List of drainage basins in Colorado

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The location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America. Colorado in United States.svg
The location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America .
The Gunnison River in the Black Canyon. GunnisonRiver from SunsetView.jpg
The Gunnison River in the Black Canyon.

This is a list of drainage basins in the U.S. State of Colorado .

Contents

Colorado encompasses the headwaters of several important rivers. The state is divided into two major hydrographic regions by the Continental Divide of the Americas. East of the Continental Divide, surface waters flow to the Gulf of Mexico, either via the Rio Grande or via one of several rivers (the South Platte River, the North Platte River, the Republican River, the Arkansas River, the Cimarron River, or the Canadian River) which eventually feed the Mississippi River along the way. West of the Continental Divide, surface waters flow via the Green River, the upper Colorado River [lower-alpha 1] (formerly the Grand River), or the San Juan River into the Colorado River and on to the Gulf of California.

Colorado also has three significant endorheic basins: the San Luis Closed Basin in the San Luis Valley, and the Bear Creek Basin and the White Woman Basin spanning the Colorado-Kansas border north and south of the Arkansas River.

List of major drainage basins

Major Drainage Basins of the State of Colorado

BasinOutletTotal Area [3] In-State Area [3] % In-State [3]
Colorado River [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] Gulf of California 703,132 km2
271,481 mi2		100,195 km2
38,686 mi2		14.2%
Arkansas River [lower-alpha 3] Mississippi River 478,501 km2
184,750 mi2		70,022 km2
27,036 mi2		14.6%
Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte) [lower-alpha 4] Gulf of Mexico 457,275 km2
176,555 mi2		12,070 km2
4,660 mi2		2.6%
Canadian River Arkansas River 122,701 km2
47,375 mi2		154 km2
59 mi2		0.1%
Green River [lower-alpha 5] Colorado River 115,903 km2
44,750 mi2		27,340 km2
10,556 mi2		23.6%
North Platte River [lower-alpha 6] Platte River 80,755 km2
31,180 mi2		5,129 km2
1,980 mi2		6.4%
upper Colorado River (Grand River) [lower-alpha 1] Colorado River 67,993 km2
26,252 mi2		57,680 km2
22,270 mi2		84.8%
San Juan River [lower-alpha 2] Colorado River 64,560 km2
24,927 mi2		15,175 km2
5,859 mi2		23.5%
South Platte River [lower-alpha 7] Platte River 62,738 km2
24,223 mi2		48,948 km2
18,899 mi2		78.0%
Smoky Hill River Kansas River 51,783 km2
19,994 mi2		2,493 km2
963 mi2		4.8%
Cimarron River [lower-alpha 8] Arkansas River 44,890 km2
17,332 mi2		5,481 km2
2,116 mi2		12.2%
Yampa River Green River 21,506 km2
8,304 mi2		15,289 km2
5,903 mi2		71.1%
Gunnison River [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 9] upper Colorado River (Grand River)20,851 km2
8,051 mi2		20,851 km2
8,051 mi2		100%
North Fork Republican River Republican River 13,172 km2
5,086 mi2		11,522 km2
4,449 mi2		87.5%
White River Green River 12,989 km2
5,015 mi2		9,796 km2
3,782 mi2		75.4%
Dolores River upper Colorado River (Grand River)11,998 km2
4,633 mi2		10,619 km2
4,100 mi2		88.5%
Laramie River [lower-alpha 6] North Platte River 11,961 km2
4,618 mi2		989 km2
382 mi2		8.3%
Little Snake River Yampa River 10,629 km2
4,104 mi2		4,412 km2
1,704 mi2		41.5%
Purgatoire River [lower-alpha 10] Arkansas River 8,923 km2
3,445 mi2		8,601 km2
3,321 mi2		96.4%
Lodgepole Creek South Platte River 8,374 km2
3,233 mi2		496 km2
191 mi2		5.9%
Rio Chama Rio Grande 8,204 km2
3,168 mi2		238 km2
92 mi2		2.9%
San Luis Closed Basin [lower-alpha 11] [lower-alpha 12] endorheic basin 7,638 km2
2,949 mi2		7,638 km2
2,949 mi2		100%
Frenchman Creek Republican River 7,398 km2
2,856 mi2		2,539 km2
980 mi2		34.3%
South Fork Republican River Republican River 7,195 km2
2,778 mi2		5,454 km2
2,106 mi2		75.8%
San Luis Creek San Luis Closed Basin 7,000 km2
2,703 mi2		7,000 km2
2,703 mi2		100%
