History
Petroglyphs and artifacts suggest that prehistoric people of the Fremont culture hunted game near Flaming Gorge for many centuries. Later the Ute tribes, whose members spread throughout the mountains of present-day Colorado and Utah, visited Flaming Gorge country. During the early 1800s, fur trappers searched the mountains of the West for beaver. William H. Ashley, organizer of a large fur trading company, came to the Green River in 1825, loaded trade goods into buffalo hide boats, and set out on an epic first exploration of the Green River. Ashley returned the same summer for the first of the famous mountain men rendezvous, held on Henry’s Fork, near Burnt Fork, Wyoming. The Ashley National Forest was named in honor of this early western explorer.

On a spring day in 1869, John Wesley Powell and nine men boarded small wooden boats at Green River, Wyoming to embark on a daring exploration of the Green and Colorado Rivers. Powell and his men slowly worked their way downstream, successfully completing their journey in late summer. On May 26, 1869, Major Powell named Flaming Gorge after he and his men saw the sun reflecting off the red rocks.

In the 1870s, the first ranchers moved to the mountain valleys near Flaming Gorge. It was harsh, rough country for earning a livelihood. Backbreaking hours were spent grubbing sagebrush and laying irrigation ditches on the land. Many of the early pioneers gave up the struggle and moved on.

Many outlaws and fugitives would hide out in the isolated valleys along the Green River. Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch were the most notorious.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area was established in 1968. The Forest Service administers recreation facilities in the area. With over 300 miles (483 kilometers) of shoreline, boat ramps and marinas, campgrounds, and full service lodges, Flaming Gorge Reservoir is an aquatic paradise. While motor boating, sailing, swimming, windsurfing, water skiing, and scuba diving are popular recreation activities, the reservoir is most famous for its fishing. Its cool, clear depths are ideal for growing enormous trout. These famous angling waters have produced fish of state and world record size, including lake trout (“Mackinaw”) over 50 pounds (23 kilograms), German brown trout over 30 pounds (14 kilograms), and rainbow trout over 25 pounds (11 kilograms). Flaming Gorge also supports cutthroat trout, kokanee salmon, smallmouth bass, and channel catfish. Ice fishing is a popular pastime in the winter. Anglers should check with local offices or businesses for ice conditions as warm weather and fluctuating water levels may cause hazardous ice.

The Green River below the dam is famous for its trout fishing and rafting. White water rapids and gorgeous canyon scenery also lend to the popularity of river rafting below the dam and hiking Little Hole National Recreation Trail. Water that flows from the dam in the summer is cold, about 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees celsius) or lower. River levels may vary as power generation fluctuates. A permit is not needed when rafting to the Gates of Lodore — beyond that point, contact officials at Dinosaur National Monument for a permit. Special safety precau- tions are required when rafting. Rafters must wear life preservers at all times. Common sense and respect for the river will help make the trip safe and enjoyable.

Flaming Gorge Reservoir
Flaming Gorge Dam is a thin-arch concrete dam. From the streambed, the dam stands 502 feet (153 meters) high and contains 987,000 cubic yards (754,616 cubic meters) of concrete. Construction of the dam began in 1958 and was completed in 1964. The dam was dedicated in 1964 by former First Lady Mrs. Lyndon B. “Ladybird” Johnson. The Bureau of Reclamation operates and maintains the dam and powerplant. Water is released from the dam through large pipes called penstocks into the powerplant where the water turns turbines that generate electricity. Warmer water can be released through the penstocks, to benefit downstream fish, by adjusting the selective withdrawal structure located on the upstream face of the dam. Additional water can be released through the outlet works and the spillways.

Flaming Gorge Dam impounds waters of the Green River to form Flaming Gorge Reservoir which extends as far as 91 miles (146 kilometers) to the north. When the reservoir is full at elevation 6,040 feet (1,841 meters) above sea level it has a capacity of 3,788,900 acre-feet (4,674 million cubic meters) and a surface area of 42,020 acres (17,005 hectares).

There are two distinct types of land in the reservoir area: a mountainous area in Utah composed of benches, canyons, and forest; and a desert area in Wyoming composed of low hills, shale badlands, and desert shrubs. These diverse areas provide habitats for a variety of birds and animals, such as deer, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, Steller’s jays, Clark’s nutcrackers and eagles.

Environmental Issues
The construction of Flaming Gorge Dam and Reservoir in 1964 resulted in permanent changes to the Green River and the immediate surroundings. Prior to 1964, the Green River was characterized by periods of high snowmelt runoff with low fall and winter flows. After 1964, the amount of water in the river was controlled by the dam, and much of the muddy snowmelt was captured in the reservoir and the regulated downstream releases were cold and clear. Consequently, the types and numbers of animal and plant species present in 1964 have changed and now represent those commonly found in cold water reservoirs and dam tailwaters throughout the United States. Both the reservoir and downstream fisheries at Flaming Gorge are among the best in the world for cold water species, including brown, rainbow and lake trout. However, there are native species of fish that inhabited the Green River prior to 1964 that now exist in very reduced numbers and are in danger of becoming extinct.

Since 1985, there have been numerous physical and biological resource studies and experimental flows from the dam, all directed at determining the needs of the surviving endangered fish. As a result, changes to dam operations have been made to benefit the endangered fish species. These changes have been in combination with other fish recovery activities being taken by many federal, state and local agencies and groups throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin. The goal is to recover the endangered fish so they are no longer in danger of extinction, while seeking to sustain the existing cold water fisheries and support future water development projects.

Excerpted from Bureau of Reclamation Brochure.

Click here to read the historical marker.