop through Alton being defined as SR-11; a new State Route 32 followed the branch to Thistle. The Alton loop was removed from SR-11 in 1941, with the south half remaining in the system as part of SR-136. Despite these designations, the majority of SR-11 and all of SR-32 were instead marked as US-89, with the remainder of SR-11 between Pigeon Hollow Junction and Nephi marked as US-189 from about 1930 until 1938. State Route 1 , which became U.S. Route 91 in 1926, ran north–south through central and northern Utah in
17331-409: The lower Sevier River. The 1936 Cox Decree established allocations for the entire Sevier basin. Heavy water use led to the drying up of Sevier Lake as early as 1880; dust blowing off the dry lake bed has become a persistent source of particulate pollution as far as Salt Lake City . However, the river and lake can still fill after major floods. In the especially wet season of 1982–1983, the melting of
17490-527: The majority of eastern Utah's population lives. Economies are dominated by mining, oil shale , oil , and natural gas-drilling, ranching , and recreation . Much of eastern Utah is part of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation . The most popular destination within northeastern Utah is Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal . Southwestern Utah is the lowest and hottest spot in Utah. It is known as Utah's Dixie because early settlers were able to grow some cotton there. Beaverdam Wash in far southwestern Utah
17649-648: The myth of a Buenaventura River draining the Great Basin to the sea. The river was a major trade corridor during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in no small part due to the route from Santa Fe opened up by Domínguez and Escalante. The Spanish traded manufactured goods and guns for furs, hides, horses and slaves from the Native Americans. Most of these slaves were Southern Paiutes that had been captured by more aggressive Ute bands. The river's present name probably originated in 1813 with Spanish traders Moricio Arce and Lagos García, who ran into trouble with
17808-498: The narrow, 5-mile (8.0 km) Circleville Canyon and enters Piute County at the town of Circleville , and is joined by the East Fork Sevier River at Kingston . Immediately north of Kingston, it is dammed to form Piute Reservoir . The Sevier continues north past Marysvale and through Marysvale Canyon (or Sevier Canyon) into Sevier County . At Sevier the river enters the agricultural Sevier Valley,
17967-520: The old road through a gap in the Traverse Mountains (elevation 4800 feet/1500 m) into the Salt Lake Valley . The routes split in Draper , formerly with a direct interchange north of SR-71 , but US-89 traffic must now exit at SR-71 (exit 291), turn east to Factory Outlet Drive, and follow this frontage road to the location of the former split. From here to downtown Salt Lake City , US-89
18126-400: The other was not settled until 1938. The American Association of State Highway Officials decided in favor of Utah and Idaho, placing US-89 on or near US-91 between Springville and Logan , where it split northeasterly to Yellowstone National Park . (US-89 only left US-91 twice: between Farmington and Ogden , where it still travels today, and via an all-weather route from Brigham City into
18285-550: The popular mid-century western film genre. From such films, most US residents recognize such natural landmarks as Delicate Arch and "the Mittens" of Monument Valley . During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with the construction of the Interstate highway system, accessibility to the southern scenic areas was made easier. Since the establishment of Alta Ski Area in 1939 and the subsequent development of several ski resorts in
18444-557: The present day town of Mills . They named the Sevier River El Río de Santa Isabel and gave the name Laguna de Miera to Sevier Lake. However, the expedition was unable to find a way further west across the desert and was forced to turn back to Santa Fe. The expedition's cartographer, Don Bernardo Miera y Pacheco, sketched a map showing an outlet from Sevier Lake to the Pacific Ocean, which may have given rise to
18603-673: The region around the 18th century. In the mid-18th century, other Uto-Aztecan tribes, including the Goshute , the Paiute , the Shoshone , and the Ute people, also settled in the region. These five groups were present when the first European explorers arrived. The southern Utah region was explored by the Spanish in 1540, led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado while looking for the legendary Cíbola . A group led by two Catholic priests—sometimes called
