The
Sevier River is a river, approximately 280 mi (450 km) long, in southwestern
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It drains an extended chain of farming valleys in the mountains separated by narrow canyons, emerging into the desert of western Utah to empty into the intermittent
Sevier LakeSevier Lake is an intermittent and endorheic lake which lies in the lowest part of the Sevier Desert, Millard County, Utah. Like Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake, it is one of the largest remnants of Lake Bonneville which covered much of the state in prehistoric times...
.
The river drains an area of 5,500 square miles (14,245 square km), forming a large horseshoe in southern Utah.
The
Sevier River is a river, approximately 280 mi (450 km) long, in southwestern
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It drains an extended chain of farming valleys in the mountains separated by narrow canyons, emerging into the desert of western Utah to empty into the intermittent
Sevier LakeSevier Lake is an intermittent and endorheic lake which lies in the lowest part of the Sevier Desert, Millard County, Utah. Like Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake, it is one of the largest remnants of Lake Bonneville which covered much of the state in prehistoric times...
.
Description
The river drains an area of 5,500 square miles (14,245 square km), forming a large horseshoe in southern Utah. It is the longest river entirely within the state.
It rises in northwestern
Kane CountyKane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 6,046, and by 2005 had been estimated at 6,202. It was named for Col. Thomas L. Kane, a friend of the Mormon settlers. Its county seat and largest city is Kanab....
along the western side of the
Paunsaugunt PlateauThe Paunsaugunt Plateau is dissected plateau, rising to an elevation of 7000 ft-9300 ft , in southwestern Utah in the United States...
, and flows northward into
Garfield CountyGarfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 4,735. It was named for James A. Garfield, President of the United States in 1881. Its county seat and largest city is Panguitch.-Geography:According to the U.S...
through an extended valley beside the plateau past
HatchHatch is a town in Garfield County, Utah, United States. The population was 127 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hatch is located at ....
and
PanguitchPanguitch is a city in and the county seat of Garfield County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Panguitch is located at ....
.
Along the Garfield-
PiutePiute County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. The population in 2000 was 1,435, and by 2005 had been estimated to decrease to 1,365. It was named for the Paiute tribe of Native Americans. The county seat is Junction and the largest city is Circleville.-Geography:According to the U.S...
county line it descends through the narrow 5 mi (8 km) Circleville Canyon, emerging into a second valley southwest of
JunctionJunction is a town in and the county seat of Piute County, Utah, United States. The population was 177 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Junction is located at ....
, where it receives the East Fork from the east and passes through the Piute Reservoir. It flows north across Piute County to
MarysvaleMarysvale is a town in Piute County, Utah, United States. The population was 381 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Marysvale is located at ....
then descends through 8 mi (13 km)
Sevier CanyonMarysvale Canyon or Sevier Canyon runs eight miles north from Marysvale, Utah to the town of Sevier, Utah. It is a steep walled canyon formed by the flow of the meandering Sevier River....
, emerging south of
SevierSevier is an unincorporated community in southwestern Sevier County, Utah, United States. It lies in the valley of the Sevier River along U.S. Route 89 southwest of the city of Richfield, the county seat of Sevier County. Its elevation is 5,584 feet , and it is located at...
. It then flows northeast past
RichfieldRichfield is a city in and the county seat of Sevier County, Utah, in the United States, and is the largest city in southern-central Utah. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,847. It lies in the Mormon Corridor, just off of Interstate 70 about 40 miles east of its junction with...
and
SalinaSalina is a city in Sevier County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,393 at the 2000 census.-History:The first permanent settlers moved into the area in 1864 at the direction of leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. Approximately 20 mi (32 km) southwest of
NephiNephi is a city in Juab County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Juab County. It was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1851, and is the principal city in Juab Valley, an...
it turns west, flowing around the north end of the Canyon Mountains into the Sevier Desert, flowing southwest past
DeltaDelta is a city in Millard County, Utah, United States. The population was 3,209 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Delta is located at ....
and into Sevier Lake in central
Millard CountyMillard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. In 2000, its population was 12,405; in 2005, the population was estimated to have decreased to 12,284. It was named for Millard Fillmore, thirteenth President of the United States. Its county seat is Fillmore and the largest city is...
, along the western side of the Cricket Mountains.
It is impounded in southwestern
Juab CountyJuab County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,238, and by 2005 had been estimated at 9,113. It was named from an Indian word meaning thirsty valley, or possibly only valley. Its county seat and largest city is Nephi.Juab County is part of the...
at the north end of the valley to form the 20-mi (32 km) long Sevier Bridge Reservoir. The river is used extensively for
irrigationIrrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil. It is usually used to assist in growing crops in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
in its upper valley in the mountains, resulting in a severe diminishing of the level of Sevier Lake, such that it is now essentially dry. The watershed demarcates the southeastern edge of the
Great BasinThe Great Basin is a large, arid region of the western United States. Its boundaries vary depending on how it is defined, but it is most commonly defined as the contiguous endorheic basin roughly between the Wasatch Mountains and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Culturally, the Great Basin is home to...
.
The river was known to the
PaiutePaiute refers to two related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Nevada and Oregon, and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah...
who inhabited the region as
Seve'uu. It was named "Rio Severo" (wild river) by early
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
explorers.
External links