Wind River (Wyoming)

Wind River
Wild River, Bighorn River
Wind River Canyon downstream from Boysen Dam
Country United States
State Wyoming
Tributaries
 - left East Fork Wind River
 - right Dinwoody Creek, Bull Lake Creek, Little Wind River
Cities Dubois, Crowheart, Johnstown, Riverton
Source Two Ocean Mountain
 - location Wind River Range, Teton County
 - elevation 9,760 ft (2,975 m)
 - coordinates 43°44′50″N 110°04′27″W / 43.74722°N 110.07417°W / 43.74722; -110.07417 [1]
Mouth Bighorn River
 - location Wedding of the Waters, Hot Springs County
 - elevation 4,472 ft (1,363 m)
 - coordinates 43°34′52″N 108°12′44″W / 43.58111°N 108.21222°W / 43.58111; -108.21222Coordinates: 43°34′52″N 108°12′44″W / 43.58111°N 108.21222°W / 43.58111; -108.21222 [1]
Length 185 mi (298 km)
Basin 7,730 sq mi (20,021 km2)
Discharge for below Boysen Dam
 - average 1,357 cu ft/s (38 m3/s) [2]
 - max 28,700 cu ft/s (813 m3/s)
 - min 4.7 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
The Wind-Bighorn rivers

The Wind River is the name applied to the upper reaches of the Bighorn River in Wyoming in the United States. The Wind River is 185 miles (298 km)[3] long. The two rivers are sometimes referred to as the Wind/Bighorn.

Course

Wind River as part of the Boysen Reservoir near Thermopolis, Wyoming

Its headwaters are at Wind River Lake in the Rocky Mountains, near the summit of Togwotee Pass (pronounced toe-go-tee) and gathers water from several forks along the northeast side of the Wind River Range in west central Wyoming. It flows southeastward, across the Wind River Basin and the Wind River Indian Reservation and joins the Little Wind River near Riverton. Up stream from this confluence, it is known locally as the Big Wind River. It flows northward, through a gap in the Owl Creek Mountains, where the name of the river becomes the Bighorn River. In the Owl Creek Mountains, it is dammed to form Boysen Reservoir. The Wind River officially becomes the Bighorn River at the Wedding of the Waters, on the north side of the Wind River Canyon.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Wind River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1979-06-05. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  2. ↑ "USGS Gage #06259000 on the Wind River below Boysen Reservoir, WY" (PDF). National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 1951-present. Retrieved 2011-04-05. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ↑ "The National Map". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved Feb 17, 2011.
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