18762-583: The remainder of the 19th century, Mormon pioneers established hundreds of other settlements in Utah, Idaho , Nevada , Arizona , Wyoming , California , Canada , and Mexico —including in Las Vegas, Nevada ; Franklin, Idaho (the first European settlement in Idaho); San Bernardino, California ; Mesa, Arizona ; Star Valley, Wyoming ; and Carson Valley, Nevada . Prominent settlements in Utah included St. George , Logan , and Manti (where settlers completed
18921-543: The remaining native grassland has been taken over by invasive species such as junegrass and the ubiquitous Russian thistle (tumbleweed), as well as native sagebrush whose range has expanded into formerly grassy areas. The Sevier River historically supported large areas of wetland and riparian zones, especially where it formed a delta at the northern end of Sevier Lake. Many of these habitats have been replaced by agriculture, but there are still an estimated 92,000 acres (37,000 ha) of wetland and aquatic habitat extant in
19080-457: The repeated reuse of agricultural return flows , salinity is a chronic issue in the lower Sevier River. As annual precipitation tends to vary greatly up to 480,000 acre-feet (590,000,000 m ) of water can be stored in surface reservoirs, with the largest three – Sevier Bridge, Piute and Otter Creek – accounting for 75 percent of that capacity. Although small reservoirs such as Scipio, Panguitch and Gunnison Bend had been built starting in
19239-479: The result of jarosite , hematite and pyrite while white bands result from alunite and kaolinite presence. During the Pleistocene Ice Age and other preceding ice ages, the Sevier River flowed into Lake Bonneville , which covered more than 20,000 square miles (52,000 km ) of the eastern Great Basin. The Sevier Valley was underwater as far upstream as Richfield. As the lake receded with
19398-477: The river was finally controlled by major reservoirs upstream. The division of water rights became an issue as the population increased, due to limited water supplies during the dry season. In one particularly dry year some residents in Millard County "were so angry they hired a posse in an unsuccessful attempt to remove upstream dams." In 1900 the Higgins Decree established a commission to allocate water in
19557-603: The river. Irrigation in Millard County began in 1859. The first storage reservoir in the Sevier basin was Scipio Reservoir, constructed in 1860. In 1865 in Sevier County, Mormon settlers dug the Richfield Irrigation Canal in just five weeks using only hand tools. Other farming towns were established along the river particularly after the Black Hawk war ended in 1872. A more ambitious project was
19716-443: The rumor of a "Buenaventura River" was no more than a myth. During the 1830s and 1840s the fur trade was in full force with thousands of beaver and otter taken from the Sevier River and its tributaries; most trappers were Native Americans although there were also many of British, French and Spanish origin. The slave trade also remained a major if controversial business and only ended after the Mexican–American War in 1848, after which
19875-470: The sandstone, creating some of the world's most striking and wild terrain (the area around the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers was the last to be mapped in the lower 48 United States). Wind and rain have also sculpted the soft sandstone over millions of years. Canyons, gullies, arches, pinnacles, buttes, bluffs, and mesas are common sights throughout south-central and southeast Utah. This terrain
20034-483: The south end of SR-132 at Pigeon Hollow Junction . SR-132 was formerly US-189 , connecting US-89 with US-91 in Nephi . Beyond Fairview, where the scenic SR-31 turns east, US-89 climbs out of the valley, reaching a summit at Hill Top (elevation 6400 feet/2000 m). Thistle Creek parallels the next leg of the highway, descending through a canyon to the junction with US-6 near the ghost town of Thistle , flooded by
20193-539: The south end. Approximately 75 percent of the state's population lives in this corridor, and population growth is rapid. Western Utah is a mostly arid desert with a basin and range topography. Small mountain ranges and rugged terrain punctuate the landscape. The Bonneville Salt Flats are an exception, being comparatively flat as a result of once forming the bed of ancient Lake Bonneville . Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake , Sevier Lake , and Rush Lake are all remnants of this ancient freshwater lake, which once covered most of
