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Provo River (Utah)
Encyclopedia
The Provo River is located in Utah County
and Wasatch County
, Utah
, in the United States
. It rises in the Uinta Mountains
at Washington Lake and flows about 70 miles (112.7 km) southwest to Utah Lake
at the city of Provo, Utah
.
at the north end of the Heber Valley. Deer Creek Dam further impounds the Provo River with Deer Creek Reservoir, which was built in 1941. The two branches of the Provo are split into upper, middle, and lower sections. The upper Provo originates in the high Uintahs and flows into Jordanelle Reservoir. Below the dam of Jordanelle to Deer Creek Reservoir is known as the Middle Provo river. The lower section of the Provo river flows out of Deer creek reservoir through Provo canyon and into Utah lake.
, for whom the city of Provo, Utah is also named. The old name for the river was instead given to the mountain to the north, which later became known as Mount Timpanogos
.
The Provo River was once used for irrigation until Utah Lake began to shrink, prompting a reworking of the irrigation systems.
According to the United States Geological Survey
(USGS), variant names for Provo River include Tim-pan-o-gos River and Upper Provo River.
Utah County, Utah
Utah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 368,536 and by 2008 was estimated at 530,837. It was named for the Spanish name for the Ute Indians. The county seat and largest city is Provo...
and Wasatch County
Wasatch County, Utah
Wasatch County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It was named for a Ute Indian word meaning mountain pass or low place in the high mountains. Its county seat and largest city is Heber City.The county is governed by a county council with an appointed county manager.Wasatch County is...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It rises in the Uinta Mountains
Uinta Mountains
The Uinta Mountains are a high chain of mountains in northeastern Utah and extreme northwestern Colorado in the United States. A subrange of the Rocky Mountains, they are unusual for being the highest range in the contiguous United States running east to west, and lie approximately east of Salt...
at Washington Lake and flows about 70 miles (112.7 km) southwest to Utah Lake
Utah Lake
Utah Lake is a freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Utah. On the western side of Utah Valley, the lake is overlooked by Mount Timpanogos and Mount Nebo. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River, is a tributary of the Great Salt Lake and is highly regulated with pumps. Evaporation accounts...
at the city of Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
.
Course
The two main branches of Provo River are North Fork Provo River and South Fork Provo River. The river is impounded by Jordanelle ReservoirJordanelle Reservoir
Jordanelle Reservoir is a reservoir in Wasatch County, Utah, United States, just north of Heber City.Jordanelle Reservoir is fed and drained primarily by the Provo River, and is impounded by the Jordanelle Dam, an Earthen dam. The construction of the dam resulted in the reroutings of U.S. Route 40...
at the north end of the Heber Valley. Deer Creek Dam further impounds the Provo River with Deer Creek Reservoir, which was built in 1941. The two branches of the Provo are split into upper, middle, and lower sections. The upper Provo originates in the high Uintahs and flows into Jordanelle Reservoir. Below the dam of Jordanelle to Deer Creek Reservoir is known as the Middle Provo river. The lower section of the Provo river flows out of Deer creek reservoir through Provo canyon and into Utah lake.
History
The river was originally named the Timpanogotzis (or Tumpanowach) after the American Indian tribe living on its bank. Early settlers changed the name to Provo, after trapper Etienne ProvostÉtienne Provost
Étienne Provost was a French Canadian fur trader whose trapping and trading activities in the American southwest preceded Mexican independence...
, for whom the city of Provo, Utah is also named. The old name for the river was instead given to the mountain to the north, which later became known as Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos, sometimes informally referred to as Timp, is the second highest mountain in Utah's Wasatch Range. Timpanogos rises to an elevation of 11,749 feet above sea level in the Uinta National Forest...
.
The Provo River was once used for irrigation until Utah Lake began to shrink, prompting a reworking of the irrigation systems.
According to the United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
(USGS), variant names for Provo River include Tim-pan-o-gos River and Upper Provo River.