Santa Clara River (Utah) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Santa Clara River |
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|---|---|
| Native name | Tonaquint River |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| Region | Washington County |
| Cities | St. George, Santa Clara, Ivins, Pine Valley |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Confluence of the Right, Middle and Left Forks Santa Clara River Above Pine Valley, Utah 6,830 ft (2,080 m) 37°22′32″N 113°27′50″W / 37.37556°N 113.46389°W |
| River mouth | Confluence with the Virgin River South of St. George, Utah 2,536 ft (773 m) 37°04′23″N 113°34′55″W / 37.07306°N 113.58194°W |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Right, Middle and Left Forks Santa Clara River |
The Santa Clara River is a river in Washington County, Utah, United States. It is about 52 miles (84 km) long. The river starts high up in the Pine Valley Mountains. It flows west, then south, and then southeast. Finally, it joins the Virgin River just south of St. George. The Santa Clara River is the biggest river that flows into the Virgin River in southern Utah.
Contents
Discovering the Santa Clara River
The Santa Clara River has a rich history. It was named "Santa Clara" by early travelers on the Old Spanish Trail. It was also known as the Tonaquint River. This name came from the Tonaquint Band of Native Americans. They lived near where the river joins the Virgin River.
Ancient Farmers and Early Explorers
Long ago, from about 700 B.C. to A.D. 1200, a group of people called the Ancestral Puebloans lived here. They were also known as the Virgin Anasazi. These ancient people were smart farmers. They built special systems to bring water from the river to their crops. This is called irrigation. Their population grew a lot. But around A.D. 1200, the Anasazi people left the area.
After them, the Southern Paiute people moved in. They also farmed along the river. They grew crops like corn and squash.
The first Europeans to see the river were two priests, Father Escalante and Father Dominguez. They arrived on October 14, 1776. They met Southern Paiute farmers who gave them ears of corn. The path they took became part of the Old Spanish Trail in 1829. When Armijo reached the river's mouth, he called it "Rio de las Milpas." This means "river of the cornfields." Later, in 1827, Jedediah Smith traveled up the river and called it "Corn Creek."
Life Along the River in the 1800s
In 1852, an early Mormon settler named John D. Lee described the Southern Paiute farming. He said the Santa Clara River was about 16 feet wide and had clear water. He saw about 100 acres of land that the Paiute people had farmed. They mostly grew corn and squash. He thought that a lot of crops could be grown in these valleys. He also noted that the Paiute tribe was large and had a good amount of farmland.
The River's Journey and Special Areas
The Santa Clara River starts high in the Pine Valley Mountains. As it flows, it passes through important areas.
Santa Clara River Reserve
A special area along the lower river is the Santa Clara River Reserve (SCRR). It was created in 1997. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) worked with the cities of Ivins and Santa Clara to set it up. The SCRR is a large area, about 6,500 acres. It is protected to keep the land open and natural. It also protects old Native American sites and wildlife.
The reserve is located southwest of Ivins and Santa Clara. It is east of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Reservation. Water from Gunlock Reservoir helps keep the river flowing during the warm months when farmers need water. However, the water releases stop in the late fall and winter.
Plants and Animals of the River
The Santa Clara River Reserve is home to many plants and animals. It includes the Santa Clara/Land Hill Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). This area protects ancient Anasazi sites and the special habitat along the river.
Riverbank Plants
Along the river's banks, you can find many types of plants. These include:
- Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii)
- Coyote willow (Salix exigua)
- Seep-willow (Baccharis salicifolia)
- Gooddings willow (Salix gooddingii)
- Velvet ash (Fraxinus velutina)
You might also see plants that are not native, like Russian willow and tamarisk (Tamarix ssp.). When animals do not overgraze, native grasses grow thick. These grasses help keep the river banks strong. They also collect dirt from the water and slow down fast river flows.
Just outside the river area, you can find quailbush (Atriplex lentiformis), mesquite (Nahuatl mizquitl), and rabbit bush. The reserve is also a critical home for rare and endangered plant species. These include the dwarf bear claw poppy (Arctomecon humilis) and the Holmgren's milkvetch (Astragalus holmgreniorum).
Beavers and the River's Health
When early settlers arrived, they saw many beaver (Castor canadensis) dams on the Santa Clara River. The Southern Paiute people used these beaver dams. The dams helped keep the water level high, which was good for their farms.
However, the settlers hunted the beavers. When the beavers were gone, their dams disappeared. Without the dams, the land became drier. Also, without the dams to control the water, big floods happened more often. These floods washed away a lot of the rich farmland. An early observer, Thomas D. Brown, noted how the Paiute farming and beaver dams worked together. He said that beaver dams were built every few feet. This caused the water to overflow, making the land good for grazing and farming.
