7 Fun facts about the Colorado River
1. How long is the Colorado River really?
Pete McBride/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE
The Colorado River is 1,450 miles (2,330 kilometers) long!
2. The Gift of the Colorado
The Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River in Arizona. Credit: James Marvin Phelps/flickr
Hydroelectric power is consistently generated by the Colorado River through its powerful water flow & strategic dam placement throughout the river.
3. From the Rockies to Mexico
The Colorado River begins at La Poudre Pass in Colorado and flows down to its end in Mexico defining the Baja California–Sonora border.
4. When did humans first take advantage of this river?
Humans have inhabited the Colorado River Basin for at least 8,000 years, and still thrive there to this day!
5. River of Gold
Miner with gold pan, pick, and shovel panning on banks of Clear Creek near Idaho Springs, Colorado; a canvas frame tent and sluice box in background. The location is near where gold was first discovered in Colorado. Source: Colorado Public Radio
The Gold Rush on the Colorado River began in 1862, and gold is still seen/found in the Colorado River.
6. Winding Through the Parks
There are 11 U.S. National Parks which contain sections of the Colorado River within their territories.
7. The greatness of the Colorado is no secret
Pixabay