Cache la Poudre River [lower-alpha 13] South Platte River 4,959 km2
1,915 mi2		4,587 km2
1,771 mi2		92.5%
Bear Creek Basin endorheic basin 4,896 km2
1,890 mi2		2,521 km2
973 mi2		51.5%
Huerfano River [lower-alpha 14] Arkansas River 4,840 km2
1,869 mi2		4,840 km2
1,869 mi2		100%
Big Sandy Creek Arkansas River 4,825 km2
1,863 mi2		4,825 km2
1,863 mi2		100%
Bear Creek Bear Creek Basin 4,500 km2
1,737 mi2		2,500 km2
965 mi2		55.6%
North Fork Cimarron River Cimarron River 4,462 km2
1,723 mi2		2,225 km2
859 mi2		49.9%
Arikaree River [lower-alpha 15] North Fork Republican River 4,429 km2
1,710 mi2		4,265 km2
1,647 mi2		96.3%
San Miguel River Dolores River 4,060 km2
1,567 mi2		4,060 km2
1,567 mi2		100%
Stinking Water Creek Frenchman Creek 3,862 km2
1,491 mi2		966 km2
373 mi2		25.0%
Roaring Fork River [lower-alpha 16] upper Colorado River (Grand River)3,766 km2
1,454 mi2		3,766 km2
1,454 mi2		100%
Crow Creek South Platte River 3,717 km2
1,435 mi2		2,201 km2
850 mi2		59.2%
Horse Creek Arkansas River 3,680 km2
1,421 mi2		3,680 km2
1,421 mi2		100%
Ladder Creek Smoky Hill River 3,645 km2
1,407 mi2		663 km2
256 mi2		18.2%
Bijou Creek South Platte River 3,612 km2
1,395 mi2		3,612 km2
1,395 mi2		100%
White Woman Basin endorheic basin 3,577 km2
1,381 mi2		908 km2
351 mi2		25.4%
Rush Creek Arkansas River 3,570 km2
1,378 mi2		3,570 km2
1,378 mi2		100%
Animas River San Juan River 3,562 km2
1,375 mi2		2,971 km2
1,147 mi2		83.4%
Saguache Creek San Luis Creek 3,482 km2
1,345 mi2		3,482 km2
1,345 mi2		100%
Montezuma Creek San Juan River 3,044 km2
1,175 mi2		983 km2
380 mi2		32.3%
White Woman Creek White Woman Basin 3,000 km2
1,158 mi2		800 km2
309 mi2		26.7%
Beaver Creek South Platte River 2,939 km2
1,135 mi2		2,939 km2
1,135 mi2		100%
Uncompahgre River Gunnison River 2,921 km2
1,128 mi2		2,921 km2
1,128 mi2		100%
Tomichi Creek Gunnison River 2,874 km2
1,109 mi2		2,874 km2
1,109 mi2		100%
Apishapa River [lower-alpha 14] Arkansas River 2,798 km2
1,080 mi2		2,798 km2
1,080 mi2		100%
Saint Vrain Creek [lower-alpha 17] South Platte River 2,572 km2
993 mi2		2,572 km2
993 mi2		100%
Eagle River upper Colorado River (Grand River)2,515 km2
971 mi2		2,515 km2
971 mi2		100%
Vermillion Creek Green River 2,500 km2
965 mi2		1,155 km2
446 mi2		46.2%
North Fork Gunnison River Gunnison River 2,492 km2
962 mi2		2,492 km2
962 mi2		100%
Fountain Creek [lower-alpha 18] Arkansas River 2,418 km2
933 mi2		2,418 km2
933 mi2		100%
Big Thompson River [lower-alpha 13] South Platte River 2,149 km2
830 mi2		2,149 km2
830 mi2		100%
Two Butte Creek Arkansas River 2,107 km2
814 mi2		2,107 km2
814 mi2		100%
Mancos River San Juan River 2,099 km2
810 mi2		1,973 km2
762 mi2		94.0%
Conejos River Rio Grande 2,078 km2
802 mi2		1,471 km2
568 mi2		70.8%
North Fork Smoky Hill River Smoky Hill River 1,965 km2
759 mi2		947 km2
366 mi2		48.2%
Sidney Draw South Platte River 1,949 km2
753 mi2		368 km2
142 mi2		18.9%
South Fork Beaver Creek Beaver Creek 1,939 km2
749 mi2		522 km2
201 mi2		26.9%
Sand Arroyo Creek North Fork Cimarron River 1,938 km2
748 mi2		1,314 km2
507 mi2		67.8%
Chico Creek Arkansas River 1,934 km2
747 mi2		1,934 km2
747 mi2		100%
Kiowa Creek South Platte River 1,888 km2
729 mi2		1,888 km2
729 mi2		100%
Pawnee Creek South Platte River 1,875 km2
724 mi2		1,875 km2
724 mi2		100%
McElmo Creek San Juan River 1,842 km2
711 mi2		1,654 km2
639 mi2		89.8%
Blue River [lower-alpha 19] upper Colorado River (Grand River)1,770 km2
683 mi2		1,770 km2
683 mi2		100%
Piedra River San Juan River 1,770 km2
683 mi2		1,770 km2
683 mi2		100%
Piceance Creek White River 1,630 km2
629 mi2		1,630 km2
629 mi2		100%
Little Beaver Creek Beaver Creek 1,602 km2
619 mi2		210 km2
81 mi2		13.1%
Clear Creek [lower-alpha 19] South Platte River 1,497 km2
578 mi2		1,497 km2
578 mi2		100%
Taylor River [lower-alpha 16] Gunnison River 1,258 km2
486 mi2		1,258 km2
486 mi2		100%
Boulder Creek [4] Saint Vrain Creek 1,160 km2
448 mi2		1,160 km2
448 mi2		100%
Cherry Creek South Platte River 1,050 km2
405 mi2		1,050 km2
405 mi2		100%