20352-453: The southern Wellsville Mountains , finally leaving the valley of the Great Salt Lake into a small valley that contains Mantua Reservoir (elevation 5200 feet/1585 m). US-89/US-91 turns north there, bypassing the town of Mantua to the west, and continues to ascend through Dry Canyon to Sardine Summit (elevation 5900 feet/1798 m). Another small valley leads to Wellsville Canyon , where the four-lane roadway again turns east and descends into
20511-472: The southwest, which has somewhat more than 180,000 residents. Most of the western half of Utah lies in the Great Basin . Utah has been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups , such as the ancient Puebloans , the Navajo, and the Ute. The first Europeans to arrive - in the mid-16th century - were the Spanish. Because of the region's challenging geography and harsh climate, it only became
20670-433: The spine of Utah. Just north of Dixie and east of Cedar City is the state's highest ski resort, Brian Head . Like most of the western and southwestern states, the federal government owns much of the land in Utah. Over 70 percent of the land is either BLM land , Utah State Trustland, or U.S. National Forest , U.S. National Park , U.S. National Monument , National Recreation Area or U.S. Wilderness Area . Utah
20829-488: The state constitution. This was a condition required of other western states that were admitted into the Union later. Statehood was officially granted on January 4, 1896. Beginning in the early 20th century, with the establishment of such national parks as Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park , Utah became known for its natural beauty. Southern Utah became a popular filming spot for arid, rugged scenes featured in
20988-505: The state lies in the rain shadow of the Wasatch Mountains . The primary source of precipitation for the state is the Pacific Ocean, with the state usually lying in the path of large Pacific storms from October to May. In summer, the state, especially southern and eastern Utah, lies in the path of monsoon moisture from the Gulf of California . Most of the lowland areas receive less than 12 inches (305 mm) of precipitation annually, although
21147-402: The state road system to include only a short list given in the law and any federal aid projects. The route from Kanab north was kept, including both approaches to Kanab and the two roads to Nephi and Thistle. In addition, a short extension from Kanab south to Arizona was added. An amendment in 1923 removed most of the original route through Johnson Canyon, but added a second route to Alton from
21306-464: The state's mountains, Utah's skiing has become world-renowned. The dry, powdery snow of the Wasatch Range is considered some of the best skiing in the world (the state license plate once claimed "the Greatest Snow on Earth"). Salt Lake City won the bid for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games , and this served as a great boost to the economy. The ski resorts have increased in popularity, and many of
21465-746: The territorial legislature passed the Act in Relation to Service and the Act for the relief of Indian Slaves and Prisoners formally legalizing slavery in the territory. Slavery was abolished in the territory during the Civil War. In 1850, Salt Lake City sent out a force known as the Nauvoo Legion and engaged the Timpanogos in the Battle at Fort Utah . Disputes between the Mormon inhabitants and
21624-491: The territory that he and the Mormon pioneers were settling, calling it Deseret—which according to the Book of Mormon was an ancient word for "honeybee". This is symbolized by the beehive on the Utah flag, and the state's motto, "Industry". The Utah Territory was much smaller than the proposed state of Deseret, but it still contained all of the present states of Nevada and Utah as well as pieces of modern Wyoming and Colorado . It
21783-519: The territory's history. Chief Antonga Black Hawk died in 1870, but fights continued to break out until additional federal troops were sent in to suppress the Ghost Dance of 1872. The war is unique among Indian Wars because it was a three-way conflict, with mounted Timpanogos Utes led by Antonga Black Hawk fighting federal and LDS authorities. On May 10, 1869, the First transcontinental railroad
21942-490: The territory. A steady stream of governors appointed by the president quit the position, often citing the traditions of their supposed territorial government. By agreement with Young, Johnston established Camp Floyd , 40 miles (60 km) away from Salt Lake City to the southwest. Salt Lake City was the last link of the First Transcontinental Telegraph , completed in October 1861. Brigham Young
