Colorado drainage basins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also: List of rivers in Colorado
The U.S State of Colorado includes the headwaters of several important rivers. The state is divided generally East to West by the Continental Divide. East of the Continental Divide, surface waters flow via the North Platte River, the South Platte River, the Republican River, the Arkansas River, the Cimarron River, the Canadian River, or the Rio Grande to the Gulf of Mexico. West of the Continental Divide, surface waters flow via the Green River, the upper Colorado River[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 south and north of the Arkansas River.
Contents |
[edit] Table of major drainage basins
| Basin | Outlet | Total Area[2] | In-State Area[2] | % In-State[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado River[1] | Gulf of California | 703,132 km² 271,481 mi² |
100,195 km² 38,686 mi² |
14.2% |
| Arkansas River | Mississippi River | 478,501 km² 184,750 mi² |
70,022 km² 27,036 mi² |
14.6% |
| Rio Grande | 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[1][3] | Colorado River | 115,903 km² 44,750 mi² |
27,340 km² 10,556 mi² |
23.6% |
| North Platte River | Platte River | 80,755 km² 31,180 mi² |
5,129 km² 1,980 mi² |
6.4% |
| upper Colorado River (Grand River)[1] | Colorado River | 67,993 km² 26,252 mi² |
57,680 km² 22,270 mi² |
84.8% |
| San Juan River | Colorado River | 64,560 km² 24,927 mi² |
15,175 km² 5,859 mi² |
23.5% |
| South Platte River | 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 | 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[4] | 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 | 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 | 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[5] | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 Creek | Arkansas River | 2,798 km² 1,080 mi² |
2,798 km² 1,080 mi² |
100% |
| Saint Vrain Creek | 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 | Arkansas River | 2,418 km² 933 mi² |
2,418 km² 933 mi² |
100% |
| Big Thompson River | 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 | 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 | South Platte River | 1,497 km² 578 mi² |
1,497 km² 578 mi² |
100% |
| Taylor River | Gunnison River | 1,258 km² 486 mi² |
1,258 km² 486 mi² |
100% |
| Boulder Creek[6] | 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% |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d The Colorado River originally began at the confluence of the Green River and the Grand River in what is now Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Thus, the namesake river of the State of Colorado did not flow through that state. On 1921-07-25, House Joint Resolution 460 of the 66th United States Congress changed the name of the Grand River to the Colorado River over the objections of the U.S. Geological Survey, which noted that the drainage basin of the Green River was more than 70% more extensive than that of the Grand River.
- ^ a b c Gustafson, Daniel L. (2003-01-24). Hydrologic Unit Project (HTML). Montana State University, Environmental Statistics Group. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
- ^ The headwaters of the Green River are located in the Wind River Mountains of the State of Wyoming.
- ^ The Gunnison River Basin is the most extensive river basin exclusively within the State of Colorado.
- ^ The San Luis Closed Basin is the most extensive endorheic basin in the State of Colorado.
- ^ Murphy, Sheila F. (2006). State of the watershed: Water quality of Boulder Creek, Colorado (PDF). U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