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 The Colorado River did not officially flow through the State of Colorado until July 25, 1921. Prior to that date, the origin of the Colorado River was officially the confluence of the Grand and Green rivers at 38°11′21″N109°53′09″W / 38.1892°N 109.8857°W in what is now Canyonlands National Park of Utah. In 1921, U.S. Representative Edward T. Taylor of Colorado petitioned the Congressional Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce to rename the Grand River as the Colorado River. [1] On July 25, 1921, President Warren G. Harding signed House Joint Resolution 32 - To change the name of the Grand River in Colorado and Utah to the Colorado River, [2] over the objections of representatives from Wyoming, Utah, and the United States Geological Survey, who noted that the Green River was longer and had a larger drainage basin, although the Grand River often contributed a greater flow of water.
  2. 1 2 3 The summit of Uncompahgre Peak at 14,321 feet (4365.0 m) is the highest point in the drainage basins of the Cimarron River, the Gunnison River, the former Grand River, the Colorado River, and the Gulf of California.
  3. ↑ The summit of Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet (4401.2 m) is the highest point in the drainage basins of the Arkansas River and the Mississippi River.
  4. ↑ The summit of Blanca Peak at 14,351 feet (4374 m) is the highest point in the drainage basin of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte).
  5. ↑ The headwaters of the Green River are located in the Wind River Mountains of the State of Wyoming.
  6. 1 2 The summit of Clark Peak at 12,960 feet (3950 m) is the highest point in the drainage basins of the Laramie River and the North Platte River.
  7. ↑ The summit of Mount Lincoln at 14,293 feet (4356.5 m) is the highest point in the drainage basins of the South Platte River, the Platte River, and the Missouri River.
  8. ↑ The headwaters of the Cimarron River are located in Union County, New Mexico, a short distance south of the Colorado border.
  9. ↑ The Gunnison River Basin is the most extensive river basin exclusively within the State of Colorado.
  10. ↑ The summit of Culebra Peak at 14,053 feet (4283 m) is the highest point in the drainage basin of the Purgatoire River.
  11. ↑ The San Luis Closed Basin is the most extensive endorheic basin in the State of Colorado.
  12. ↑ The summit of Crestone Peak at 14,300 feet (4359 m) is the highest point in the San Luis Closed Basin.
  13. 1 2 The summit of Hagues Peak at 13,573 feet (4137 m) is the highest point in the drainage basins of the Cache la Poudre River and the Big Thompson River.
  14. 1 2 The summit of West Spanish Peak at 13,631 feet (4155 m) is the highest point in the drainage basins of the Huerfano River and Apishapa River.
  15. ↑ The point at which the Arikaree River flows out of the Colorado and into Kansas is the lowest point in the State of Colorado at 3317 feet (1011 m).
  16. 1 2 The summit of Castle Peak at 14,279 feet (4352.2 m) is the highest point in the drainage basins of the Roaring Fork River and the Taylor River.
  17. ↑ The summit of Longs Peak at 14,259 feet (4346 m) is the highest point in the drainage basin of Saint Vrain Creek.
  18. ↑ The summit of Pikes Peak at 14,115 feet (4302.31 m) is the highest point in the drainage basin of Fountain Creek.
  19. 1 2 The summit of Grays Peak at 14,278 feet (4352 m) is the highest point on the Continental Divide in North America and the drainage basins of the Blue River and Clear Creek.

