Sevier River

Sevier River
The Sevier River in Marysvale Canyon
Map of the Sevier River-Sevier Lake drainage basin
Location
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
Physical characteristics
SourceConfluence of Minnie and Tyler Creeks
 • locationLong Valley Junction, Kane County
 • coordinates37°30′00″N 112°30′02″W / 37.50000°N 112.50056°W / 37.50000; -112.50056[1]
 • elevation7,310 ft (2,230 m)
MouthSevier Lake
 • location
Southwest of Delta, Millard County
 • coordinates
39°02′57″N 113°07′53″W / 39.04917°N 113.13139°W / 39.04917; -113.13139[1]
 • elevation
4,524 ft (1,379 m)
Length402 mi (647 km)[2]
Basin size11,574 sq mi (29,980 km2)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationJuab, below Sevier Bridge Dam[4]
 • average256 cu ft/s (7.2 m3/s)[4]
 • minimum0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
 • maximum4,920 cu ft/s (139 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftBeaver River (Utah)
 • rightEast Fork Sevier River, San Pitch River

The Sevier River (pronounced "severe") is a 400-mile (640 km)-long[2] river in the Great Basin of southwestern Utah in the United States. Originating west of Bryce Canyon National Park, the river flows north through a chain of high farming valleys and steep canyons along the west side of the Sevier Plateau before turning southwest and terminating in the endorheic basin of Sevier Lake in the Sevier Desert. It is used extensively for irrigation along its course, with the consequence that Sevier Lake is usually dry.

The Sevier River drainage basin of 11,574 square miles (29,980 km2)[3] covers more than 13 percent of Utah and includes parts of ten counties, of which the river flows through seven.[1] The name of the river is derived from the Spanish Río Severo, "violent river".[5][6]: 335  The Sevier is the longest river entirely within the state of Utah.

  1. ^ a b c "Sevier River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 1979-12-31. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "National Hydrography Dataset via National Map Viewer". U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Boundary Descriptions and Names of Regions, Subregions, Accounting Units and Cataloging Units". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  4. ^ a b USGS Gage #10219000 Sevier River near Juab, UT: Water-Data Report 2013. National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 2013. Accessed 2018-05-09 .
  5. ^ Murphy, Miriam B. "Sevier County". Utah History Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  6. ^ Van Cott, John W. (1990). Utah Place Names: A Comprehensive Guide to the Origins of Geographic Names : a Compilation. University of Utah Press. ISBN 0-87480-345-4. Archived from the original on 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2018-08-24.