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About Sweetwater County
Sweetwater County is the eighth largest county in the United States, comprising 10,491 acres near the southwestern corner of Wyoming. It is mostly a hilly highland region of deserts and sagebrush mostly above 6,500 feet in elevation. The Continental Divide passes through the county.
The Green River, the most important tributary to the Colorado River, passes through Sweetwater County. It arises from sources in the Wind River Mountains not far to the north, passes southward through the county, and into Utah. The Uintah Mountains lie just on the other side of the Utah border, and the Green River passes them through a deep gorge. The Flaming Gorge Dam was built in this spot creating the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which backs up for miles into Sweetwater County and has been designated as a National Recreation Area. In addition to boating, it is an area of striking scenery, with dramatic cliffs rising above the water. Fur trappers, including Jim Bridger, explored this area as they sought for beaver skins. A number of tributary rivers to the Green River bear the names of members of Jim Bridger's party, including the Henry's Fork and Black's Fork, both of which flow through the county.
The Oregon Trail passed through the northwest corner of Sweetwater County, following the Green River and Black's Fork.
Sweetwater County was organized in 1867, and it's county seat at Green River, which, named after the Green River, was built on its banks. The population was 37,613 as of the year 2000. Rock Springs is the largest city. Mining, including especially coal, gas and oil, and ranching are major industries here.
For More Information:
See the Wikipedia article on Sweetwater County and the official county site.