Blacks Fork (also referred to as Blacks Fork of the Green River) is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. , accessed March 18, 2011] tributary of the
Green River in
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
and
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...
in the United States.
Description
The river rises on the northern side of the
Uinta Mountains in the
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in
Summit County, Utah, as the combination of three streams draining the area around Tokewanna Peak near the Utah–Wyoming border. Just before the river crosses into Wyoming, it flows into
Meeks Cabin Reservoir Meeks is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Places
*Meeks, Georgia
People
* Aaron Meeks, American actor
* Brian Meeks, Jamaican poet
* Dale Meeks, English actor
* David Meeks, Arkansas state representative
* Geoff Meeks, (b. 1949 ...
, which is used for irrigation and flood control. After entering
Uinta County in Wyoming and then flowing out of the reservoir, the river leaves the national forest. It then flows northeast through
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...
of
Millburne and along the edge of the
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...
of
Fort Bridger. Turning to a nearly eastern course, the river passes under
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one ...
(I‑80) before joining with the Smiths Fork (possibly named for
Jedediah Smith), which forms just east of the Blacks Fork in the Uinta Mountains and parallels it for most of its course. The river continues northeast, very briefly passing through the extreme southeast corner of
Lincoln, Wyoming, (where it turns east) before entering
Sweetwater County
Sweetwater County is a county in southwestern Wyoming, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 42,272, making it the fourth-most populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Green River. By area, it is the larges ...
, Wyoming. The river then meets the Hams Fork from the north on the southwest edge of
Granger. Promptly after entering Granger, the river passes along the south edge of the
Granger Stage Station and then passes under
U.S. Route 30 (US 30). Shortly after that, the river makes sharp turn south (passing under I‑80/US 30) and eventually entering the
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and joining the Green River at
Flaming Gorge Reservoir
History
The river is named for Arthur Black, who trapped in the area in 1824 as an employee of the
Ashley/Henry Company.
[ ] In 1843, mountain man
Jim Bridger and his partner
Louis Vasquez constructed a trading post on the Blacks Fork, located west of the present-day
Lyman
Lyman may refer to:
Places Ukraine
* Lyman, Ukraine
United States
* Lyman, Iowa
* Lyman, Maine
* Lyman, Mississippi
* Lyman, Nebraska
* Lyman, New Hampshire
* Lyman, Oklahoma
* Lyman, South Carolina
* Lyman, South Dakota
* Lyman County, South Dak ...
, known later as
Fort Bridger. The post soon became a popular stop along the
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...
and
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
trails and later marked the point at which the
Mormon Trail left the other two and continued into Utah.
See also
*
List of rivers of Utah
*
List of Wyoming rivers
*
List of tributaries of the Colorado River
The principal tributaries of the Colorado River of North America are the Gila River, the San Juan River, the Green River, and the Gunnison River.
Tributary tree
The following is a tree demonstrating the points at which the major and minor ...
References
External links
{{authority control
Tributaries of the Green River (Colorado River tributary)
Rivers of Utah
Rivers of Wyoming
Features of the Uinta Mountains
Rivers of Daggett County, Utah
Rivers of Summit County, Utah
Rivers of Lincoln County, Wyoming
Rivers of Sweetwater County, Wyoming
Rivers of Uinta County, Wyoming
Wasatch-Cache National Forest
California Trail
Mormon Trail
Oregon Trail
Tributaries of the Colorado River in Utah
Tributaries of the Colorado River in Wyoming