10 Interesting Facts about The Colorado River

Here are the following facts about The Colorado River which probably give you informations about it. The Colorado River is an important river of the Southwestern United States and Northwest Mexico. The lenght is 1,450 miles (2,330 km) which has the expansive flows. It has arid watershed which encompashed parts of seven U.S and two Mexican states. These are the following facts about The Colorado River which you want to know.

Facts about The Colorado River 1 : It Flows

The river flows generally in the Southewestern U.S and Mexico. The river flows across the Colorado Plateau and also the Grand Canyon before got into Lake Mead on Arizona Nevada line. After entering Mexico, then it approaches the larges Colorado Delta which emptied by natural into Gulf of California between Baja California and Sonora.

Facts about The Colorado River 2 : Vital Source

Though it has the rapid of whitewater, but still the Colorado River become the main vital source of water in the agricultural and urban areas in southwestern desert lands of North America. The 90% of its water are funish into the agriculture irrigation and supply water for 40 million people which both inside and outside watershed.

Facts about The Colorado River 3 : Helps on Large Agricultural Civilizations

In 2,000 or 1,000 years ago, the Colorado had main part on the agricultural civilizations aspect. It brought the agricultural aspect into the best one, and it was the most greatfull indegenous culture in South America. But slowly the agriculture not runs better because there were much problem such as change of land uses.

Facts about The Colorado River 4 : Flows in Arizona

The river passes Lee’s Ferry. Its important because the crossing explorers and settlers. Downstream, it cross into Marble Canyon which is the beginning of Grand Canyon. Then it keep flows until it meets the Grand Canyon. That Grand Canyon become one largest area called Grand Canyon National Park.

Facts about The Colorado River 5 : Tributaries

The Colorado has over 25 significant tributaries, and the Green River is the largest. Then the second largest is Gila River. Continously on third position of largest is San Juan River.

Facts about The Colorado River 6 : Average Poured Water

For each seasons, the Colorado River has the different volume on pouring too. The natural state, it can poured 16,3 acre feet (20,1 km³) into the Gulf California each year. In summer, it poured more than 10,000 cubic feet per second (2,800 m³/s) and low flows of less than 2,500 cubics (71 m³/s) in the winter.

Facts about The Colorado River 7 : Flows Reduction

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Colorado River flows had declined. It started in 1960 when the Colorado River has run dry before reaching the sea. It caused by the irrigations, industrials, climate change, natural runoff are basely the factors of the declined on the river’s flows.

Facts about The Colorado River 8 : Watershed

Watershed or drainage basin which located in Colorado River encompasses in 246,000 square miles (640,000 km²) of Southwestern North America. It made the watershed on Colorado River became the seventh largest on the continent. 97 percent of watershed are in the United States.

Facts about The Colorado River 9 : Wildlife and Plants

Colorado River and the areas around this river are become the habitat of some birds. There are 358 species of birds live in the Colorado River Delta. And also the invansive plants such as tamarisk are on there. Both of them live despite on the reduction of freshwater flow.

Facts about The Colorado River 10 : Recreation

The recreation found in the Grand Canyon which become the main flow of the river. More than 22,000 people annually come here to get recreation which called Granddddy of Rafting Trips. The rafting is hard to arrange because the National Park Service not give freely chance to get on trip. Only for one trips, its need to wait more than 10 years. It used on purpose to protect the enviroment.