exelich.] SWEETWATER DISTRICT DRAINAGE. 51 



feet in height, composed of limestone, form a chasm in the outlying hills, 

 through which the stream rushes in a series of rapids and small cascades. 

 From there it enters the hilly area surrounding Sheep Mountain, and 

 finally emerges into the low country, where it makes a sharp turn north- 

 ward and joins the Popo-Agie. During its course the volume of water 

 is swelled by several smaller creeks. Twin Creel; rising beyond Miner's 

 Delight, is forced to make a considerable detour before being able to 

 pass through the outlying hills. After a passage has been effected some 

 distance to the south, this creek flows in an easterly direction. A sharp 

 curve to the north carries it along the western base of Sheep Mountain, 

 and it eventually empties into the Little Popo-Agie about four miles 

 below Eagle ranch. A small creek flowing through the picturesque Bed 

 Canon carries its water into the same stream. Within that area a num- 

 ber of miimportant creeks are found, the largest one of which is proba- 

 bly Cottomcood Creel; a branch of Twin Creek. Prom the west Willow' 

 Creelc flows into the Little Popo-Agie. Most of these small creeks carry 

 water during the entire year, although in some of them it becomes quite 

 muddy during the latter part of the dry season. 



Beaver Creek. — This stream heads a short distance east of Camp Stam- 

 baugh. Flowing in a direction a little north of east, it runs through a 

 narrow, very pretty canon south of Sheep Mountain. On its course to 

 that point the Beaver receives a number of small tributaries. Eetaining 

 its general course toward the east, the Beaver cuts directly across the 

 younger sedimentary bluffs of that region. A sudden turn to the north- 

 ward brings the stream into a broad, open valley running parallel with 

 the trend of the bluffs. From there the Beaver flows through low, flat 

 country until finally it joins the Little Wind Eiver. 



A large number of creeks start along the steep northern slope of the 

 Sweetwater Plateau. They belong to the Wind Eiver drainage, but ex- 

 cept in particularly wet seasons carry no water into it. As a rule, they 

 run but a very short distance, soon sinking in the loose arenaceous soil 

 of the lowlands. Many of them have runs of but a few hundred yards 

 or even less, being in reality nothing more than overflowing springs. A 

 large area of very dry country intervenes between the Sweetwater Pla- 

 teau and that eastern tributary of the Wind Eiver, Bad Water Creelc. 

 This latter is beyond the limits of our district. 



GREEN RIVER DRAINAGE. 



Big Sandy Biver. — Within our district the Big Sandy is the main 

 stream flowing into Green Eiver. It rises northwest of Snow Peak on 

 the western slope of the Wind Eiver Eange and flows in a general direc- 

 tion west of south. Passing through the mountains it has the character 

 of a swift mountain stream, carrying a considerable amount of water. Its 

 channel is generally very rocky and the clear water leaps over huge 

 bowlders often forming a perfect torrent. Upon leaving the mountains 

 it shows a succession of rapids and cascades while rushing through a 

 narrow canon in the subsidiary granitic range. From there it flows 

 more slowly along the Tertiary bluff country lying between the base of 

 the mountains and Green Eiver. This latter stream it joins in about 

 north latitude 41° 48'. The Big Sandy, well known in the early liistory 

 of this section of country, has several tributaries to the eastward. 

 Travelling in that direction we first meet with Little Sandy Creelc. It 

 rises at the immediate western base of Snow Peak, and flows for some 

 distance through a narrow, very pretty canon, until it empties into Bar- 

 ret's Lake. From there its downward course is rapid. Leaving the 



