The Damsite Surveys

The Damsite Surveys. The search for "practical" uses of the canyons of the upper Green River had been on since the turn of the century. In 1914, a U.S. Geologic Survey expedition led by Eugene LaRue floated to the Utah border and noted several damsites in the Flaming Gorge area. , In 1917, the Utah Power and Light Company floated their own men down the river to search for suitable sites for hydro-electric dams. , The largest and best organized of the dam surveys was the second U.S. Geological Survey of 1922. Engineer Ralf R. Wooley headed the effort and had three Galloway-style boats built in California and shipped to Green River, Wyoming. , Head boatman for the trip was Bert Loper, a seasoned runner on the Colorado River. The other boatmen, who also served as rodmen for the survey, were E.B. Lunt and H.E. Blake. Additional men serving as cooks, helpers, and engineers completed the crew. The party launched on July 22nd, 1922; again with tales of disaster from the townspeople. The group floated to Green River, Utah, located 14 potential damsites and thoroughly mapped the canyons of the upper Green River. , Though still untamed, the "Great Unknown" of the Green River was reduced to lines on maps.