22101-489: The town soon became the shipping point for both coal and agricultural products from the Sevier Valley. Much of the coal mined in the area is nowadays shipped to the Intermountain Power Plant , which was completed near Delta in 1986. The 1,900 megawatt power station consumes two million tons of coal and draws 20,000 acre-feet (25,000,000 m ) of cooling water from the Sevier River each year. In 2017
22260-573: The towns of Aurora , Salina and Redmond , then flows north into Sanpete County where it picks up the San Pitch River near Gunnison . In Juab County the Yuba Dam forms Sevier Bridge Reservoir , which also extends into Sanpete County. Below the dam the river flows north then turns abruptly west through Leamington Canyon, between the Canyon Mountains and Gilson Mountains , into Millard County . The river flows southwest across
22419-408: The tribe is part of the coalition that manages Bears Ears National Monument . Southeastern Utah is also punctuated by the remote, but lofty La Sal , Abajo , and Henry mountain ranges. Eastern (northern quarter) Utah is a high-elevation area covered mostly by plateaus and basins, particularly the Tavaputs Plateau and San Rafael Swell , which remain mostly inaccessible, and the Uinta Basin , where
22578-537: The upper Sevier River above Gunnison, and the Paunsaugunt fault runs in the same general direction further east, passing through Bryce Canyon. The Sevier Valley (and the Sanpete Valley north of it) is a graben or down-thrown block of land between the Sevier and Elsinore faults, with deep alluvial deposits filling the valley bottom. Groundwater basins occur mostly in the alluvial valleys and have been estimated to hold up to 5.5 million acre-feet (6.8 km ) of water. Large mineral deposits occur in various areas of
22737-407: The west, effectively forming a large triangular loop through that town. (The old route from Alton south to Kanab would be re-added to the state road system in 1933 as SR-136 .) In the early 1920s, the State Road Commission assigned numbers to several major state roads; the route from Arizona northerly through Kanab and Richfield to Nephi became State Route 11 . The numbers were officially adopted by
22896-512: The west, it is bordered by the Great Salt Lake Desert basins. Most of the Sevier drainage is rural, composed of small farming communities. The largest town is Richfield, with a population of 7,723 as of 2016. About 69 percent of the land is federally owned, much of that in national forest lands such as the Manti-La Sal , Fishlake , Dixie , and Uinta National Forests. The basin also includes parts of Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument . About 23 percent of
23055-424: The western side of the valley in Sevier and Sanpete Counties. By the early 1900s, the Lower Sevier often dried up below the Juab area, both due to heavy irrigation in the Upper Sevier and a series of drought years. The Deseret Irrigation Company began constructing Yuba Dam at the Sevier Bridge site in 1902, and work continued through 1907. "Nearly every available man and boy in Deseret, Oasis and Hinckley worked at
23214-406: The winter of 1847. The first group of settlers brought three African slaves with them, making Utah the only place in the western United States to have African slavery. The three slaves, Green Flake, Hark Lay, and Oscar Crosby, came west with the first group of settlers in 1847. Utah was a Mexican territory when the first pioneers arrived in 1847. Early in the Mexican–American War in late 1846,
23373-445: The years 800–1150 AD. There is evidence that these early peoples used irrigation for their crops – primarily corn, beans and squash. Fremont remains have also been found in southern Sevier County near Clear Creek. This site is now preserved as Fremont Indian State Park . The Fremont culture disappeared around 1300 AD, possibly due to an extended drought. The ancestors of the Ute , Southern Paiute and Goshute peoples who populated
23532-407: Was among the first to send a message, along with Abraham Lincoln and other officials. Because of the American Civil War , federal troops were pulled out of Utah Territory in 1861. This was a boon to the local economy as the army sold everything in camp for pennies on the dollar before marching back east to join the war. The territory was then left in LDS hands until Patrick E. Connor arrived with
23691-540: Was completed at Promontory Summit , north of the Great Salt Lake. The railroad brought increasing numbers of people into the territory and several influential businesspeople made fortunes there. During the 1870s and 1880s laws were passed to punish polygamists due, in part, to stories from Utah. Notably, Ann Eliza Young —tenth wife to divorce Brigham Young, women's advocate, national lecturer, and author of Wife No. 19 or My Life of Bondage —and Fanny Stenhouse, author of Tell It All: My Life in Mormonism , testified to
