Range Creek
Encyclopedia
Range Creek, rising in the Book Cliffs
in Emery County, Utah
, is a high tributary
of the Colorado River
. It flows into the Price River
near Price, Utah
. The Price then flows into the Green River
, a major tributary of the Colorado. The creek flows year around.
It has been nominated for classification as a National Wild and Scenic River
.
has recently become publicized because of its pristine archaeological remains and rock art
of the Fremont culture
, a Native American
archaeological culture
that was geographically and chronologically adjacent to the Anasazi culture.
but retained the rights to any subsurface mineral and energy deposits. State archaeological authorities are developing a plan for carefully protecting and studying the cultural resources of Range Creek. Interest is high due to the undisturbed nature of the site. In December 2009, the State of Utah turned over stewardship of Range Creek to the University of Utah
archaeology staff in a land swap deal.http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13201588
Book Cliffs
The Book Cliffs are a series of mountains and cliffs in western Colorado and eastern Utah, in the western United States. They are so named because many of them have the triangular appearance of a book that has been opened up, then turned on its sides and set to rest on the open sides of the book,...
in Emery County, Utah
Emery County, Utah
Emery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 10,860, and by 2009 had been estimated to decrease to 10,629. It was named for George W. Emery, governor of the Utah Territory in 1875...
, is a high tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. It flows into the Price River
Price River
The Price River is a river in the state of Utah, in the United States. The river originates in the Wasatch Plateau in central Utah and flows southeastward through Price Canyon, alongside U.S. Route 6, to the cities of Helper and Price...
near Price, Utah
Price, Utah
Price is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The city is home to the USU-College of Eastern Utah, as well as the large USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum affiliated with the college. Price is located within short distances from both Nine Mile Canyon and the Manti-La Sal National Forest...
. The Price then flows into the Green River
Green River (Utah)
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing...
, a major tributary of the Colorado. The creek flows year around.
It has been nominated for classification as a National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States.The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was an outgrowth of the recommendations of a Presidential commission, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission...
.
Prehistory
The Range Creek canyonCanyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
has recently become publicized because of its pristine archaeological remains and rock art
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
of the Fremont culture
Fremont culture
The Fremont culture or Fremont people is a pre-Columbian archaeological culture which received its name from the Fremont River in the U.S. state of Utah where the first Fremont sites were discovered. The Fremont River itself is named for John Charles Frémont, an American explorer. It inhabited...
, a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
archaeological culture
Archaeological culture
An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place, which are thought to constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between the artifacts is based on archaeologists' understanding and interpretation and...
that was geographically and chronologically adjacent to the Anasazi culture.
Modern history
The land was owned by a cattle rancher by the name of Waldo Wilcox. He recognized the value of the remains that he saw with his own eyes, and protected it by erecting a gate with "no trespassing" signs on the only road in. In 2001 he sold the property to the state of UtahUtah
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...
but retained the rights to any subsurface mineral and energy deposits. State archaeological authorities are developing a plan for carefully protecting and studying the cultural resources of Range Creek. Interest is high due to the undisturbed nature of the site. In December 2009, the State of Utah turned over stewardship of Range Creek to the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
archaeology staff in a land swap deal.http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13201588
See also
- List of Utah rivers
- List of tributaries of the Colorado River
- Fremont cultureFremont cultureThe Fremont culture or Fremont people is a pre-Columbian archaeological culture which received its name from the Fremont River in the U.S. state of Utah where the first Fremont sites were discovered. The Fremont River itself is named for John Charles Frémont, an American explorer. It inhabited...
Sources
- SmithsonianSmithsonian (magazine)Smithsonian is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970.-History:...
, March 2006, "Secrets of the Range Creek Ranch", pp. 68–75. - Great Outdoors site
- State of Utah site
- Wild river status
- Wilderness Utah "Finding History in Range Creek"
- Scientific American Frontiers "The Secret Canyon"