(U.S. Bureau of Land Management) The White River runs from Rangely, Colorado to the Confluence with the Green River in Utah. Federal parcels that include part of the river near Vernal were recently auctioned for oil and gas leases, despite protests from outdoor recreation advocates.
Leia Larsen is a sixth generation Utahn and a water and land use reporter reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune. She has covered environment, energy and political issues throughout the West. When she’s not chasing the news, Leia can be found exploring the Wasatch Mountains, sleeping in the desert or rooting around her garden.