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The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately 716 miles (1,152 km) long, counting its many curves. In a straight line, it travels about 550 miles (890 km), along its course through the U.S. states of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yampa River</span> River in Moffat and Routt counties in Colorado, United States

The Yampa River flows 250 miles (400 km) through northwestern Colorado, United States. Rising in the Rocky Mountains, it is a tributary of the Green River and a major part of the Colorado River system. The Yampa is one of the few free-flowing rivers in the western United States, with only a few small dams and diversions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Continental Divide</span> Hydrological divide in eastern North America

The Eastern Continental Divide, Eastern Divide or Appalachian Divide is a hydrographic divide in eastern North America that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico watershed. The divide nearly spans the United States from south of Lake Ontario through the Florida peninsula, and consists of raised terrain including the Appalachian Mountains to the north, the southern Piedmont Plateau and lowland ridges in the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the south. Water including rainfall and snowfall, lakes, streams and rivers on the eastern/southern side of the divide drains to the Atlantic Ocean; water on the western/northern side of the divide drains to the Gulf of Mexico. The ECD is one of six continental hydrographic divides of North America which define several drainage basins, each of which drains to a particular body of water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawatch Range</span> Mountain range in Colorado, United States

The Sawatch Range or Saguache Range is a high and extensive mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Park (Colorado basin)</span>

Middle Park is a high basin in the Rocky Mountains of north-central Colorado in the United States. It is located in Grand County, on the southwest slope of Rocky Mountain National Park, approximately 50 miles (80 km) west of Boulder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Summer Mountains</span> Mountain range in Colorado, US

The Never Summer Mountains are a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado in the United States consisting of seventeen named peaks. The range is located along the northwest border of Rocky Mountain National Park, forming the continental divide between the headwaters of the Colorado River in Rocky Mountain National Park to the local-east and the upper basin of the North Platte River to the local-west; the continental divide makes a loop in these mountains. The range is small and tall, covering only 25 sq mi (65 km2) with a north-south length of 10 mi (16 km) while rising to over 12,000 ft (3,700 m) at over ten distinct peaks. The range straddles the Jackson-Grand county line for most of its length, and stretches into Jackson and Larimer county at its northern end. A panoramic view of the range is available from sections of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. One of the northernmost peaks, Nokhu Crags, is prominently visible from the west side of Cameron Pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blanca Peak</span> Mountain in Colorado, United States