23850-438: Was constructed on the Upper Sevier River between 1908 and 1914, forming Piute Reservoir. The reservoir holds up to 71,826 acre-feet (88,596,000 m ) of water for use in the Sevier Valley. Water released from Piute Reservoir is diverted at the Sevier Valley Diversion Dam into the 65-mile (105 km)-long Sevier Valley-Piute Canal. It is one of the longest man-made waterways in Utah, irrigating 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) along
24009-430: Was created with the Compromise of 1850 , and Fillmore , named after President Millard Fillmore , was designated the capital. The territory was given the name Utah after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as the territorial capital in 1856. By 1850, there were around 100 black people in the territory, the majority of whom were slaves. In Salt Lake County, 26 slaves were counted. In 1852,
24168-517: Was cut back to only the roadway south from Kanab , which had become US-89A in 1959. Utah Utah ( / ˈ juː t ɑː / YOO -tah , / ˈ juː t ɔː / YOO -taw ) is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States . It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona , Colorado , and New Mexico . It also borders Wyoming to its northeast, Idaho to its north, and Nevada to its west. In comparison to all
24327-418: Was formed starting about 20 million years ago due to crustal stretching that lowered the local terrain. Another period of uplift occurred towards the end of the Tertiary, about 12–2 million years ago, creating most of the present-day mountain ranges and plateaus. Significant vertical displacement has occurred on several north–south faults in the basin. The Sevier Fault and Elsinore Fault run mostly parallel to
24486-457: Was fraught with health and environmental issues since early on; in 1951-52 inspectors in a Marysvale mine found radiation level 1,500 times above what was considered safe. Many of the miners were Navajo people who were often sent to work without any protective clothing or masks. In the following decades, many former uranium miners died of emphysema or various forms of cancer. The state of Utah later spent $ 500,000 closing down two hundred mines in
24645-406: Was mostly ranching country although it would soon be the location of significant mineral strikes. Notorious outlaw Butch Cassidy grew up on a ranch near Circleville during the 1870s, where he "learned to be a cowboy first and, later, how to put his brand on other peoples' livestock." The first irrigation along the Sevier River was established in the spring of 1850, on the Sanpete County stretch of
24804-487: Was numbered as a branch of SR-49 until 1935.) State Route 69 , stretching from US-191 (now SR-13 ) just north of Brigham City north and east to US-91 in Logan, became a state highway in 1931. The 1930s extension of US-89 took it north from Thistle along US-50 ( SR-8 ) to Springville , US-91 (SR-1 and SR-106 , later all SR-1) to Farmington, SR-49 to Uintah, US-30S (SR-5) to Ogden, US-91 (SR-1) to Brigham City, SR-69 to Logan, SR-2 to Garden City, and SR-3 to Idaho. US-89
24963-412: Was removed from SR-69 and overlapped with US-91 between Brigham City and Logan in the mid-1950s. In 1957, one year after construction began on the Glen Canyon Dam , the legislature designated a new State Route 259 , heading east and southeast from SR-11 in Kanab to Arizona en route to the dam and adjacent bridge. This replaced about eight miles (13 km) of SR-136 (the original state highway from
25122-405: Was rerouted in southern Utah and northern Arizona, with the old roadway becoming US-89A . US-89 enters Utah from the south inside the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area , about 7 miles (11 km) north of the Glen Canyon Dam , where it crosses the Colorado River near Page, Arizona . After leaving the recreation area and passing the small town of Big Water , the highway curves west through
25281-479: Was the Circleville Massacre near the upper Sevier River, in which 26 Paiutes were killed by white settlers after an earlier attack by Ute warriors, despite the fact that the Paiutes and Utes were enemies. In total, at least 70 whites and an unknown number of Native Americans were killed. The tribes were ultimately defeated with the intervention of the US government in 1870, although minor confrontations and skirmishes continued until about 1872. Most Native Americans in
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