It has one of the most developed river systems in the world. It is a major and, in some cases, life-sustaining source of water for irrigation, drinking, and other uses by people living in the arid American southwest. The word Colorado means "colored red" in Spanish and was first applied to the Colorado River. The deepest point of the Colorado River is around 85 feet. During World War II, a special unit of the army trained in Colorado to prepare for combat in high, snowy altitudes. The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.It is approximately 1,450 miles (2,330 km) long. The Colorado River is a major river in the American southwest and in northern Mexico. The Colorado River is 1450 miles (thats 2330 km) in length 2. Grand Canyon didn’t become a national park until 1919. The 1,450 mile Colorado River is the Southwest’s only major river, providing drinking water for about 40 million people as well as irrigation for close to six million acres of farmland. Join supporters of the grand canyon. The Hoover Dam was built to control the Colorado River, generate electricity and supply drinking water. As of early 2018, the largest cities in the basin are Grand Junction (population 61,881) and Glenwood Springs (population of 9,614). The Colorado River is a very large river located in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.The states it runs through include Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Baja California and Sonora. There it drains into the Gulf of California, an arm of the Pacific Ocean . The Colorado River is the 47th longest river in the world. It flows 1450 miles from the Rocky Mountains to the Sonoran Desert where it dries up. 1. 1. A third of the entire Latino population in the U.S. lives in the Colorado basin. The Colorado River is 1450 miles (thats 2330 km) in length 2. The Colorado River is easily the major river of the southwestern United States, draining some 242,000 square miles of land. Latest Colorado River News . The Colorado River gathers momentum in western Colorado, sea-green and picking up a good deal of steam in its confluence with the Fraser, Eagle, and Gunnison rivers. The Colorado River begins high in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Carved by the copper-colored Colorado River, the colorful rock layers record billions of years of history and hide many unique species. We don't really know how old it is. River dams › Grand Canyon › › The Grand Canyon is 1,800m (6,000ft) deep in places. The river’s most famous landmark is the Grand Canyon in Arizona . Due to the surrounding desert landscape, artificial dams have been built to reduce the flow of water in some areas while increasing it in others. The Colorado River Water Compact drafted in 1922 to divide water between upper and lower basin states was based on analysis of one of the wettest 10-year periods in history, establishing a permanent deficit. The river and its tributaries - the Green, the Gunnison, the San Juan, the Virgin, the Little Colorado, and the Gila Rivers - are called the "Colorado River Basin." However, below average snowfall and drought conditions are causing a significant decrease in its freshwater resources. The Colorado River (Spanish: Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.The 1,450-mile-long (2,330 km) river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states. The Colorado Basin encompasses approximately 9,930 square miles. The river was first discovered by Europeans in 1539 by Francisco de Ulloa. 5 Facts About Colorado River. Colorado River, river rising in western Texas, U.S., on the Llano Estacado (“Staked Plain”) in Dawson county, northeast of Lamesa. The river drains an area of about 246,000 sq miles in 2 Mexican states and 7 US states. 1600s . The river drains in two Mexican states and seven states in United States. The Colorado River flows from Colorado southwest through the Rocky Mountains and into Mexico . The Hoover Dam was built on the Colorado River between 1931 and 1936. A few facts and figures about Grand Canyon: ... Was formed by the Colorado River, which flows west through the canyon and averages about 300 feet width, 100 feet in depth, and flows at an average speed of four miles per hour Grand Canyon National Park. For the best experience please update your browser. These kits are an excellent supplement or alternative for those schools who are unable to visit us at the Redbud Center and are FREE OF CHARGE. Learning more about the interesting facts associated with the Colorado River and Nevada can help see why this trip can be so memorable. Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it became a state a century after the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. The river begins in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is located in the northern region of the U.S. state of Colorado. The mighty flow of the Colorado River carved out this huge canyon millions of years ago. Colorado Facts. One of the best activities in the Southwestern U.S. is to go kayak the Colorado River near Las Vegas. Elevations in the basin range from greater than 13,000 feet in the headwater areas to about 4,300 feet where the Colorado River exits the state. Colorado River Education Kits The Colorado River Alliance would like to bring the River to you! Spanish explorer Melchior Diaz was one of the first people to explore the river in 1540 3. We have two TEKS aligned take-home kits designed for 4 th and 5th-grade classroom settings. The base level and course of the Colorado River (or its ancestral equivalent) changed 5.3 million years ago when the Gulf of California opened and lowered the river's base level (its lowest point). The Colorado River and its history are the focus of this quiz and worksheet. The ancestral Colorado River responded by cutting its channel faster and deeper. The Colorado River flows 1,450 mi (2,330 km) from its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado south into Mexico, where it empties into the Gulf of California. The Colorado River supports lots of animals, including fish, beavers, and muskrats. Its headwaters appear very different than the more well-known parts of the river. It has long been believed that the Colorado River began carving the Grand Canyon about 6 million years ago, but a 2012 study contained a real shocker, suggesting that the process may have begun as far back as 70 million years. Facts about Colorado River present the information about one of the primary rivers in northern Mexico and Southwestern United States. Before any dams were built, the Colorado River carried 380,000 million tons of silt to the Sea of Cortez. The average depth of the Colorado River is around 20 feet. The mountainous area of Colorado is six times the size of Switzerland and contains 9,600 miles of fishing streams, 2,850 lakes, and over 1,000 peaks that are at least two miles high. The Colorado River is a 1,450-mile long river in North America that flows through parts of the United States and Mexico. Spanish explorer Melchior Diaz was one of the first people to explore the river in 1540 3. The United States has a total of 91 "fourteeners" (mountain peaks over 14,000 feet). Colorado River Basin. Draining over 246,000 square miles, quenching the thirst of over 35 million people, and fueling a $1.4 trillion dollar economy, the Colorado River is truly the lifeblood of the American Southwest. The water begins from melting snow and rain, and is then supplemented by the Gunnison, Green, San Juan, Little Colorado, Virgin, and Gila Rivers. These rivers drain 242,000 square miles in the United States, or one-twelfth of the country's continental land area, and 2,000 square miles in Mexico. The Colorado River is a 1,450-foot long river that begins in Colorado and flows through Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico on its way to the sea. It is approximately 1,450 miles (2,334 km) in length and it drains an area of about 246,000 square miles (637,000 sq km). We’ll stop supporting this browser soon. Located in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, the Colorado River is a 2,330-kilometer (1,450-mile) river with its headwaters in the Rocky Mountain National Park in north-central Colorado.The river is the primary source of water for a region that receives little annual rainfall. It drains a part of the dry regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains.. The Colorado River has flowed since prehistoric times, when it was responsible for carving the Grand Canyon. Before the river flows to the southwest, it rises from the central Rocky Mountains in United States. The Colorado River Delta was formerly one of the most biodiverse habitats in North America, and now that some water has been returned, animals like this … Here are seven amazing facts … Here are a few facts about the Grand Canyon you probably don't know. Over 238,600 sq miles of its drainage basin is in the United States. Colorado contains 75% of the land area of the United States with an altitude over 10,000 feet. The length of the river is 2,330 kilometer or 1,450 miles. Colorado River is one of the major North American rivers which originates from the Rocky Mountains and flows for 1,450 miles to the Gulf of California. The Colorado River is one of the most important rivers in the western United States, and it flows through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California as well as part of Mexico. We have gathered 13 interesting facts about the Colorado River’s shrinking levels. Colorado River Facts. The Colorado River is the most regulated river in the world. The mighty Colorado River flows 1,450 miles from its headwaters atop Poudre Pass in Rocky Mountain National Park to the Gulf of California in Mexico.