Blanca Peak is the fourth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The ultra-prominent 14,351-foot (4,374 m) peak is the highest summit of the Sierra Blanca Massif, the Sangre de Cristo Range, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The fourteener is located 9.6 miles (15.5 km) north by east of the Town of Blanca, on the drainage divide separating Rio Grande National Forest and Alamosa County from the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant and Costilla County. The summit is the highest point of both counties and the entire drainage basin of the Rio Grande. Below the steep North Face of Blanca Peak two live Glaciers once developed, until extinction sometime after 1903. North & South Blanca Glaciers were located at 37° 35N.,longitude 105° 28W. Blanca Peak is higher than any point in the United States east of its longitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado–Big Thompson Project</span> Federal water diversion project

The Colorado–Big Thompson Project is a federal water diversion project in Colorado designed to collect West Slope mountain water from the headwaters of the Colorado River and divert it to Colorado's Front Range and plains. In Colorado, approximately 80% of the state's precipitation falls on the West Slope, in the Rocky Mountains, while around 80% of the state's growing population lives along the eastern slope, between the cities of Fort Collins and Pueblo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Colorado</span> Overview of the geography of the U.S. State of Colorado

The geography of the U.S. State of Colorado is diverse, encompassing both rugged mountainous terrain, vast plains, desert lands, desert canyons, and mesas. Colorado is a landlocked U.S. state. In 1861, the United States Congress defined the boundaries of the new Territory of Colorado exclusively by lines of latitude and longitude, stretching from 37°N to 41°N latitude, and from 102°02'48"W to 109°02'48"W longitude. Starting in 1868, official surveys demarcated the boundaries, deviating from the parallels and meridians in several places. Later surveys attempted to correct some of these mistakes but in 1925 the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the earlier demarcation was the official boundary. The borders of Colorado are now officially defined by 697 boundary markers connected by straight boundary lines. Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah are the only states that have their borders defined solely by straight boundary lines with no natural features. The southwest corner of Colorado is the Four Corners Monument at 36°59'56"N, 109°2'43"W. This is the only place in the United States where four states meet: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Sniktau</span>

Mount Sniktau is a high mountain summit in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,240-foot (4,036 m) thirteener is located in Arapaho National Forest, 1.6 miles (2.5 km) northeast of Loveland Pass in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lead Mountain (Grand County, Colorado)</span> Mountain in Colorado, United States

Lead Mountain is a summit in Grand County, Colorado, in the United States. With an elevation of 12,546 feet (3,824 m), Lead Mountain is the 970th-highest summit in the state of Colorado. Lead Mountain was named in 1879 on account of its lead deposits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triple divide</span> Point where three drainage basins meet

A triple divide or triple watershed is a point on the Earth's surface where three drainage basins meet. A triple divide results from the intersection of two drainage divides. Triple divides range from prominent mountain peaks to minor side peaks, down to simple slope changes on a ridge which are otherwise unremarkable. The elevation of a triple divide can be thousands of meters to barely above sea level. Triple divides are a common hydrographic feature of any terrain that has rivers, streams and/or lakes.

References

  1. ↑ "Renaming the Grand River, Colo." (PDF), Hearing Before the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives, Sixty Sixth Congress, Third Session, on HJ 460, Government Printing Office, February 18, 1921, retrieved May 16, 2023
  2. ↑ "House Joint Resolution 32 - To change the name of the Grand River in Colorado and Utah to the Colorado River" (PDF). Congressional Record . Sixty-seventh United States Congress. July 25, 1921. p. 4274. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Gustafson, Daniel L. (2003-01-24). "Hydrologic Unit Project". Montana State University, Environmental Statistics Group. Archived from the original on 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  4. ↑ Murphy, Sheila F. (2006). State of the watershed: Water quality of Boulder Creek, Colorado (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1284. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. ISBN   1-4113-0954-5 . Retrieved 2008-02-05.
38°59′50″N105°32′52″W / 38.9972°N 105.5478°W / 38.9972; -105.5478 (State of Colorado)
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